We all know that some conference presentations are spectacular… and some are complete snoozers. I wish there was a Match.com service for conferences and annual meetings. Some type of service that could match me up with great speakers and amazing presentations.
Next week, I’ll be in Las Vegas, attending The eLearning Guild’s annual DevLearn conference. If I could run an online personal ad in order to find the perfect conference session to attend, this is what it might look like:
Profile Name: Flipchartguy
Location: Seattle, WA
Seeking: A lifetime of amazing learning opportunities… though one amazing fling of a presentation in Vegas will do for now
About Me: I’ve been in the L&D space for 16 years or so, mostly classroom-based but I’ve dabbled enough in elearning to hold my own. I’ve been told I have a one-track mind; all I can think about is how to make learning and development more engaging every day. I hope this little quirk is ok with you. But it means that I also expect you to want to make learning and development engaging every day. Not just in your office. But when you’re presenting, too. Like, when you’re presenting at DevLearn for example.
Who I’m Looking For: I’m looking for someone who can blow my mind and who doesn’t believe in “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” I’m looking for a session that delivers content or builds skills that won’t just be forgotten as soon as I walk out the door of your meeting room. I want to brag about what I did with you, what you taught me, what I can now do when I go back to Seattle and swap stories with my co-workers and other L&D colleagues for years to come.
Interests: Flipcharting, designing learning experiences, playing around with Storyline, geeking out over hot topics in adult learning
Exercise Habits: I’m actually kind of lazy, always looking for keyboard shortcuts to hasten the amount of time I spend in PowerPoint or Storyline or Word or Excel
Favorite Things: I know DevLearn is all about technology in learning, but I still cherish the first whiff of a new pack of Mr. Sketch markers
Last Read: Our Iceberg Is Melting (John Kotter)
Background & Values
| Me | My Soul Mate | |
| Education | M.A. Organizational Psychology | Degrees are overrated |
| Learning Style | Visual | Kinesthetic |
| Delivery Style | Attempt to be inclusive (as often as possible) | Show me the ring (because I want to be engaged by you and your presentation!) |
| Honesty | I may exaggerate from time to time | Honesty is a must! What you advertise in your session description in the conference program should be what you deliver in your session! |
| Risk Taking | Nothing ventured, nothing gained! | Be fearless. |
Delivery Style
| Me | My Soul Mate | |
| Lecture | No way | This is a deal-breaker for me |
| Visual Aids | Prefer flipchart; PPT if I must | Standard templates, lots of text and bullet points are all deal-breakers |
| Preparation | Almost always | Must be impeccable (yes, I have higher standards for you; perhaps you’ll inspire me to prepare better) |
| Delivery | Use a lesson plan as a guide, adapt to the audience and their needs | This is a big deal. The delivery should seem natural and smooth (not off the cuff and aimless). Reading verbatim from a script or from the slides is an absolute deal breaker. |
On November 3, I’ll follow up this post and will let you know if I was able to find that elusive conference session soul mate at DevLearn.
Will you be there? If so, drop me a line. I’d love to connect and, as I mentioned above, geek out over adult learning, instructional design and whatever else can be taken away from the conference!
