Everyone at this conference is engaged
-- are they engaged in yours?

Hi Barb, 

I hadn't been to a conference for several years and I was really looking forward to it!  I wanted to meet others who were collaborating in my field of science (geology and groundwater).  

To their credit, the organizers had set aside a huge area for posters, and had scheduled plenty of time for viewing and discussing them.  They served great snacks to entice people into the area. All good!

The poster sessions were engaging, but as a whole, the event was not engaging enough. It still had most of the same structures that usually leave people feeling isolated and overwhelmed, such as: 

• back-to-back technical speakers who assume you know their terminology and why their research matters,
• rooms with seating set up in long rows,
• short breaks,
• few placed to sit near the conference halls, and
• gamey ways for people to "engage" through mobile phone apps. 

It seemed that the conference organizers were still prioritizing information delivery over true 'conferring.'  The setting and agenda made it hard for people to meet each other, sit down and have a genuine and engaging conversation. 

What can be done about conferences like this?  I've got a few ideas.  One is to use Liberating Structures (described in the Tip, below) to help people meet one another, make sense of what they are learning and contribute to the advancement of the subject. You can read my suggestions in the Courses and Resources section, below, under Related Blog Posts.

Better yet, plan to join us for a Liberating Structures session on May 14th, about making conferences more engaging, using Liberating Structures, of course!  I'd love to see you there!

Warmly,

Barb Bickford

Transitions and New Beginnings retreat   
-- in person near Wausau, Wisconsin, April 4-6, 2025, $300

LAST CALL!  Register by Friday March 28!

Life was humming along just fine, but then something happened. Your job ended. You entered middle age or retired. You had an unexpected turn of health, or a beloved friend or pet died. You may feel restless, disoriented and you may not know what to do next. 

Join us for a restful weekend away among thoughtful people, where you can explore how your transition began, how it's showing up in your life, and what might be coming next. Through journaling, conversations, art (no talent needed), and gentle movement we'll help you find a way forward. 

Your investment of $300 covers the retreat sessions, all supplies, lodging in a regular room and six meals. 
Register for the April 4-6, 2025 retreat. 

Liberating Structures Communities of Practice

Curious about Liberating Structures? Join in these free and informal online sessions where you can experience liberating structures for yourself. People join from all over the world -- you don't have to be from DC or Texas!

Liberating Structures Washington DC -- The Washington DC group meets on the second Wednesday of each month, online, at 3 PM PDT / 5 PM CDT / 6 PM EDT for 90 minutes. 
Sign up here for April: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/monthly-community-of-practice-for-facilitators-tickets-160151159429 

Note -- The May 14th session will be on using Liberating Structures in conferences. Sign up and mark your calendar! 

Central Texas LS User Group  -- This group meets monthly and alternates days and times. Check the CTX LS Linked In group for the next scheduled session.

Liberating Structures Immersion
-- Online four sessions on April 9, 16, 23 and 30, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM Pacific Time, $450. (20% discount for eligible educators and nonprofits) 

Experience Liberating Structures -- those powerful facilitation strategies that promote active and effective participation in groups of any size. This Immersion is offered by Flow Ahead, which has led many of these events in the past. Learn more and register. 

Related blog posts
-- How to create more engaging conferences
-- Balancing conversations and presentations in science conferences
-- From stoning to building: How to energize science meetings (this is a guest editorial I wrote last month for the professional journal Ground Water)

Our upcoming events, workshops and courses

Liberating Structures can give you confidence 

Liberating Structures are a set of simple, practical, and easy-to-use facilitation methods designed to facilitate discussions and decision-making in groups of all sizes. I use them in nearly every meeting I lead.  

Not only are Liberating Structures great at getting everyone to contribute, they save time while producing better results.  They are also easy to learn and lead.  By knowing just a few of them, such as 1-2-4-All and Impromptu Networking, you can adapt them to create an activity on the fly that will address almost any question or topic. That can give you confidence! 

Try one today. If your group might be resistent to going along with it, be light-hearted and call it an "experiment".  Invite them to give you feedback about how it worked.  If you'd rather I introduce them instead of you, contact me. I would be happy to lead a 90 minute session that introduces three Liberating Structures on a topic of your group's choosing.  

Read all about Liberating Structures -- including step-by-step instructions, field stories, theory and more.  These are tools that every meeting leader should have in their toolbox! 

Want even more tips? Access Ten Tips to Foster Online Engagement.

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