ALC UNConference 2016 - afterthoughts and format change ideas

February 1, 2016 - Reading time: 3 minutes

DISCLOSURE
ScheduleInterpreter.com, Inc. was one of the sponsors for ALC UNConference 2016.

I would like to thank everyone who spent time preparing and conducting this event.  Weather, location, food and participants were everything one could be wishing for.  This year event had highest number of attendees and, by the show of hands, many came for the first time.  That, on its own, is a great success regardless of how you slice it.

I know many people who come to ALC UNConference.  Everyone enjoys learning something new during sessions and getting together for a cup or glass of favorite beverage from dusk till dawn.  This year brought an interesting discussion on "What UNConference 2017 should be?"  The process that is usually left to the planning (co-)chair(s) and committee became an open forum with participants grouped by tables coming up with improvements and recommendations.

Notes were taken and voices were herd, but the feeling that something did not work this year was too obvious to ignore. Discussions in the hallway confirmed it.

People were looking, if not craving, for something that worked so well in 2015.  Smaller groups, CRAZY and unexpected topics, fun ways to select your own moderator for each session, opportunity to meet everyone in the group, all of it was reduced or scrapped at this UNConference.

Attendees who were in Carmel in 2015 agreed, even when topic of a breakout session is not relevant to their business, they are still interested to learn how others deal with their issues.  This format of learning expands the horizons and helps to develop new ways of thinking.

I have to agree with notion everyone expressed: panels should be limited to the conference, "ice breaker" sessions, if left as part of the event, must be much shorter and probably even moved to the conference as they (do) help new attendees to become part of the group quickly.

SUMMARY
It was great event and I believe with format adjustments, to make it more like 2015 UNConference, it will regain the word AWESOME in the feedback form.

Thanks to everyone who found time to work on ALC UNConference 2016 and those who joined us in Austin, TX. We will see you in San Diego.

Dennis Ayzin
President/CEO
ScheduleInterpreter.com, Inc.