Unique Event Formats: BarCamp, the Unconference
LIVE EVENTS
Let s get the basic Wikipedia introduction bit out of the way: BarCamp is an international network of user-generated conferences primarily focused around technology and the web. They are open, participatory workshop-events, the content of which is provided by participants.
But BarCamp is not for pansies that just want to show up and soak it all in. Oh, no. BarCamp has rules. Fight Club rules:
The Rules of BarCamp
1st Rule: You do talk about BarCamp.
2nd Rule: You do blog about BarCamp.
3rd Rule: If you want to present, you must write your topic and name in a presentation slot.
4th Rule: Only three word intros.
5th Rule: As many presentations at a time as facilities allow for.
6th Rule: No pre-scheduled presentations, no tourists.
7th Rule: Presentations will go on as long as they have to or until they run into another presentation slot.
8th Rule: If this is your first time at BarCamp, you HAVE to present.
As you can see, the primary goal of BarCamp is to increase participation in a democratic event environment. The 8th rule is flexible: not everyone has to present, exactly, but everyone has to be engaged. That might mean volunteering as part of a presentation, or even helping out with event logistics. As with most democracies, this is a blessing and a curse for organizers. In many ways, BarCamps can move themselves along with less oversight by managers once they re rolling. In other ways, well, that s a lot of cooks in the kitchen, so some problems can arise there. But typically, BarCamps are just good fun.
Another perk of the BarCamp format is that attendees can be the keepers of their own event experience. There are no set tracks , no pre-set scheduling, and no one feels looked down on if they re just there to hang out and have beers in the hallway.
Plugging into an Existing Conference Brand
BarCamp already has a pretty solid name for itself within the tech community, so not only does the name BarCamp need little introduction to techies, there is already a Google Group for worldwide BarCamp organizers that will provide you with the support network you need to get your first BarCamp going.
Thing is, you don t have to be doing a tech conference to use the BarCamp format. As organizer, the topic is really up to you. Though BarCamps are often tech-related, they can really be about anything. Don t expect to capitalize on tickets for this one, though: BarCamps are free to attend.
Yes, but also this: More Best Practices for Building an Event Website
EVENT INDUSTRY
The good folks over at Planningpod.com recently posted a nifty infographic detailing 10 best practices for building event websites. We couldn t agree more with their assessment (no, seriously: put the name and date of the event on every page, people), and we felt inspired to add a couple of additional event website must-dos from our own experience.
Post a Schedule
Attendees should never be left wondering what a day at your event will look like, and for day-long events in particular, it s not only polite to post a schedule, it s vital. And you can t just toss any schedule up there in any format, either.
You know when you go to a restaurant website, and the only thing you want to see is a menu, a location, opening hours and maybe a picture of the place, but instead you get a downloadable PDF menu that won t open in your browser? And you wonder why the owners of the restaurant hate you so much? Approach event schedules on your website the same way you wish those restaurant owners approached their online menus. Schedules should always be fully listed on the site without having to download a document, with a PDF version offered as an optional downloadable backup. PDFs open very unreliably, and if you toss this meatless bone out there, you re asking for trouble and a shorter guest list.
Who else is going?
Part of the allure of doing anything socially-constructed is the chance to hang out with people you like and the opportunity to rub elbows with people you admire. Potential attendees want to know two things: are any of their friends going? And: are any celebrities or industry luminaries going?
In terms of tackling the first one, we suggest leveraging social media. There are a few ways to skin this cat:
1) Add a hashtag-based feed to your event site allowing Twitter users to trumpet their attendance plans.
2) Pull in a list of I m going responses from Facebook, which will allow fence-sitters to get a sense of the guest list and see if any of their pals are going.
3) Add a tweet / post function as the last step of your registration process, prompting people to tell their friends and followers about their plans.
In terms of hot shot attendees, the solution is even easier: humble-brag about it on your site.
Check color contrast and Accessibility
When you re planning an event, you re typically catering to a wide array of people, and provisions need to be made for everyone. It s old news that the venue itself should be accessible to older attendees and the differently-abled, but what about your website? Check that the color contrast between the website background color and the text color meets at least WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) AA compatibility standards (AAA being the highest). That way, people with poor eyesight will have an easier time navigating your online event informatoin.
If your firm doesn t have a tech on hand, you can check WCAG contrast yourself with this handy add-on for Firefox.
Govevents.com Reports on Event Spending
EVENT INDUSTRY
You ve probably noticed that when data is reported from studies any data most of the statistics you see cited are 3-10 years old, and you can imagine all the ho-hum reasons why: it takes researchers a while to gather info, collate it, make conclusions about it, publish it, and for it to end up on a linkbait infographic colorful enough to wrest attention away from the royal drool stains (And what was Selena Gomez thinking? These questions haunt us all.).
But not so for data published by political event industry blog Govevents.com, who have recently and generously shared some super-right-now-current stats that they ve gathered while tracking government event spending.
A particularly interesting highlight:
17{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} The amount travel spending is down in 2014 (so far). Travel spending in fiscal 2014 through March is about $2.8 billion, compared to almost $3.4 billion through March of fiscal 2013.
30{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} The amount agencies are mandated to reduce their travel spending (as compared to 2010 numbers). That level is to be maintained through 2016.
Hats off for that info, as that gives us a good idea of what we can predict in terms of the coming year. Don t miss the full post on govevents.com.
9 Weird Themed Venues for Events Big and Small
VENUES
It isn t all staid business hotels and conference centers in the event management scene. Check out this list of fun, unique and downright odd event venues.
@SolWaveHouse, Mallorca
Image Source Huffpost No other venue would have been fit to head up this list. The living dream of any tech-savvy event organizer, the world s first Twitter-themed hotel offers a range of social media activities, with its own community and crowd-sourced parties while also being in prime position along the beach at Magaluf.
Noah s Ark, Dordrecht, the Netherlands
Image Source: bizbash This gigantic wooden boat faced a tough time at first, with some dismissing it as a poor modern art job. Founder Johan Huibers vision had now been vindicated, though, as the conference center is regularly filled and 3,000 visitors a day crowd into its bilges.
Alcatraz E.R., Tokyo
Image Source: bizbash Japan had to make it to this list somehow. The Alcatraz E.R., styled after a prison hospital, oddly stood out as one of the least disturbing alternatives. The restaurant may serve dishes themed on the human anatomy but has proven popular with Japanese businessmen. Who doesn t want their CEO knock back a brain buster cocktail from a mannequin head?
Yellow Submarine Hotel, Liverpool
Image Source: bizbash It may likely be cramped inside, but come on, organizing an event around this hotel would be an experience to remember for any child of the 60s. Just hope it doesn t sink, we wouldn t recommend a swim in Liverpool waterways.
Big Brother House, London
Image Source: corporateevenuesuk.com Most contestants who enter the Big Brother House do their best not to leave it. This bodes well for any long events or conferences requiring patience of their attendees.
Ninja Restaurant, New York
Image source 4.bp.blogspot.com For some reason, whenever we write something about this mysterious NYC nightspot, the words vanish off the page. The staff member who did the research for Ninja Restaurant said he loved the Oriental atmosphere but then suddenly disappeared mid-sentence. We have no idea what happ .
Ganja Gourmet, Denver
Image source: darkroom.baltimoresun.com Far from us to pick sides in the marijuana legalization debate. But Colorado s first marijuana restaurant has long based its reputation on its medicinal marijuana. And from the reviews, the food is pretty good.
Universal Studios, Hollywood, USA
Image source universalhollywoodevents.com Nobody said themed event venues had to be obscure to make it on this list. More than just a theme park, the Universal Studios park offers a full range of event services, conference locations, stages and other unique offerings ideal for large groups.
Dinner in the Sky, Worldwide
Image source luxurylifedesign.blogspot.com Able to be organized anywhere in the world and at varying heights for varying levels of bravery, this will definitely leave a select guest list with their heads in the clouds.
Spring into Spring with a Quick Look at some of the World s Top Event Florists
EVENT DESIGN
Spring has definitely sprung, and with it, stunning spring collections from the world s top florists.
Jane Packer, UK / New York / Asia
The company that rose to fame under the stewardship of the late great Jane Packer, whose arrangements graced the Duke of York s wedding, is now offering their spring line. The international brand, which even includes a florist academy, offers corporate and event bouquets in London, New York, Seoul, Hong Kong and Tokyo.
L Artisan Fleuriste, Paris
About as French as French can be, L ARtisan Fleuriste offers top-notch event design in Paris.
Hollyflora
Based in Los Angeles, Hollyflora is a gorgeous studio that provides arrangements for events of all sizes. Aside from more traditional bouquets, they also do locally-inspired cactus arrangements suitable for a West Coast dessert vibe. Check out their inspiring Instagram feed for more spring arrangements.
Thierry Boutemy, Belgium
Beloved by the wealthy, Thierry Boutemy is responsible for the flower arrangements in Sofia Coppola s 2006 film Marie Antoinette. The above picture isn t of his spring line artists like Thierry need not post such trifles but we love how it underscores his incredible event design skills.
Landet Jarna
Staying in tune with the seasons is of supreme importance at Landet Jarna, where the florists only source wildflowers from the woods around Stockholm. Gardenista.com explains, The Uggla sisters opened the shop in response to the lack of local, seasonal, pesticide-free, and fair trade flowers (and wondered why, when so much attention is paid to these traits in the food industry today).
Unique Event Formats: Speed Geeking
LIVE EVENTS
Inspired by speed dating , where busy masochists looking for a relationship spend a few minutes introducing themselves before rotating over to new partners, SpeedGeeking is an Unconference event format which allows participants to hear several quick presentations on a variety of topics over a fixed period of time. In this post, we ll talk a little bit about the fairly simple format and how to organize one.
You ll need a room large enough to hold all your attendees at once, with enough power outlets to support multiple presenters with laptops and projectors. Presenters typically place tables, podiums, or other presentation set-ups around the outer edges of a room and all set up simultaneously. Before the event starts, each presentation station is assigned a number (or letter) that should be displayed on a visible placard nearby.
As attendees arrive, they re assigned groups with numbers that correspond to the numbers on the presenter stations; groups should range from 5-15 people in size. The group number dictates which presentation that group will hear first.
When everyone s ready to begin, the event moderator starts the timer, and each group heads over to their assigned presentation. All presentations should be the same length (presenters should be told how long to make their presentations well in advance), usually ten minutes, sometimes as long as fifteen. Once time is up, the moderator sounds the alarm, and each group rotates one station to the left or right, and the presentations begin again.
In May 2011 the iEducate team worked with experts from museums and galleries across Budapest to showcase technologies they could use for their education programmes. As part of this we held a speed geeking session where each member of the iEducate team was given a limited amount of time to introduce a different technology to a small group.
Check out Pete Stevens showcasing Virtual Tours in Second Life.
iEducate Speed geeking Virtual Tours Pete Stevens from iEducate on Vimeo.
So that s a sit-down, low-key, small-group version of a Speed Geek.
Educators & Students are Speed Geeking
We ve seen quite a few examples of large school faculty bodies using the format as a way to quickly get up to speed on the latest pedagogical terminology, or to get a fast briefing on what s happening in other departments. And since teaching is also a nifty way to learn, students are also being introduced to the format as a way to share their knowledge with others, practice public speaking, and to better understand their own material.
Drawbacks
We haven t seen this exact method used on mass-scale events it would be very difficult to moderate thousands of people at once but it can be managed for up to 150 attendees. For larger-scale events, we recommend sticking to standard lighting talks.
Event Production Reviews & Trends: 48th Annual CMA Awards Wrap-Up
LIVE EVENTS
The 48th annual Country Music Awards went down on November 5th in a flurry of big hair, big hats, and big white smiles. We turned our event production eye to some of the show s breakout moments of fabulousness and folly.
Tribe kills it again
The set was masterful but that s hardly a shocker, considering that the industrial-style exposed-fixture staging was created by the talented folks at Tribe Inc., arguably the best live design team in America. If you re not familiar with Tribe s work, these are the guys behind the 2013 Super Bowl XLVII halftime show (check out this interview with Tribe s Bruce Rodgers for a look into the vastness of that skillset), some DNC and political conventions, stage design at the Olympic Village WINNING!
Dimensional Sets
Really excellent job with the dimensional set designs. This is a high-impact trend we re seeing throughout the industry, one we expect to continue to see, and one that can be executed inexpensively. I m not sure who did the design for the CMAs specifically, but the style was at least reminiscent of the work done by Atomic Design, one of Decibel s set creation partners.
Projection on Fog
When Carrie Underwood took the stage to perform Something in the Water , she was backed by an ethereal waterfall created by projecting abstract swirling rain patterns onto a wall of fog. The effect was isolating (I mean that in the best possible way) and a little unearthly the world collapsed inwards and placed the singer at the center of it. Thumbs up for an appropriate and interesting pairing of song content and visuals.
The Drums. Oh, the Drums.
Just because you can doesn t necessarily mean you should. Little Big Town and Ariana Grande s collaboration on Day Drinking generated some buzz less for the actual content of the show and more for the candy-cane explosion of lighting effects that accompanied the set. Little Big Town began, dressed in LED-piped Tron-inspired outfits, flanked by a stacked wall of drummers playing drums trimmed with that s right LEDs. When Ariana emerges, she s wrapped in (say it with me now) an LED-edged plastic Barbie dress. Eye-popping, yes. And yes, people talked about it. But we re gonna go ahead and say that this could have been executed with a tad more tact.
LED Video Walls
You might have caught a look at the background behind Dierks Bentley while he did Drunk on a Plane see those squares? That s an LED Video wall, and if you look closely, you can see the same effect being used on the floor to create an LED runway that changed to accommodate the song. A little bit of blur on this video and we don t have the best angle on the floor, but you can get a look at the vertical face of the wall good stuff:
Audience Engagement: Chevy Partnership
Three cheers here: the 2014 CMAs took a holistic approach to audience engagement that encompass. Leveraging a sponsorship by Chevy, the CMAs asked Instagram users to post pics in answer the question What does country music mean to you? (hashtag #chevycmasweeps). The best pictures were posted on stage. This worked a whole heckuvalot better than live Twitter integration does in terms of getting your attendees involved.
4 Weird Conferences You ve Never Heard Of
LIVE EVENTS, TRADE SHOW
It takes all kinds to make this wild world, and if you can imagine it, someone has already rented the Las Vegas Convention center to celebrate it. We ve collected a list of some out-of-the-ordinary annual conferences.
VapeMania
Never heard of Vaping? Neither had I until some of my close friends made the decision to quit smoking the ciggies. Vaping is a term used to describe the smoking of products that are inhaled via water vapor rather than via burning and actual smoke: e-cigarettes and e-pipes, basically. As awareness of the dangers of cigarette smoking rises, vaping s popularity continues to increase, and we re seeing a ton of conventions crop up dedicated to bringing vapers together to try new products and inhalant methods: think fancy e-cigarettes, flavored and scented oils and liquids, blah blah blah. Vapemania isn t the only Vapecon on the block, either check out this list of all the vape expos in 2014.
PUA Superconference
You remember that scene in Magnolia where Tom Cruise is up there on stage screaming Respect the C*ck ? Ahem. That is a real thing, and it happens in Vegas every year, except with fewer leather vests and more chest waxing. Pick-Up Artists are students of the ancient mysteries of wooing the laides, and they converge once a year at PUA for several days of, ahem, results-oriented dating help . Heh. Results-oriented .
Enjoy this exciting preview by the Venerable Adam Lyons, the World s #1 Pickup Artist , at the (very similar) 21 Convention. Not even mildly SFW, people:
Florida PirateCon
Though we were sad to see that MerPalooza, a mermaid convention last held in 2013, didn t resurface this year, we re slightly mollified by the scheduled return of Florida s PirateCon in 2015. Weird? Maybe, but c mon, who doesn t secretly really want to go to this dressed in a buccaneer s coat and carrying a brace of pistols, huh?
Oregon Ghost Conference
And you thought ghost hunting was dead (HAR!). Get out your geiger counter and plod on over to the Oregon Ghost Conference, where attendees learn ghoul-tracking techniques, get their fortunes told, explore haunted areas and listen to hair-raising lectures. Oregon not near you? Check out this list of ghost hunting cons.
Hot Event Planning Trends: Interactive Food Experience Inspiration
EVENT PRODUCTION INSPIRATION
When specialevents.com interviewed some of the industry s top catering pros, asking what event catering trends they expected to take off in 2014, our ears perked up. One of the most interesting answers? Buffets are out. Interactive Food Experiences are in.
And what do they mean by interactive food experience , exactly? asked my husband, Like an omelette bar? . Yeah, basically. An omelette bar counts. If I had to explain the term, I d say it means, in essence, that event attendees want a little more say, a little more customization, a little more input into what goes on their plates. They get out a little more than they put in more options, more DIY, more mix-and-match you give your guests the opportunity to make their dinner become more than the sum of its parts.
Try these on for size:
Decorate-Your-Own Cupcake Bar
Kit this table out with a selection of vanilla, chocolate, and other single-flavor cupcakes, no toppings. Next, the frosting don t skimp. And finally, the sprinkles. All kinds of sprinkles. Dragees, rainbow, M&M s and let your guests creativity take over, allowing the food itself to become an active, rather than passive, part of the festivities.
Taco Station
Another nice thing about a build-your-own dinner like this is that not only do you account for varied taste and flavor preferences, you ve got your dietary restrictions covered as well. You cover the vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-intolerant. The only people that won t like this are people that don t like tacos. And since I ve never heard a genuine human being say they don t like tacos, the taco station does double-duty as a weeder-outer of alien sleeper agents. (Shoot first. Ask questions later.)
Sangria Bar
Here s a super cute idea from Pinterest user Goldi Locks. There are as many types of sangria as there are people who love to drink it. White- or red-wine based, cinnamon-spiced, all peached-up, limey, apples, pears, raisins go nuts.
Event Security: How to Deal with Tipsy Guests
TIPS & TRICKS
The Chilean supplier has just flown for 18 hours to be at your conference event. He is a reliable partner, makes the best darn galvanized rubber tires in the Western hemisphere, and always delivers on time. He s made a real effort to be here, one can understand he might want a drink from your conference s open bar. The problem comes 4 hours later when he s three sheets to the wind, clinging precariously to a trade show booth and chanting songs about Salvador Allende.
Avoiding this type of unpleasant scenario by appropriately planning for event security problems is advisable for all professional event managers as unruly guests can put a damper on, or even ruin, and otherwise smooth event.
Keep Your Guests In The Loop
Any pre-event information package should include a detailed list of any security/amenity requirements, including the presence of a security check, rules for alcohol consumption, and credentials. That will make it easier should any evicted guests decide to protest against being unfairly treated.
Meet with Venue Staff
Venues that frequently serve as hosts for conferences have their own contingency plans for removing any troublesome individuals while causing the smallest possible disruption. Event managers should make sure to check in with venue staff on policies and procedures. If the venue doesn t have any, implement your own, and ensure your team knows what to do in case of impending embarrassment.
Stealth
Having uniformed guards at the door to the conference center checking IDs and passes is always a plus, and serves as a gentle reminder to attendees that this isn t the place to let things get out of hand. But mixing this with a more sedate, plain-clothes security team mixing is an excellent add-on measure. As security consultant Steven Gaskin told BizBash:
The clandestine approach is better. People won t interact and do business unless they feel comfortable.
Coordination
It is important to have an action plan, and to communicate that plan to all of the vendors, talent, and staff. It is rare, but occasionally, even a speaker can have too much, and it may be mid-speech that you come to this realization. Coordination and executing your action plan here is a must. We have been faced with this scenario before, and we were able to shut off the lectern mic, switch to the Emcee s lav and get them on the screen and talking before the audience (or the speaker) ever knew what happened. The stage manager was able to grab the speaker and guide them off stage as the Emcee continued the program.
Limits On An Open Bar
Nobody wants their guests to think they re stingy, and it s true that attendees may grumble that a coupon system, time restrictions or the lack of an open bar are money-saving measures. Sure, sometimes that s the case, but there s another benefit: such limitations can save you from having to expel a drunk and disruptive guest. If you re concerned about the ramifications of letting your guests get too rowdy, consider offering tray service that begins late or stops at a reasonable hour.
Get Them Home
A college bar can afford to leave passed-out students slumped on the sidewalk. A professional event organizer must conduct themselves with slightly more decorum. Ensure a cab is called to get an ejected person home, within reason, or if you can spare a member of your staff, send someone with them.