Leading Learning By Jeffrey Cufaude

Take Away

The Format Is Right

You probably have some clothes in the back of your closet that have never gone out of style and are just waiting to be worn again. Similarly, perhaps it’s time to pull out some classic presentation formats and add them back into your current conference designs.

Inthepastfewyears,we’veseenaflurryofinter- est in alternative conference approaches that embrace user-generated designs — including unconferences, BarCamp, EventCamp,and others. Different presentation formats also have been plugged into conferences, most featuring a short- er length:TEDTalks (18minutes), PechaKucha (20 slides for 20 seconds each), Ignite (15slides for 15 seconds each), and the seven-minutemicro sessions or two-minute nanosessions at a recentTeachMeet event.

Participants generally find these approaches appealing because they offer concentrated content,

tioners of the debaters, or even invited to present additional perspectives in support of either side. Mock trials. This kind of presentation offers

muchof the content and format appeal of debates, but in a more theatrical way. Putting a status-quo idea or potentially outdated professional prac- tice/belief on trial canmake for compelling learn- ing if you can assemble a cast of characters who play their partswell.Amock trial—while requir- ing more scripting andadvance preparation—also creates the opportunity to involve more of your industry’s internal celebrities asmembersof the jury or as witnesses. And you can juice up the court-

We shouldn’t overlook classic but underutilized learning formats.

a greater variety of speakers and subjects in a short- er period of time, and a better sense of the presen- ters’ personalities. While more conferences can benefit by exper-

imenting with these new approaches, we also should not overlook some classic but generally underutilized learning formats.Here are a handful —which will likely be new and novel for many participants—that are worth dusting off. Debates. Most conferences explore critical

issues about which participants may have varied perspectives. A debate format allows for an in- depth exploration of a core question in a compact timeframe.Teams of debaters could take each side and engage in a traditional debate format, or you could have a more expansive list of debaters, each presenting one opinion to support a particu- lar side. Let a reactor panel of industry insiders comment on the case made by each side, and engage audiencemembers in pre- and post-debate polling to assess which side swayed them the most. Participants also could be involved as ques-

room drama with yourownJudge Judy presiding, as well as yourownvideoversionof those over-the- top courtroom reality-TV introductions to each case.

Show-and-tell.Meeting participants seek solu-

tions, but one ideawon’twork for everyone.The show-and-tell format is a concise way to highlight a variety of solutions for common challenges or problems while giving a broader and more diverse group of presenters the chance to share their knowledge and best practices. Use a poster-style format with sections of a ballroom or exhibit hall dedicated to presenters discussing a specific challenge. Or use a shorter presentation format such as Pecha Kucha or Ignite (or create yourown variation), and schedule presenters—addressing the same challenge—one after another in a specific ses- sion time block. Show-and-tell lends itself well to business-partner involvement, as suppliers can present their product or service as a solutionfor par- ticipants without it being an inappropriate product pitch in a longer session format.

ON_THE_WEB: For an example of the Ignite format in action, check out this five-minute video in which I deliver a sermon on innovation to a flock of the faithful:www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4O4396l8mM.

34 pcma convene June 2011 ILLUSTRATION BY JEAN TUTTLE

Gaming Options Another presentation style to consider is the game show— which is well suited for sessions in which a significant amount of content needs to be covered in a short period of time. The information pre- sented should be objective, with con- crete answers avail- able. Create your own game show or replicate one of the classics that would especially appeal to your participants. While “Jeopardy” and “The $100,000 Pyra- mid” are naturals for copying, imagine members of your board or members in your organization playing your profes- sion’s version of “To Tell the Truth,” “Match Game,” or “Family Feud.”

Jeffrey Cufaude is a former higher- education administrator, meeting planner, and association executive. Currently he designs and presents high-impact learning experiences, including engaging conference keynotes and workshops. Learn more about his work atwww.idea architects.org or follow him atwww.twitter .com/jcufaude.