Take Your PowerPoint And… is a brief writeup of the unconference (wikipedia link), an idea that’s based in a collective allergic reaction to the pricy, structured, advertorial conference.
My first introduction to the concept of ‘unconference’ was via Dave Winer’s blog.
In short, it’s about participation – having just come back from Mix07, where, for the most part, it was a traditional keynote/session type conference (although to be fair, there were breakout sessions and schmooze rooms), I don’t think I’ll actively participate, or rather pay for, a conference that doesn’t fundamentally follow the participatory nature of an unconference.
Maybe this is a reaction against feeling like I learn nothing new, unless I’m talking and participating, but only in _industry specific_ conference – certainly the traditional model of passively observing mind blowing 20 minute talks from great thinkers speakers at TED and PopTech appeals to me – although, even then, I would relish the opportunity for a really decent Q&A.
Perhaps it’s more basic than this – it’s a reaction to the core philosophy from conference organisers – if it’s primarily a commercial venture in a defined industry sector, with sponsored keynotes and so on, I won’t spend my cash to visit it. I’ve been to a few and they were a waste of time. As far as I can tell, the whole event is a macguffin to allow networking ‘opportunities’. If that’s the case, then strip away the pretense, lay on lots of dinners and macguffins to get people talking and with the reduced costs, slash the price.
If the main focus is on ideas, fantastic speakers, then a more ‘broadcast format is more than bearable (ironically both TED and PopTech are ‘big ticket’ deals that cost several grand to attend). These I like the idea of – it’s more of a curated learning experience…
Personally, I love Reboot, which balances a lack of formality, a ‘curated’ learning experience (the trick is to attend the opposite of the sessions you instinctively move toward) with a great community vibe.
The physical space is important too, of course – in Mix, it was held in the vast halls and corridors of the Venetian hotel in Vegas, where the design is to allow maximum flow of large numbers of people, not the organic bump and sit down that Reboot’s Kedelhallen venue oozes with effortless style.