Notes on How to Design a Conference

 

Fair response, of course, but also a fair question.  In fact one could see the influence of the TED aesthetic at play at the Momentum conference-- especially in the theatrical staging of presentations, and the relatively sophisticated use of multimedia enhancements... and indeed, even in the clean visual branding of the conference itself.

 

But this was no cheap TED imitation.  Other aspects of Momentum gave it its own unique -- and very effective-- style.  First was the choice of speakers.  A few big names, but a lot of people many have never heard of-- some because they're up and coming, and some because they're simply concerned with doing the good work and not with spotlighting oneself for its own sake.  The result: for the most part, really compelling presentations by people really out there in the trenches of social change-- accessible, provocative, and powerful.

 

The other big difference was the collaborative spaces created by the conference designers-- which all in all nearly equaled the time allotted to official presentations.  Sign up to give your own mini discussion; sign up to get a group together for dinner; mingle in one of the after-hours parties.  In most conferences, I leave with the sense I'm being patronized.  Organizers may say they want to create room for lateral participation, but it usually feels like it's more an after-thought, or an add-on.  Definitely not the case here.

 

The conference ended yesterday.  The litmus test is always about what you remember, days, months, and years later.   I will remember Mimi Charakova's incredibly compelling (and depressing) videos and photos about sex trafficking.  I have worked on this issue myself quite a lot and thought I'd reached the point of media saturation, but her presentation opened the sheer outrage of the issue afresh, yet again.   I'll remember Kevin Bales' tangible, convincing plan about how we can really end modern slavery, now.

 

And perhaps most poignantly, I'll remember Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, CEO of Green for All, and her message about asserting power to create new pathways for underserved communities.  It wasn't just what she said that was inspiring; it was how she said it.  It was the way her presence filled up the entire room-- the way her own demeanor mirrored the message, a message about being powerful, rather than seeking to be powerful. 

 

As I watched her command the audience's attention and respect, it struck me that she was likely about my age.  I wondered what, if anything, held me back in my own work from presenting myself in the same effective way.  

 

Such is the nature of inspiration.  We learn from each other's styles and small actions almost as much as from the larger frameworks and strategies for change itself.   Momentum made it possible to learn from both.