In the Spring of 2015 I joined the Founder Institute in NY to create a mobile platform for Speakers and Fans to connect. The idea was born out of my frustration to find events on Friday nights that weren't the typical Happy Hour or Early Bird Special. I wanted to attend something like a live talk in my area. I would even be willing to travel to a nearby city if the speaker was one of my favorites. There are so many cool speaking events. Ted Talks alone does hundreds per month. The internet, however, has become so dense that finding all of these in one place, or near me, takes forever. Many times I found out about events after they were over. Total bummer.
Seminars, speeches and workshops are standard teaching methods that have stood the test of time but they are also a form of edutainment that some of use with curious minds can't get enough of. They give listeners the opportunity to learn about a selected topic in depth and hear about others discoveries. A listener can learn from someone else’s experience and feel that they went through the same event. In order to give a speech, the speaker needs to become an expert on the topic and, in effect, becoming the teacher. But when the Internet was born, everyone became teachers, speakers and producers. The barriers to entry for posting content and media have never been lower, and it's easier than ever to broadcast an event out to an engaged audience. But even though it can be done, doesn’t mean it should be.
Seminars, speeches and workshops are standard teaching methods that have stood the test of time but they are also a form of edutainment that some of use with curious minds can't get enough of. They give listeners the opportunity to learn about a selected topic in depth and hear about others discoveries. A listener can learn from someone else’s experience and feel that they went through the same event. In order to give a speech, the speaker needs to become an expert on the topic and, in effect, becoming the teacher. But when the Internet was born, everyone became teachers, speakers and producers. The barriers to entry for posting content and media have never been lower, and it's easier than ever to broadcast an event out to an engaged audience. But even though it can be done, doesn’t mean it should be.
Live events deliver the rich, powerful experiences that online media can’t.
The hallmarks of good seminars 1 are intellectual curiosity in researching the topic and intellectual enthusiasm in presenting that research to a group. Members of the group should become enthralled with the presenter’s excitement. Some of this enthusiasm is lost in translation when we use the Internet, which is why human face-to-face interaction is, and will continue to be, the most effective form of communication. Live events deliver motivation along with messaging, and inspiration with information.2 In our blink-and-you-miss-it society, content becomes stale fast, live events are something that are fresh and instead of just delivering information they deliver a hands on experience and way to think and digest information.
Concepts like networking, renewed motivation and expert knowledge were driving forces in attending live seminars or workshops and none of those components can be properly delivered via the web. Live events give attendees a unique experience to be among like-minded people, visionaries and leaders in their field, all in one room. No amount of technology will be able to recreate the feelings and energy that is built within the four walls of a powerful seminar.
Diane Eschenbach, is the Founder and CEO of Meet Me Next, Where Speakers and Fans Connect
To find out more about Meet Me Next, contact Diane at her About.me page.
To add your name to the list of speakers, sign up here.
[1] http://engineering.queensu.ca/courses/engcomm/resources/documents/EffectiveSeminarsFactSheet.pdf
[2] http://www.businessweek.com/debateroom/archives/2009/01/virtual_meetings_will_erase_face_to_face.html
Concepts like networking, renewed motivation and expert knowledge were driving forces in attending live seminars or workshops and none of those components can be properly delivered via the web. Live events give attendees a unique experience to be among like-minded people, visionaries and leaders in their field, all in one room. No amount of technology will be able to recreate the feelings and energy that is built within the four walls of a powerful seminar.
Diane Eschenbach, is the Founder and CEO of Meet Me Next, Where Speakers and Fans Connect
To find out more about Meet Me Next, contact Diane at her About.me page.
To add your name to the list of speakers, sign up here.
[1] http://engineering.queensu.ca/courses/engcomm/resources/documents/EffectiveSeminarsFactSheet.pdf
[2] http://www.businessweek.com/debateroom/archives/2009/01/virtual_meetings_will_erase_face_to_face.html