Planners like lists and seem to love checking things off. So make better lists, ones that ensure each and every conference element reflects the very best of what we already know to be true.
I want to address a final time in this space: Take ownership of the quality of every conference ses- sion; don’t just stage-manage the general sessions. Simply put, toomany meetings still outsource
the quality of breakout and concurrent sessions— often themajority of the conference content—to volunteers who present. These individuals have subject-matter expertise, but little knowledge of how to design engaging learning experiences. By relinquishing quality control after the program- selection process is completed, we essentially rely on blind faith that workshops will go well.News- flash: Many don’t. This is not a risk worth taking. And
while sending aPDFoutlining the appropri- ate font size for slides and reviewing other fundamentals is necessary, it is insufficient to helppresenters of information become facil- itators of learning. At a minimum, the fol- lowing should occur: 1. Reframe the language used during
program proposal and selection — so that presenters see that it is a privilege to speak. They should agree to become a full partner in ensuring a great learning experi- ence in their workshop in a way that sup- ports the overall meeting design. 2.Create amenuof presenter profes- sional-development opportunities—some mandatoryandsomeoptional—thatteaches presenters learning design to increase partic- ipant engagement and contributions;howto craft better visuals, including slides and handouts; andhowto appropriately design for andleverage technology intheir sessions (Twitter, mobile apps, etc.). 3. Build an online community—where
presenters can shareandlearn fromeachoth- er, before-and-after session outlines and slide designs can be showcased, and videos, blog posts, and other tutorials can be provided.
assess the quality of the learning experience, not whether or not people like the presenter. Include questions related to session-format appropriateness, participant engagement, content relevance and applicability, and the value of visuals and technolo- gies used.
Editor’s Note: While this is the last of Jeffrey Cufaude’s Lead- ing Learningcolumns,we’recertain thathewill continue tohave great insights about how to make conferences better forums for growth and development—andwelook forward to featur- ing those insights in other ways in Convene.
Raise the Bar Content is more abundant and acces- sible. Individuals have access to technolo- gies that make connecting and build- ing networks much easier. Meeting professionals can only lead learning when we become the stan- dard-bearers for quality in every detail we manage.