Unconference – planning or no planning?

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What is an unconference?

Ever heard of an unconference session? It is a participant-driven conference format that offers an alternative to the traditional conference. This type of convention has no prepared program or defined content. The content and agenda is decided by one of the participants at the unconference venue.

The purpose is to:

• Meet for an exchange of knowledge
• Stimulate and engage each other
• Take advantage of the collected experience

When does the unconference format fit?

This format is fitting when you want to gather co-workers, branch colleagues, or others who have mutual interests or areas of knowledge. Even if you are not having a pre-planned agenda, you can set a broad theme for the unconference. What is important to this group of people right now? Make sure you create the foundation needed for a rewarding and successful unconference.

This format is less of a match if you need to meet to discuss a certain question or make decisions.

How does an unconference session work?

Even if the unconference as a concept is open with much room for improvisation, there is structure in the actual format. The participants may initially propose different sessions for smaller groups, sometimes with a broad theme as the starting point.

A session can for example be formed as a discussion, a workshop, or it could be the presentation of a new project. These different sessions are then scheduled and the participants choose a number of sessions that they want to attend. It can be wise to appoint a leader for each session, someone who starts it all off and controls the discussion when needed. This person is often the one who proposed the idea of the specific session in the first place. In addition to these, there is space for a number of sessions with everyone in one place, suiting, for example, a formal presentation of some sort.

There are a few ground rules that are good for all participants to keep in mind, these are:

• If you feel that you are not contributing, learning something, or having fun – move to another session.
• Everyone has the right to speak from their perspective and share their own opinion.
• If you want to elaborate on a discussion in the hallway, do it.

Why are participant-driven meetings appreciated?

Many people feel that the participant-driven meetings are simple, gratifying, and beneficial form of communication. Up for some progress and growth? This flexible meeting format can give you and all other participants some new ideas, insights and perhaps even give you a new point of view on different matters. Compared to the traditional conferences and meetings, this unconference format also requires less preparation and planning for the one in charge.

How is it different than traditional conferences?

An unconference takes away the hierarchal aspect that often influences the traditional conference. There is a free flow of ideas and the open format helps to boost more informal connections between the participants. This makes it ideal for discussing certain broad topics with people of different expertise. The unconference encourages interchange in knowledge in a way that the traditional conference does not.

The unconference is a slightly more informal meeting where the outcome of the event depends on the participants themselves. With no pre-planned agenda, everyone involved has the opportunity to influence the direction of the discussion. These sessions in the unconference with small teams create a space perfect for creative thinking and the deep discussion of different ideas.

What do I do as the organizer?

As the one who organizes the unconference, you are the one who invites the participants, sets the date, and books the venue. Make sure that you have a good group of people with different levels of experience and areas of expertise. Pick a date where you know that most people likely will be able to attend and choose a venue that suits the meeting format. It should be possible to split the participants into different sessions.

A tool can help you out with planning

Magnet is the perfect platform for anyone who organizes, plans, or arranges some type of event, meeting, unconference, or conference. It helps you to keep track of all things and start off the occasion in the right way. Send invites to your participants, get an overview of how many people can attend, and much more.

Whatever type of gathering or event you are hosting, Magnet is the tool that you need. Create marketing content for social media platforms, sell tickets, create an event page, get an overview of the total revenue, and much more. No matter if you are a professional event planner or if you are rather inexperienced in this department, a helpful platform is always a good idea.

Practical for the participants

Using Magnet is not only beneficial for the one organizing it. The people who receive the invitations also get the benefit of being able to register for the unconference in a simple way. They are also able to get more information or cancel through the online platform. This way the whole thing can run smoothly, from the invitation to the actual unconference.

Get started with Magnet

Not only does Magnet make conferences and events easier to manage, it is also easy for you to get started using it. Create an account and begin right away. No need to download anything, everything is online, user-friendly, and perfect for access from any device, anywhere. You get all that you need in one place. If you are curious about arranging an unconference, we recommend you to try it out.

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