Chapter: Participatory Conferences


Café conversation
Café conversation

PowerPoint presentations too often resemble a school play – very loud, very slow, and very simple.

If your words or images are not on point, making them dance in color won’t make them relevant.

Power corrupts, PowerPoint corrupts absolutely.

Edward Tufte, Yale Emeritus professor

Traditional conferences and meetings are too often death-by-Powerpoint. It need not be this way.

In this chapter, I take a look at some of the ways in which conferences and meetings can be made more conversational and participatory.


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Introduction: Participatory Conferences From audience to participants

The Unconference Conversational Conferences Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close Conferences often involve long, boring presentations that disengage audiences. This “death by PowerPoint” approach fails to actively involve attendees in the learning process. With some creative planning, Continue reading Introduction: Participatory Conferences From audience to participants

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Conversational Conferences In a conversational conference, the dominant style of presentation is the conversational talk

Introduction: Participatory Conferences Conversational Talks Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close Most conferences are a series of PowerPoint talks interspersed by the occasional panel discussion. The audience has little time to ask questions, but they have no Continue reading Conversational Conferences In a conversational conference, the dominant style of presentation is the conversational talk

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Conversational Talks How to give a conversational talk or presentation

Conversational Conferences Knowledge Cafés ** Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close In most talks or seminars, the audience is not allowed to discuss the presentation. This doesn’t have to be the case. Allotting a few minutes during Continue reading Conversational Talks How to give a conversational talk or presentation

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Peter Block’s Four Ownership Questions Are you prepared to take responsibility for the learning and engagement of others?

At events, people often arrive as strangers, unsure of their role in making the day worthwhile. Without connection, participation can remain passive. A brief session using Peter Block’s four ownership questions invites personal responsibility and shared engagement, setting the stage for meaningful conversations and learning. Continue reading Peter Block’s Four Ownership Questions Are you prepared to take responsibility for the learning and engagement of others?

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Let’s Get Rid of Lecterns The lectern is a barrier to connecting with your audience

Peter Block’s Four Ownership Questions People Tagging ** Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close Why do we still use lecterns in meetings and at conferences? A lectern prevents you from engaging with your audience, I was at a Continue reading Let’s Get Rid of Lecterns The lectern is a barrier to connecting with your audience

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The Unconference A conference organized, structured and led by the people attending it

People Tagging ** Introduction: Participatory Conferences Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close Traditional conferences offer limited participant engagement, presenting a problem in fostering meaningful interactions. Unconferences provide a solution by enabling attendees to actively shape the agenda, Continue reading The Unconference A conference organized, structured and led by the people attending it