What Are Unconferences?

Conferences are formally programmed, often organised right down to very specific logistics details and clear expectations about who will speak and what they will speak about, and when social events will occur etc, where the exits are and what time the buses leave.  Participants can turn up and read the conference information and sit in and participate in whatever takes their interest.  Sometimes conference programming have “spaces” in the schedule for community driven issues and shared agendas to emerge e.g. birds of a feather.  Sometimes unconferences have some set sessions in the event, to enable the hosts to welcome attendees and share their story, run competitions and workshops, or to eat, drink, network, and have fun.

Unconferences on the other hand, are more loosely organised.  There is less formality, and the key ask of the participants, is that they remain “present”, ready to actively contribute.  The idea is to provide the “space” for members of the community to take initiative, ask for help where they need it, volunteer to do something when they see that something needs to be done, check-in and maybe do it or find that someone else has already done it.  Participants can take charge and suggest sessions they want to facilitate or ones they would like others to run, and critically, they must feel free to step in and advocate for others, that may be attending or may not be present.  An unconference can provide room for spontaneity, for dialogue and sometimes failure and contention.  What unfolds in unconferences is driven by those that attend.  People take responsibility for themselves, look after others, show leadership, and make and find their best mate, a mentor, birds of a feather friends and incredible colleagues that share their work and play passions.  Using an unconference approach, can be challenging, wonderful, unexpected, and the community driven interactions and discussions occur, through active sharing, communing and collaboration.    

The LODLAM Summits invite the community to self-select and submit applications to attend, and do some background thinking and work before, during, and after the event.  Applicants are asked to provide information about what their interest is, what they’ve been doing, to raise a discussion point, or success story, issue or challenge, they want to bring to the community get together, to share with others and work through.  

Key to making the most of the Summit is also getting to grips with the approach used to organise and run the unconference style event, and that is “Open Space Technology”.  It is important that all participants at the Summit understand the self-determination and community co-contribution implied in “the law of two feet”.  For community members participating at the LODLAM Summit, whether they have been on the organising group or have applied to attend, it’s important to understand that everyone shares the responsibility for a successful outcome.