FIX your unConference
Author: Jan-Paul Ouwerkerk
What Is an unConference and how will we use it with the unFIX Community?
unConferences are an increasingly popular way of hosting events and gatherings without the rigid structure of a traditional conference. Part of our unFIX offerings to our community and our partners is a quarterly unConference. In this article, we will take you through what an unConference is and how to make it a successful event and how you can be part of it!
Introduction to Unconferences
An unConference is a type of event where the agenda is decided by the attendees rather than the organizers. This can be done in a variety of ways, but typically involves some form of open-ended proposal system where anyone can submit an idea for a session, followed by a vote or poll to determine which topics will be covered.
unConferences can be used for a variety of purposes, from educational conferences to company retreats, and can be tailored to fit the needs of any group. The key to making an unConference successful is ensuring that there is buy-in from all participants and that the event is well-organized so that everyone knows what to expect.
We think that for the unFIX community it is very valuable to use this format. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, in other words, unFIX is best learned when applied in practice and that is what our community and partners are doing every day. So why not learn from each other and determine what to talk about together?
So here is how it will work
The date: the first edition will take place on the 16th of march! It will be a 2-hour gathering. (only Member+, Sapphire and Diamond partners will be invited by calendar/zoom)
Think ahead of some topics you would like to discuss or even ask about to the group, or maybe you would like to present something? (typically you use 20 to 40 minutes per topic so that we can have multiple rounds)
We will be gathering topics and voting using Miro at the beginning of the meeting.
Depending on the group size we will use break-out rooms to split the group and discuss different topics simultaneously. Feel free to use something like Miro (we will have an open Miro board ready).
After each round we will rejoin the group and summarize what has been discussed in the break-out rooms.
If there is still time left we will do another round till the time runs out.
Conclusion
An unConference is a great opportunity to bring together people from different backgrounds and foster collaboration, creativity and innovation. With the right planning and execution, it can be an amazing experience for everyone involved. We think this will be very beneficial to all our community members and partners, who knows what will happen with all the new insights?
