We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Marketing

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is an Unconference?

Tricia Christensen
By
Updated: May 16, 2024
Views: 10,209
Share

A typical conference may last over a weekend, or perhaps as long as a week. It usually has a set agenda, guest speakers, presenters and opportunities for forum discussions. If you attend such a conference, unless you’re presenting, your primary role is to listen to lectures or watch presentations, and perhaps participate in some discussion surrounding the focus of the conference or specific lectures and presentations. Evenings at conferences tend to be devoted to socializing, giving time for people to meet with other like-minded folk in a much more freeform way. This conference method greatly differs from the unconference, a term used first in 1998 for an XML developers gathering that would take a vastly different form.

Instead of having a specific agenda, attendees at an unconference are expected to much more actively engage in the event. They must set the agenda the first day of the conference, be ready to make their own presentations, and be ready to discuss, defend or work on their ideas in a certain industry. To date most unconference types have been held in what is called the “geek community,” the group of computer and technology programmers and professionals. Though times, location, and perhaps hours of the day in a conference may be set in advance, virtually nothing else is, which to many people is a considerable relief and an advantage.

When a freeform conference begins, people write up things they’d like to discuss, or things they’d like to present. An agenda for the weekend is then decided, usually with significant break time for small group discussions. Some people post ideas they might like at an unconference ahead of time on the Internet. Others are much more freeform in nature. Many people claim that after using unconference methods, you’ll never want to attend a traditional conference again. Yet others take a more balanced approach and see important applications of both the tradition conference and the unconference.

There may be certain rules governing unconferences. Among these is the very common Law of Two Feet. Essentially this rule states that people not learning or contributing to discussion must find a discussion they can learn from by taking their “two feet” elsewhere. There are certain terms associated with unconference. For example bumble bees or cross-pollinators may flit from group to group spreading discussion ideas as they go.

Many unconferences adopt what is called open space technology (OST) to run conferences. Technology is a little misleading and it simply means a method for running a freeform conference. OST begins with the Law of Two Feet and ends on more Buddhist principles. For instance, people accept that attendees are exactly who should attend, that anything that happens in a conference is what should have happened, that the unconferences starts at the right time, which is whenever it starts, and also ends at the right time, when it is over. When people adopt OST attitudes a free-flowing openness occurs which is meant to help people be their best and brightest selves.

One of the most popular unconferences is Foo Camp, but it slightly differs from other unconference types since it is by invitation only. OST unconferences usually are open to anyone who wants to participate but may set a limit on total number of people involved. Many suggest that if you’d like to meet some of the big names in your industry, you should try looking for an unconference to attend. These less formal events, which are usually much less expensive, often attract the great minds in each industry because they can be so much more interesting to attend than the standard conference. At the least, topics aren’t predetermined, creating unpredictable and unknown opportunities for learning.

Share
SmartCapitalMind is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Tricia Christensen
By Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a SmartCapitalMind contributor, Tricia Christensen is based in Northern California and brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to her writing. Her wide-ranging interests include reading, writing, medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion, all of which she incorporates into her informative articles. Tricia is currently working on her first novel.
Discussion Comments
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a SmartCapitalMind contributor, Tricia...
Learn more
Share
https://www.smartcapitalmind.com/what-is-an-unconference.htm
Copy this link
SmartCapitalMind, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

SmartCapitalMind, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.