Over the past few months I’ve attended or spoken at more than a half dozen events and meetings. All different and very worthwhile. Last month I was fortunate to attend The World Innovation Forum in New York City. This particular event was a gathering of some great thought leaders across an array of industries, causes and companies. (More on the highlights and impressions from this powerful conference soon.)

This post is about how technology and  connection are changing the very nature and experience of meetings, events and conferences….for the better. As a communications person, I was fascinated by the pervasive presence of technology at all of the conferences I recently attended – everywhere and with everyone. We’ve come to expect the event organizers to employ the latest and greatest technology to deliver a powerful experience. What’s changed now is the impressive array of technology that is also in the hands (literally) of the attendees and how smartly and creatively people are using it to build relationships and connections that enhance their event and meeting experiences.This convergence of technology is definitely changing the way everyone “experiences” the event experience…organizers, attendees, speakers and media.

Events Inside The Event:

Video, livestreaming, i-reporting, laptops, tweet streams, blackberries, i-phones, i-pads, podcasts, videographers are everywhere. In some ways the energy and buzz around all of this activity and technology creates mini events within the events. For me, these were all positive experiences that generated energy, enabled new forms of engagement and added spontaneity to the events. My most recent experience at the World Innovation Forum was particularly interesting and worth sharing.

I was fortunate to be one of about thirty bloggers invited to “cover” the event as part of what was called The ‘Bloggers’ Hub”….a private social media press club. We had great seats, full access to everything at the event, and all the power and broadband internet connectivity we needed. (Well, most of the time…we did crash it a few times). We had free reign and were encouraged to be active and free flowing. None of us really knew what to expect. It turned out to be a very positive and productive experience for the bloggers, our audiences, the speakers, attendees and the organizers. The open and diverse mix of people created a “bloggers’ hub effect” with some very tangible benefits. Here are few:

Bloggers Hub Benefits:

• Facilitates a friendly, open platform for bloggers to provide real time updates, commentary and coverage of the speeches, presentations and other content. These are simultaneously shared with everyone at the event, over the internet and archived for later use.
• Serves as a micro-community of a diverse group of writers connecting around a common interest…live reporting and disseminating information of significance from the event…on the spot content creation centered on innovation.
• Creates an environment of mutually supportive and connected energy that feeds on itself. A special “vibe” that brings a new collective dynamic to a usually solitary writing process.
• Provides a “streaming commentary” on innovation topics and discussions as they happen and invites real time response and interaction from each blogger (and their audiences) which in turn fuels better reporting and writing.
• Links a network of “Trust Agents” to leverage the content being presented and discussed among the attendees. We created our own mini “Archimedes Effect” at the event.
• Provides a sustainable linked in platform for follow up commentary, analysis and networking that lives well beyond the event itself….in some cases for months.

As Asset-Based Thinking Perspective:

Technology is changing the way people see and experience just about everything, including meetings and events. Technology driven change presents opportunity and challenge. The opportunity to engage people in meeting experiences (large or small) that are more interactive, participatory, shared and sustainable. The challenge is to remember that it’s great ideas, substance and powerful content that make technology meaningful and valuable.

Now, where’s the cocktail party?