When we kick off our unconference at 2:00pm this Sunday, we’ll be working with an empty whiteboard. And we need you to help us fill it in.

That’s right: Apart from three planned 5-minute “Lightning Talks,” there are no scheduled sessions! And while we have plenty of ideas about what we could discuss in the general area of emerging communications channels and technologies, we’re depending on an eager and active group of participants to set the actual agenda. It’s the will and wisdom of the crowd at its finest.

Scheduling sessions

Each discussion session is set to run for 25 minutes, and we’ll have up to 24 slots to fill (depending on attendance).  Right about 2:10pm, we’ll hand over Sharpies and Post-it Notes for 10 minutes and ask everyone to jot down sessions they want to lead, quickly turning our blank slate into something like this:

Who can lead a session at the unconference?

Anyone.

Unlike with traditional events, running an unconference session doesn’t mean submitting a proposal months in advance. You don’t have to agonize over a single PowerPoint slide, either.

Instead, the “selection process” is much simpler:

1. Show up to the Osgoode Ballroom East on Sunday with a topic or two that you want to explore with your fellow communicators.
2. Fill in an empty square on whiteboard with your name and proposed topic.

And that’s it–you’re “in” as a session leader!

Making your session memorable

Here are some recommendations for getting the most from your 25-minute timeslot:

• Share the mic.  Unconferences are very much about group collaboration and participation. Spend a few minutes sharing your experience or position on a topic, and then throw open the discussion and get everyone involved.
• Ask good questions. You’re not expected to to have all the answers. Keep probing your colleagues for their insights.
• Go out on a limb. Have a topic that was “too hot” for the formal IABC conference? Here’s your chance to stir things up with a crowd that will embrace fresh and even off-the-wall ideas.
• Capture the conversations. We’ve created an unconference wiki for recording notes in each session. Find a note taker who can document your group’s highlights for posterity.
• Carry the discussions beyond the event. The World Conference is just getting started on Sunday; it doesn’t end until Wednesday afternoon. That means up to three additional days to continue the best conversations from the unconference in person (perhaps at our tweetup the following night in Traders Lobby Bar).  We have two online venues, too–the TorontoTalks social network and Facebook Page–to help keep up the exchanges well beyond Toronto!

(Flickr photo by ForumOne)

Have you made your technology checklist yet for the IABC 2010 World Conference?

If you’re a gadget guy like I am, you’re thinking carefully about the devices you’ll need during your stay in Toronto. In addition to attending top-notch sessions and networking with your fellow IABCers over several days, you’re also planning to answer your e-mails, tweet up a storm (don’t forget the #IABC10 hashtag!), and capture the conference’s best moments with photos and videos.

With those goals in mind, here’s what I’m packing for the trip:

• iPad for e-mail, Twitter, and other projects “in the cloud.”Complimentary Internet access is available in guest rooms at the Sheraton and at various locations throughout Toronto, including all Toronto libraries.
• iPhone for the occasional call and to connect me to the Internet in spots where my WiFi-only iPad can’t connect online. (A tip for AT&T customers in the US: Contact the company about signing on for the international data plan to cover your time north of the border. It’s worth it!)
• Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS digital camera
• Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camcorder (plus a separate microphone) for video interviews
• Zoom H2 Handy Recorder for audio recordings
• Far too many cables to keep all these devices connected to each other and powered up!

Gadgets for the unconference

If you’re joining us for the “Emerging Communications Channels” unconference on Sunday afternoon, specifically, you’ll have the perfect opportunity to “show and tell” with all your gear.

Whether you’re leading a session on power digital tools for communicators or trading notes on the pros and cons of the iPad inside the enterprise, the unconference will bring together a group of 200 IABCers hungry to explore and debate how we’re using technology and new media to move our industry forward. If you have a new device that’s helping you become a better/more efficient/more creative communicator, you can bet your peers at the event will want to know all about it!

So … what’s going in your bag?

To those of you planning to attend the 2010 Unconference: Emerging communications channels held on Sunday, 6 June, please note that attendance will be limited to 200 participants.

Admission to the session will be based on first-come, first-served, so arrive early!

We are looking forward to seeing you all in Toronto!

Wondering how to dress for this Sunday’s “Emerging Communication Channels” unconference from 2:00-5:00pm in the Osgoode Ballroom East?

One word: casual!

Our TorontoTalks organizing crew will be sporting the T-shirts that Christopher Swan is showing off here, and we encourage you to dress comfortably, too.  You can save your jacket or dress for the opening general session and welcome reception later in the evening.

But no matter your wardrobe at the unconference, we’re counting on you to roll up your sleeves and participate! See you Sunday.

Following the lead of other popular unconferences (BarCamp, PodCamp) before us, we’ve adopted three “rules of engagement” for this Sunday’s “Emerging Communication Channels” unconference session, 2:00-5:00pm. (A little different from the rules in the image at the right, but you get the idea!)

3 rules of the IABC unconference

1) Everyone participates. Don’t expect to attend the event and stay quiet. Whether you’re leading one of our breakout sessions or answering and asking questions of your peers, this will be an afternoon for speaking up and getting involved. So, when you pass through the doors of the Osgoode Ballroom East, come ready to contribute!

2) All content is shareable. What happens at the unconference definitely will not stay in the unconference. From blogging, Facebooking,  and tweeting (the hashtag is #IABC10) what you learn to adding session notes to the wiki, everything said and done at the event is fair game for sharing to the web. And when you do post content to sites that you control, please publish under Creative Commons license.

3) Obey the Law of 2 Feet. If the session you join isn’t compelling, you’re expected to leave and try another one!

Short and sweet, right?

(Flickr photo by Freakapotimus)

As outlined in the IABC 2010 World Conference program, there’s an “UNconference” session entitled  Emerging Communication Channels scheduled for Sunday, June 6^th from 2- 5pm. We want as many of you to join us as possible. Your facilitators, aka The TorontoTalks Crew (TTC) are Jeremy Schultz, Christopher Swan, Bryan Person and me, Linda Johannesson.

So, what is an “UNconference” anyway? An UNconference:

·         Taps into wisdom of the crowds

·         Provides an opportunity for passionate people to share

·         Facilitates learning through conversations

It’s different from most conference sessions where you’d have one or two leaders speak and the audience listens, here, it’s the opposite.  It’s the audience who has the floor – participants decide the topics – the content is determined by the wants, needs and desires of those in the room that day.  You can participate as much or as little as you like in the discussions. The UNconference session will be a place for you to exchange your challenges, your victories, your concerns and your lessons learned with a diverse global audience of your IABC peers.

The session is free for conference attendees and will take place over a three hour time period, but feel free to come and participate for however long suits you.

A format skeleton for the session can be found here but, remember, the content will be up to you!

So, at 2pm Sunday afternoon grab your laptops, your mobile phones, ipads (if you’ve got’em), digital cameras, flip video cameras - come equipped with your case studies, your best resources, your stories, your burning questions, your best practices, your challenges and join us for the Unconference. It should be UNique learning opportunity and we hope that you’ll join us to enrich the experience .

In the meantime, if you have questions for the UNconference facilitators, ideas for discussion, want to share your stories, your experiences with other UNconferences, indicate your interest in attending, volunteer to lead a discussion, or just want to join in the conversation, you can find us online at grou.ps page , twitter, and on facebook.

I truly believe we can find wisdom in crowds, strength in communities and insight through conversation. So, join us in Toronto for our UNconference session and experience all three!

We are grateful to IABC for the opportunity to bring you this session. This kind of experience offers the entire membership another chance to “Be heard”.

We can’t wait to hear what you have to say!