Content & Logistics Come Last
To have a successful convening, you need to stay focused on how the outcomes will serve your long-term goals, and on the most critical element, your participants. It’s the experience that participants have and how they contribute their expertise and perspectives. Your event design must serve them, and the content and logistics should serve that. I find that the focus often goes to the content and logistics first when they should come last. I was reminded of all this during a prep session for the International Land Coalition who are looking to run a Virtual Event Lab for the next Global Land Forum, which they are hoping to run as a hybrid event, virtual and face to face.
The Next Virtual Session Design Lab
I was nice to see The Session Design Canvas (Beta) get an enthusiastic reception from BetaNYC
The canvas is a motivation for running another Virtual Session Design Lab. I’m looking forward to engaging lab participants on Dec 16th and 17th, to see how well it can work to aid in capturing all the different considerations in an effective session design.
Getting Interpreters comfortable with Zoom
I’ve taken everything I’ve learned from Laurent Fernandez and am prepping a set of interpreters for a meeting being run by the European Centre for Non-Profit Law. Again, testing and preparation are critical, making sure everyone is confident and comfortable with the platform (again, Zoom). The use of two devices for interpreters is the big challenge, as there may be times when they have to listen to another language interpretation channel.
Serendipity
Is a beautiful thing. On a catch-up walk with neighbour, Tim Davies, he described a virtual convening platform where you can move between group discussions and the volume increases as you move closer to the group. You can listen and then decide if you want to join. Later that day, I joined Mor Rubinstein‘s Virtual Farewell Beer which took place on Gather Town, which was precisely the platform Tim was describing. I could see a lot of potential in the platform, particularly in being able to allow people to participate in small groups discussions of their choosing. HOWEVER, at first glance at the FAQ pages, it might another privacy and proprietary nightmare.