creating epic conferences

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What is

EPIC?11

What does EPIC

mean to you?

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Your Turn

Heroic Adventure

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Epic Fail

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Most overused word?

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Epic: • surpassing the

unusual or ordinary

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Epic: • heroic &

impressive in quality

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EPIC Conferences

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Today’s generations want EPIC communications & experiences.

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~ Sociologist, Professor, Former College President, Dr. Len Sweet

EPIC Conferences1. Experiential

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EPIC Conferences1. Experiential2. Participatory

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EPIC Conferences1. Experiential2. Participatory3. Image Driven

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EPIC Conferences1. Experiential2. Participatory3. Image Driven4. Connexity

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Idigenious talking to aliens

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Most conferences riding the right train but are on the wrong track.

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The 20th Century is the name

of the train that no

longer runs. ~ David Lehman

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Discontent with traditional experiences

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Don’t want to sit passively for 4-8 hours

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Conference has to reflect today’s new world and culture

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Learn how to camp in the future in light of the past.

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Learn how to conference in the future in light of the past.

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Crisis - Chinese

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Crisis – Hebrew – Mash-ber

Today is a moment of birth-stool creativity for conferences.

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“Do conferences” in a way that measures success by conceiving rather than consuming.

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EPIC -Experiential

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EPIC - Experiential

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2084: Total Rekall

EPIC - Experiential

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Thimbles

EPIC - Experiential

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Spoons

EPIC - Experiential

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Magnets

EPIC - Experiential

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Shot glasses

EPIC - Experiential

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Nutcrackers

EPIC - Experiential

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Experiences

EPIC - Experiential

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Experiences

EPIC - Experiential

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Experiences

EPIC - Experiential

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Traditional collecting information

“Do conferences” in a way that measures success by conceiving rather than consuming.

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EPIC - Experiential

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SMEs - Einstien

EPIC - Experiential

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Remember little

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Today, attendees don’t want a conference defined by tradition, bureaucracy or old-guard leadership.

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What type of experience do you want?

EPIC - Experiential

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Fresh, unique, customized

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The average household headed by a 65-74

year old spends more on entertainment

than the average household of a 25 year

old. The New Consumer Paradigm, American Demographics.

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Engage all senses.

EPIC - Experiential

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Starbucks

EPIC - Experiential

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Virgin Airlines

EPIC - Experiential

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Zappos Shoes

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Experiences the currency of today.

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Replaced consumption ethic with experience ethic.

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Replaced consumption ethic with experience ethic.Experiences can be addictive, harder to create.

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Replaced consumption ethic with experience ethic.Conference organizers are too used to repeating the past.

EPIC -Participatory

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EPIC - Participatory

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Zots


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Candy Aisle


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Computer


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TV


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2nd Screen


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Wedding Receptions


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DIY Funerals


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Museums


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Medical

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Traditional conferences

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• People want/need to be controlled

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• People want/need to be controlled

• A leaders task to administer

guidance & regulation

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• People only do things rewarded for

doing

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• People only do things rewarded for

doing

• People cannot be trusted to use

personal freedom wisely

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Participatory conferences

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• People want to make own decisions &

have choices

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• People want to make own decisions &

have choices

• Leadership empowers others

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• People make sacrifices for good of

whole

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• People make sacrifices for good of

whole

• Human systems are self-organizing.

People can be trusted


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Create education sessions that are at least 50% participatory


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Let them discuss, reflect, digest, engage.

EPIC –Image Driven

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EPIC – Image Driven

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Sardines


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Sardines

21 types of trash fish that can be labeled sardines.

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Sardines

Metaphor

• Death by Bullets• Powerpointless presentations• Cognitive Overload• Too much text on a slide• White/light fonts on dark slides• Great way to lull audience to sleep• Does not stimulate the brain to learn• Go against brain-friendly strategies• Decreases learning• Death by Bullets• Powerpointless presentations• Cognitive Overload• Too much text on a slide• White/light fonts on dark slides• Great way to lull audience to sleep• Does not stimulate the brain to learn• Go against brain-friendly strategies• Decreases learning• Death by Bullets

• Powerpointless presentations• Cognitive Overload• Too much text on a slide• White/light fonts on dark slides• Great way to lull audience to sleep• Does not stimulate the brain to learn• Go against brain-friendly strategies• Decreases learning• Death by Bullets• Powerpointless presentations• Cognitive Overload• Too much text on a slide• White/light fonts on dark slides• Great way to lull audience to sleep• Does not stimulate the brain to learn• Go against brain-friendly strategies• Decreases learning

Storytelling important

80% of brain processing devoted to visuals


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Dream in images

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If you want people to think

differently, don't tell them how to

think. Give them a tool.

Theorist and futurist Buckminster Fuller

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The best tool you can give your

conference participants so they

think and live differently is a

metaphor.


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Imaginal Cells of Caterpillar

Your conference has the potential to foster imaginal cells in participants!

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Imaginal cells are building blocks of new organism, the butterfly.

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Imaginal cells are building blocks of new organism, the butterfly.

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As you use images, storytelling and metaphors a metamorphosis can occur.

EPIC -Connexity

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EPIC – Connexity

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EPIC – Connexity

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Amazon

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Connections & Community

EPIC – Connexity

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Web is moving from info channels to social medium

EPIC – Connexity

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Your conference needs to move from info channels to social medium

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Help attendees find their community at your conference.

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Driving hunger to connect & belong

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Loneliest places around is the general session. Alone in a sea of thousands.

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Me is connected to We!

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Xhosa people of South AfricaI am because we are!

EPIC – Connexity

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Speed networking

not the answer.

EPIC – Connexity

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Getting more connections not

the answer.

EPIC – Connexity

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Create conference “watering holes.”

EPIC – Connexity

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Create conference “watering holes.”

EPIC Conferences1. Experiential

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EPIC Conferences1. Experiential2. Participatory

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EPIC Conferences1. Experiential2. Participatory3. Image Driven

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EPIC Conferences1. Experiential2. Participatory3. Image Driven4. Connexity

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• Kuzeytac

• Pink SherbertPhotography

• Stuck In Customs

• Minxjl

• Denis Collette

• Peter Fuchs

• Green Kozi

• A Germain

• Robert Vander Steeg

• Cornerstones of NYC

• Xose Castro

• Bahman

• ArkansasSupportsPhotography.com

• Nettsu

• CPThuh

• Andreas Kollegger

• Mag3737

• Patrick Hoesly

• Danard Vincente

• Transcam

• ExpressMonorail

• Pfala

• Trushu

• Tanakawho

• Markus Bollingmo

• Julep67

• Kenjonbro

• AraPehlivanian

• dsevilla

• Xia Ming

• Corporate Monkey

• Funchye

• Mad-King

• Bobby Gret

• Stevetookit

• twm1340

• ChicagoGeek

• Jesse Draper

• Storybehind

• Moriza

• Juhansonin

[email protected]

velvetchainsaw.com

@JeffHurt

creating epic conferences

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