Lunch Table Conversations: Where the Real Conference Happens - *Updated May 30*
As good as the Institute of Design's 2006 Strategy Conference was, I can't help but continue to be amazed at how the most memorable content always seems to be the lunch time table conversations. It is almost as if every conference I attend is only in place to plop me down at lunch in the midst of a table of smart people with an interesting topic so that we can make the event our own. This is, of course, not to say that there isn't a lot of value to be had with the main speakers. In fact, I think everyone at the table conversation I attended (titled "Shifting Expectations" and hosted by Steve Sato of HP) referenced some speaker at least once during the conversation. We must be getting something out of the main program.
I guess the point I am trying to make is that we get to share opinions on important topics in person with relevant souls (try saying that fast ten times) so rarely that we seem to value it even more highly than the regular program. I've been party to managing these types of tables for the last two years at several conferences and I can attest that attendees get outright fanatical about them. People are so keen to share their opinion and be part of a relevant conversation that I am thinking of presenting a whole new model of conference. Just imagine...
A new conference is held where there is only two speakers per day: one in the morning and one in the early afternoon. "Lunch table conversations" become just scheduled conversations throughout the day on various topics with, perhaps, speaker level hosts so that nearly all of the content is in this format. Just think of what you could get out of it! Yes, you may miss out on some content but the deepness of the conversations had combined with the networking which takes place would probably justify the lack of absolute continuity... a "conference of conversations".
I just may have to propose something like this to one of the conference organizers I know.
*Update*
Bl'ah. Just as I write about discipline lock and a different type of conference thinking I was very smart some colleagues of mine are actually DOING it. Overlap, organized by friends John Zapolski, Steve Portigal, Tom Mulhern, Scott Hirsh, among others, happened this past weekend and it sounds a heck a lot like this "conference of conversations" idea. I got invited but had a wedding to attend that weekend so I pretty much ignored it. Too bad because it seems like it was a good step in a new direction. Check out Steve's write up on it here: Chittah Chattah. Cheers to the Overlap crew. I look forward to taking part in the future.