Conference formats: connecting comfort and innovation

Innovation.
Interaction.
Participation.

Words that are more often than not at the core of a briefing for a conference, workshop, event or get together of some form. In the operationalisation more of than not the mismatch between the briefing and the actual get-together is clear: a speaker is put on stage in a plenary programme talking about something innovative with a flashy ppt or prezi or even a movie behind him (apologies, but usually it's a him:-)). Then for the interaction bit mics are on the floor and questions can be asked to the speaker and there are workshops where guests meet around a table.

It's a common format. With the occasional unconference thrown in. But does it work? Is this the best we can do? Do we dare to totally rethink and recreate conferences. Without being so innovative and off the charts that the guests feel uncomfortable. Can we create something innovation in get-togethers? I notice I am looking more and more to create a get together that really allows people to meet, to be immersed in innovation, to experience innovation....a form and content that actually totally breathes the subject through all its aspects. Where form and content totally strengthen each other. Talking about it with a.o. Maarten van der Sanden we concluded that the analogy for the format I'm after is that of the fish swimming against the current to get oxygen in. The water is the comfort, the "rubbing" of the current against the gills resulting in oxygen in the body. The total package resulting in vigorous swimming. And - more philosophically - the fish being totally fish.

The challenge is to develop a total concept that simultaneously allows guests to learn, to meet, to exchange ideas whilst being immersed. While being challenged. Challenged to question. Question their own ideas and those of others. Challenged to go where they fear to go, to think through and beyond existing conditions, boundaries and barriers. Not in the sense of day dreaming, but in the sense of exploring and through exploring creating new horizons. Something that offers the intimacy needed for those more shy to participate. So in short: a format that creates tension whilst at the same time offering the comfort that is so much needed if you want people to connect and learn. And learning, that is what I am interested in. Formal, informal, non-formal or under another denominator. True, productive meetings of minds, hearts and souls.

Do you recognise any of this? Do you have any ideas? Please do share them! Because as I start discussing this with colleagues and clients it turns out that this search is not mine alone. Many are thinking about this, struggling with it and trying to come up with something. So please share!

Moving the army museum

The Army museum in Delft is closed. Officially now. They will be moving to Soesterberg to form - together with other army related museums - a national army museum. In a completely new buidling. The goodbye ceremony was impressive I found and well orchestrated. Literally! Because a full orchestra played pieces, there was singing, speeches and a full, really totally full Old Church in Delft. The walk from the church to the - by now - old location of the Army Museum  I found impressive.

One of the speeches in the ceremony highlighted the future vision of the museum with appealing images. The collection will no doubt be beautifully displayed. The museum I hope will become and remain a meeting place for all those interested and involved with the history of the Dutch army. I would also fervently hope that the museum will further it's efforts in the field of dialogue on issues related to army and warfare. Dialogue e.g. on the responsibility of a society for the behaviour of its army in war. Dialogue like the one we organised between young adults from the German school and a Dutch gymnasium regarding the Dutch-German relations in the framework of the exhibition Fremde im Visier. Dailogue on the concept of just war. Dialogue on what it really feels like to be at war, something that in the "old" museum was so pointedly displayed in the dilemma room. And so on and so forth. The assembly of army related museums that will form the new national army museum would I think be THE place to initiate, host and fuel the public debate on these issues and I wholeheartedly hope that they will take up this role! But for now: congratulations to the staff on the fab organisation of the event and good luck on the process of building and moving to the new museum!

Inspiration for cultural entrepreneurs

Thanks to my other half I watched this documentary on the quintesentially Dutch warehouse HEMA. It tells the story of HEMA's international entrepreneurial activities, the downfalls, the changes for the personnel and the collection. In addition to the always inspiring journey on the road of entrepreneurship what struck a cord in me is the constant iterative process between management annex strategy and operations annex the day-to-day running of the store. The way they at least make a conscious effort to stay in touch with those day to day operations. Watch how management - who at that point in time is also involved in complex strategical expansion options in fields further away - runs the best running HEMA store in The Netherlands for a day. The dynamics between those primarily concerned with strategy and expansion in their daily work and those primarily concerned with sales in their daily work I think is inspiring for both knowledge driven and cultural institutions now finding themselves on the road to furthering their own entrepreneurship.