How do you judge the success of a conference?
For me there are four areas to rate:
- Location/weather
- Hotel room
- Food
- Drinking opportunities
Yes, absent from my list is any mention of knowledge gained or networking. To me, all conferences that I’ve sought out and traveled to better provide me with some knowledge, if not, it’s my fault for picking them (research, research, research). And the networking thing just isn’t my cup of tea—at least, not when I’m sober.
Location/weather
Doesn’t have to be an exotic location, I’m sure fall time in Rochester, NY is just as lovely as Springfield, MO—thing is, I don’t think it’s much different than Green Bay, WI so I can follow such conferences from the sideline in the comfort of my office thanks to the power of Interwebs/bloggers. Unseasonably warm weather is always a plus, the mention of record-breaking high temps is sweet. Weather happens long after the registration for the conference takes place, so this one is all about luck.
Hotel room
Gun shots and the smell of urine on your pillow = bad
Mozart on the CD player and chocolate covered cookies on your pillow = good
Food
I love food. I’m not fat, well, I’m not really fat—but someday I will be. Great food is awesome. Living in Green Bay great food is hard to find, so I create great food at home. It’s always a pleasure to travel to a conference located in a town where food is great. Fresh seafood is a big bonus.
Drinking opportunities
I guess this is what the rest of you call networking. For me it’s free beer during “social hour” or the hastily formed group of conference attendees who enjoy their x amount of days of freedom (from work and family) to act like they were back in college. Any conference night that ends early in the AM is great. Talk to these recently acquired drinking buddies about life, if work comes up, listen, but don’t turn fun into “networking”—it’s not cool, excuse yourself and return with more drinks.
For me, conferences are a great escape from the daily grind, a chance to re-energize my batteries, form new ideas and rediscover the joy of flying without children. And while Academic Impressions in New Orleans and Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco were very highly rated, my recent trip to Boulder for an Innovative Educators conference blows them away (review coming soon).
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