I’ve been attending public relations seminars and conferences for more years than I care to remember. I’ve done breakfast events for 50 people and all-day conferences for 300. I’ve seen good speakers and poor speakers. I’ve come away from some events thinking “I’ve learned something from this” and I’ve come away from others thinking “what a waste of time…”.
But the thing that all of those events have in common is their format. Essentially, when you book a ticket for any one of the numerous PR events out there, you know what you’re going to get. And not in a good way.
You know you’re going to turn up and sit in a vacuous auditorium, a bland seminar theatre or a corporate meeting room.
You know you’re going to be sat in long formal rows staring at a stage.
You know you’re just going to sit passively listening for six hours.
You know you’re probably going to tweet some one liners using the event hashtag that no-one outside the room is really interested in.
You know, in fact, that you’re probably going to be totally disengaged for half of it.
And you know that when you’re back at your desk, you’ll probably have forgotten most of what you heard.
In short, PR events are by-and-large entirely predictable. And while pondering this sad state of affairs late last year, I started to wonder if there wasn’t a better way to do things.
Learning Through Conversation
Speaking from experience, I don’t learn when I’m being talked at. I learn when I’m given the freedom to be curious, to explore ideas and when I can ‘do’. So when I’ve been at an event and a speaker has grabbed my interest, I’ve wanted to chat to them; to ask questions and pick their brain. But invariably the opportunity doesn’t arise.
Maybe you’ve been as frustrated as me at events by the limitations of the speaker to audience format?
In 2012 I spoke at Internet World in London. I was the sole representative of the PR industry. Rather than disappearing after my thirty minute slot was finished, I made myself available outside the seminar theatre to chat to my audience. I spent far longer with numerous people discussing the thoughts I’d presented than I did speaking.
Now, as an independent consultant, I regularly carry out digital communications training for between four and ten people in PR agencies and it’s always extremely well-received. I believe that’s not just because I know my stuff, but because I like to involve people. I encourage questions and debate, and that can lead the room down avenues I would not have considered. It leads to more rounded sessions where everyone learns from everyone else.
So back in the autumn, I started to consider whether it would be possible to transfer that very personal, discussion-led format that works so well in a group of ten people to a larger audience.
Introducing Something New…
What I came up with is called Digital Download. It takes the best elements of a conference and of a training session and blends them together into one pretty action-packed and inclusive event.
The day is comprised of eight sessions. Three are conference-style presentations by myself on the digital universe, evaluation and trends in digital technology.
Three are audience Q&A sessions with topic experts. The Resolution’s Stella Bayles is joining me to talk about SEO for PR and Google, and there are two more Q&As about influencer marketing and strategic planning using the PESO model. After a short introduction to get the conversation going, it’s up to the audience to determine what we cover in those sessions. You get to dictate the content.
The seventh session is a workshop; an hour-long crisis simulation where you work in teams to manage a brand crisis as it breaks across social and online news media using Polpeo’s awesome simulation software.
And the final session is something entirely new. Four brave souls will each give a ‘lightning talk’ on the topic of digital creativity. Each will be strictly limited to just five minutes and twenty slides that are set to change automatically every 15 seconds. No time for waffle, no time for sales pitches!
I’ve intentionally devised Digital Download with a mix of different types of sessions to keep things interesting. It’s focused on practical learning that you can put into action, rather than theory.
It’s being held in a pleasant and different venue in London, and will be set out in a relaxed cabaret style to encourage interaction. So no formal rows of chairs! And though the venue will take more, I’ve capped the number of spaces to 50 people to maximise the collaborative nature of the event.
Oh, and there is no event hashtag! If you come along and want to tweet, feel free. But I’d rather you were ‘in the room’, getting involved and thinking and learning. Digital Download is all about collaborative learning.
Maybe I’ll see you there? You can book tickets here now, but spaces are limited and selling fast so early booking is recommended.
I’d love to hear about your experiences of PR, communications and marketing events, both good and bad. Email me at [email protected] or tweet me @thepaulsutton
