Rule One

The experts at your conference are in the audience, not on the stage.

As a speaker at many conferences it's clear that many event organizers assume that people go to a conference to see experts and motivators. At least this is what the design of most conferences suggests.

We often bring outsiders into an Association or Corporate conference and ignore the voices of those who work in it. This often results in generic presentations which often miss what the audience really needs to hear.

There is value in the outside perspective; it should come at the expense of the expertise and insight of the audience. Don't ignore this expertise, insight and experience in the audience. Recognize the expertise that walks in the door and plan to use it in some way. This is particularly important for Associations. Members can often learn more from each other than from outside speakers.

Questions for conference designers

• What experience, expertise or insight will your conference participants bring to the event that you can harness in some way?
• How will you engage your participants?
• What percentage of your conference will allow participants to use their expertise?