Sg2009wc:unconference
From She's Geeky Wiki
Title: Creating/Facilitating Unconferences/Process Geek Kaliya Hamlin
Session: 7-D Bay Area Jan 2009
Note Taker: cjane3
Attendees: Barbara Haven, Eleesa Hager, Melissa Lewis, Crystal Marie Mitchell, Cherry McLaughlin, Sue Fenstermaker, Tiffany von Emmel
Notes:
Open space tech was created 20 years ago, guy spent 1 year developing a conference, and many people liked the "coffee style" conference
Open Space Technology Format: The unconference is run with an open space - morning opening, breakout sessions, closing. The forum is very divergent to accommodate people from different backgrounds who are interested in various topics.
Unpanel Format: - A convergent forum when everyone has a shared experience; best practice - have 1 keynote in a day
Things to ask/keep in mind when setting up an unconference:
- What do people want to learn, why are they here?
- Pick a methodology.
- Protect the space, keep it open.
- Remind people: If they're not learning in a session, it's okay to leave.
- Never parallel track an open space style and closed space style sessions, which will fracture the community.
Aside: World Cafe is a more structured conference approach.
Attendees of Unconferences find it hard to go back to regular conferences because the unconference style is so rich in experiences.
"Lobby Conference" - going to a conference to socialize/network with people in the lobby
Sponsors - Big companies can donate as much as 1K to support unconferences, the companies get attention/advertisement at the conference
A good timeframe to create the unconference is 3 months. Unconferences can scale to up to 2,000 people.
Resources:
- Unconference.net >> Event Services
- InnovationGames.com >> Luke Hohmann (fr wikipedia: where customers play a set of directed games as a means of generating feedback about a product or service)
- How to prepare people for unconferences >> go to ShesGeeky.org
- Fabulous Facilitators group meets in Berkeley
- Appreciative Inquiry Method >> David L. Cooperrider >> more of a storyboard approach, people tell their stories, find commonalities, and build off of the positive energies
- Women 2.0, Girls in Tech