Rule Three

Design your conference based on Logistics and Learning

Every event has a thousand details which need to be planned carefully to ensure everything comes together at the same time to benefit participants. It takes a huge effort to plan and manage the details of an event.

It is important to step back and ask, "How much time is invested in the design and shaping of the content of the conference?"

Often the amount of time and energy invested in planning the learning objectives and to design the conference is much smaller. Many times I have asked, "What are the learning objectives for this conference?" The answer most often was: "Our theme for this event is..." A theme is not a learning objective.

The solution is to create two planning processes (and most likely two groups or committees) to create two types of strategies for an event.

1. A logistical strategy includes all of the details to host the event. This is your usual organizational plan for a conference. There are many books to help you gain new insights for planning the event.
2. A learning strategy defines why this event is being held, what learning results are crucial for participants, and how they will be achieved.

Defining these strategies may take two different types of planners. Consider this in the context of different styles of thinking:

• Logistical planners must be detailed oriented, analytical problem solvers. Experience in running large event is an asset.
• Learning planning specialists must use foresight to ask questions like, 'What's possible here?' or 'What haven't we done before?' They must be prepared to explore and create new ideas that have not been tried before.

When great logistical plans combine with great learning plans, something powerful happens. Keep in mind that each role is a specialty onto itself. Involve the right people in the right way.

Question for conference designers

• Has the basic design of the conference changed in recent years?
• How much time gets invested in the details of a conference as compared to the design of the content?
• Does the conference have specific learning goals that you select between different types of speakers and workshop ideas?
• Do you explore new ideas for presentations and participant engagement?