Conferences that you enjoyed - why?

[ArcticChinchilla]

I've been tasked with helping to co-ordinate a conference this year. Not really an area that I have much experience in. There will be lots of people to help but it's been so long since I've been to a conference that I can't actually remember any good ones.

Have you been to any conferences that you have enjoyed? Whether in full or in part? If so, what did you enjoy about them? Or what have you been to that you thought was well done / clever that you would recommend I consider? All suggestions gratefully received!

It might help if you can hint at who it is aimed at ?

Working for the public purse for some decades, we are known to be quite excited at the prospect of a free pen and being able to just go to the toilet when we want. If there is real coffee that is served hot, that is a bonus.

My dh, OTOH goes to conferences around the world quite regularly, and the quality and quantity of wine gets mentioned in dispatches.

Some people work in industries where their offices are actually nice, and they normally have drinks, fruit and maybe even pastries provided, so wouldn't bat an eyelid at such things.

I have organised a few events - don't underestimate the work to do it!
Is this something people have to go to or our they choosing to?

If its choosing - you need a couple of good headline speakers asap that are relevant to the field and give it a bit of buzz, if it's internal make sure there are some more light hearted but not too cringe activities

As above - nice lunch! One even gave us breakfast, I nearly fell off my chair!there was yoghurt & fruit & coffee & pastries!
but I’m easily pleased. A really enthusiastic speaker also good.

Thank you. Attendance will be compulsory and a wide range of people and roles. Noted re: food, a good host and some headline speakers. I'm hoping I can rope other people into doing the actual organising, but I think I might have to co-ordinate, so trying to get a handle on the things I need to think about.

Personally the conference I remember best is the one that finished at 3pm... I loved that day...

Yeah don't start too early either - do coffee registration etc

If its compulsory talk a selection the people who will be going to see what they find useful and enjoyable - ideally constructive types - also in the team make sure that you have a couple of people who have organises events before it's harder than it looks. Oh and also check what the actual purpose of the conference is from management point of view - is it cpd, team building - and if any manager speaks try and get it to be someone who is a decent public speaker and keeps to time

I speak at many of them. Good food, no queuing, decent coffee and tea, areas to chill out, funny, interesting speakers, LOTS of good merch.

I expect decent and regular food & drink and comfortable bedrooms as standard.
The ones I have enjoyed are the ones where the speakers have spoken about something relevant to my work (even if indirectly), clearly been expert in their subject and good at public speaking.

Good food (not too many carbs), good coffee and and early finish please. Preferably in a location where there is good shopping

Make sure that the technology works.

I used to organise a large annual conference as part of my job. Queues and food were a main source of complaints! Then people wanted to be able to hear from a good, relevant range of speakers from our own area, but also valued hearing from interesting and engaging speakers from other industries/areas. If you are going to offer a range of breakout sessions running concurrently, think about the range of topics on offer.

Also laughing at @UsingChangeofName - I was in the public sector at the time and totally agree, a free pen and a biscuit went a long way!!

Decent booze. Mix up the speakers and style of presentations - no one likes being spoken at for 8 hours.

Thank you everyone. These are really useful tips.

Merch. I have a feeling this might make or break the day...! I will focus on this.

The best conference I went to was about 30 years ago, the subject matter was dry as dust, but I met another delegate and spent some very interesting nights in bed with him (both single!) but I’m not sure that’s the kind of thing you can actually organise

You could but I suspect it would be illegal.

Some good evening events, like drinks in a museum after it closes

Karaoke evening (sorry.. a lot of people do like it tho)

A walking tour of where you are if it’s interesting (I hope it is)

PROPER sized coffee mugs. Tiny cups and saucers only survive at conferences and the coffee gets cold because they are so tiny. It’s upsetting. BOILING tap for tea, not the flasks of somewhat hot water. Lots of water fill up stations. Healthy and nice food (people get a bit excited about pastries but then they eat too many and feel shit and tired.)

Speakers that aren’t boring.

Mix up the format so you have some panels and some single and twosomes and get someone fun to chair the panel so people argue a bit

But really @Whatthediddlyfeck ’s suggestion is the best one. So fun attendees I guess?

Decent bedrooms and lunch that is not just Sad Sandwiches.

Opportunities for people to network.

Good speakers with rigorous timekeeping is an obvious! At academic conferences I attend, there is always an independent chair at each panel whose sole job is keeping the speaker to time.

Wifi can still be surprisingly shit.

Are any sessions hybrid? That can add a whole world of pain.

I've often thought that a conference could have a 'conference speaking' session. I teach facilitation and it's really fun. You could have it at the end, advertised like Have you loved the speakers, think you could speak about something next year, come and learn how to facilitate a great sessions. Lots of how to do graphic recording, how to hold attention.

It's sort of a dream of mine.

Good speakers with rigorous timekeeping is an obvious!

First rule of good conference speaking, tell your room you will finish on time, finish early and they can hot the buffet first. They will LOVE you.

Hit the buffet. Also, it will be hot.

😂😂😂

Good coffee, and enough serving stations that you don't have to queue too long. Access to either coffee or a cafe or some sort of vending machine outside of the official breaks (once went to a conference where I had to leave for a work call during the actual break and for complicated reasons had missed lunch: venue was in the middle of nowhere and there was absolutely no way to get a brew and a biscuit for three hours until dinner even for ready cash).

Apps/websites where you can do interactive phone voting during talks can be a great way to keep the audience engaged if used intelligently.

Games, challenges and quizzes in the longer breaks can be good ice-breakers - ideally properly difficult ones tangentially related to the subject matter.

I love the idea of interactivity with mobiles during sessions.

You've all got great ideas, thank you.

I don't think I'd really appreciated the importance of food and drink (specifically coffee). I'll give lots of thought to this. Really good point re: not too much stodge.

Venue not decided yet, so this will really help when choosing.

Slido is good for interactivity. Poll Everywhere less so.

On the interactivity issue, banning Death by PowerPoint. No more than a few words on screen, preferably pictures, NO bullet points, no reading from slides. Only terrible facilitators do this. If I could just read your slides without you being there, you aren't a good facilitator.