Patterns & Metaphors
Conference intent
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Central to the process of conference design is deciding what the event is about. Not only must the organizers decide what the point or points of the programme are, they must convey that understanding to potential participants. While this may seem extremely basic it is the cause of great problems at many events. Participants and organizers have expectations about what will happen at the event and what they will experience. When these expectations are not met departures, dissatisfaction or rebellion are likely to result.
When the organizers have thought through the intent of the programme, they then can modify the process of the conference in the midst of it. When the intent is clearly understood by the organizers and the participants, then self-conscious decisions can be made. Changing the intent is possible if necessary.
The intent of a conference is two fold: the rational objective and the existential aim.
As a programme is developed, the organizers may write several versions of the existential aim and rational objective. Usually this is in fact refining the initial concept. Occasionally quite dramatic changes in understanding can occur that are unpredictable. When a dramatic change occurs the whole design of the event should be reviewed in the light of change. This may change the flow, content, and timing of events during the programme. The targeted audience of the conference may be expanded or changed.
The organizers most directly designing the event begin by creating for themselves a reason for the event. They then write a prospectus of the event which includes an overview of the intent, the process, the audience, and the intended products and experience of participants. It is shared with the staff of the organizing group that are not designing the event, with sponsors and potential participants. In the process of making these presentations, new and more significant reasons become clear. While feedback from the groups addressed is quite useful, more important is the clarity gained in presenting it.
As the process of designing the intent of the conference is being done, potential participants are considered. The organizers hold a workshop about who may come and what they might expect at the event. What will their mood be ? What will they struggle over in the event ? What issues will they bring to the event ? Which of these issues are relevant to the programme and which are not helpful to the programme ? How can the relevant issues be rendered explicit the table and how can the unhelpful ones be avoided ?
There is the possibility of the intent of the conference changing during the event itself. If this is to occur with some creativity, then it is best for all the participants and organizers to be a part of the decision. This type of change is difficult to predict and even more difficult to make. Often this type of change begins with a dissident individual or group that creates a movement to restructure the direction of the programme. The organizers need to be extremely sensitive to this possibility. The disruption caused by such an attempt during the programme can result in the group abandoning the original intent while replacing it with no new one. There is also the danger of not actually changing the intent but simply broadening it to include a greater diversity of intents. This is usually redefining the intent at a higher level of abstraction. A highly abstract rational objective and existential aim may render the conference meaningless and create a majority of dissatisfied participants.
