I have been attending unconferences since the first Minnebar back in the day and I love the refreshing format. An unconference is where people talk with each other as opposed to at each other.  New paradigm topics such as the ones that appear on the schedule of the unsummit website should not take place in rigid, old paradigm formats. We are moving from a one-way event to a two-way experience.

This event, excuse me… experience, is free thanks to generous sponsors and also held on a weekend day. Even though it is free I think the attendees that give up part of their summer Saturday are more passionate and more highly participatory than the average conference goer.

Next year perhaps we can take a few more ideas into the format. I plucked the following participatory formats from a white paper titled  “Possibilities For Transformational Conferences” by Tree Bressen with Debby Sugarman and Sunrise Facilitation:

• Attendees Interview Each Other
• Presenters Learn From Participants
• Fishbowl – small group of people speak together while others listen and witness
• Interview The Panelists
• Panelist Circles – panelists go out into the audience and form circles people to talk more
• Storytelling
• Speed Geeking – basically this is musical chars with panelists

Did you know that most unconference features match the characteristics of the traditional science fiction convention held since the 1930’s? We are living science fiction every day. The future is now and I for one love it.