Conference Junkies
Does it ever feel like everyone but you gets to go to any and every conference they want? Like every day you see tweets and blogs of people that are at another conference?
Well, a little of that is reality. There really are conference junkies out there. (Many of them are consultants and vendors whose “job” is to network at these events.) But part of it is because of the increase in the sheer number of conferences. It used to be there were a handful of big conferences through the year–and conference organizers worked hard to spread them out. Now days–that’s impossible. For example, last week there were two huge conferences happening simultaneously: Exponential in Florida and Catalyst West in California.
This week you could be in Baton Rouge at All Access 2010, Atlanta for Orange, or Chicago for Q. All good conferences.
But in today’s world, it’s not necessary to be there in person. Here are a few ways you can tune in without leaving home:
- Check the conference site for a live feed of their sessions. It looks like both All Access and Orange are streaming live. This is becoming more common all the time.
- Check the conference site after it concludes for uploaded sessions (like ChurchPlanters.com did for their recent Velocity conference).
- Do a Google Blog Search and limit it to your conference name in the post title to find attendees who are blogging live.
- Follow the Twitter hashtag for the conference using a service like Twubs. That sounds complicated, but you don’t have to have a Twitter account to see what people are “tweeting.” And many times you’ll hear some great one-liner quotes in real time. It’s as though you are there. Click here for examples from this week’s conferences: All Access, Orange and Q.
Of course there are exceptions. For example, you’ll want to be there in person for the AND Conference coming up in November. But then again, I’m a little biased.
Tweets that mention Conference Junkies – LeadingSmart -- Topsy.com
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Tim Stevens and Eric H., Tracee J Swank. Tracee J Swank said: RT @timastevens: Feel like everyone else but you gets to go to all the conferences? Practical ways to stay home and still go: http://bit.ly/b5UFk6 [...]
Brice Bohrer
I am definitely guilty of envying the conference junkies. Whining about when it is my "turn" to go. But this July it IS my turn! ECHO he were come…
Oh and your right about the digital ways to keep up on them. Good stuff. (But I am still exited to be in a hotel for 2 nights…).
bb
David
The one thing that I am alerted to when going to conferences is that some of the people that have never attended one. Some of them need a real tooter to help them through the experience.
My wife and I were at a Joyce Meyer conference one time, and there was a young girl standing in a book line Saturday morning and my wife asked her if she had attended the Friday night service. The girl exclaimed that she was a devout Catholic and that she was almost in disbelief as to the intensity of the service the night before. She was shaken to the core. She had no idea that that christian world existed with this living word. She was so excited and had many questions. She reminded of us of our own born again experiences.
My wife both agreed after meeting the girl that we need to be more alert to those around us. You can spot those people and easily begin conversation with them. You'll also find that the people around you will often join in and help. It really is a wonderful experience to help others with their own experience. Also there are many hurting people looking for life answers to their problems so when they attend these conferences they can be anonymous. They don't expect to be engaged in a group. But its why we all go.
My 2 cents for what its worth. I love going to conferences. When my wife and I take a vacation, its usually to go to a conference.
Tom Becker
Tim I agree with you but there's still nothing that replaces the actual live experience. It's staying in a motel with frineds, continental breakfasts, box lunches, (?) talking about the meetings, calling home, late night gab sessions, live P/W, etc. The whole experience, ya know.
Paul
Noticed this and was even covetous, but then I really don't get much out of most conferences. I much rather getting to know people by visits and mentoring. It would be nice to be able to pick up and go though.
dmbaldwin
Hey how bout if we make a pastoral position at our churches, "Pastor of Conferences!" This person could just go to conferences all the time and pass the nuggets on to the staff.
I'm a conference junky, so I would apply if a position was created like that.
And thank you very much for giving us a way to participate in more conferences! Now I'm going to be tempted to try some on line. My daughter is at the Orange Conference in Atlanta and did text me saying I could watch the sessions on line live. Golf won out today.
Blessings,
Dave
Franco Guerri
Maybe I go to a different type of conferences. I can get some "nuggets" on line… but encounters is what we go for. Two types: encounters with God and encounters with people, as the above post mentions. We've only been to a couple, but have seen miracles and have had divine appointments constantly. A year ago went to Bethel in Redding, California and experienced the love of God in a way that has changed my whole walk. My knee was healed from a painful lack of cartilage (instantly and permanently). And I lead a man into the Kingdom in their coffee shop early on a Sunday morning.
Went a second time and prayed for a man who hadn't walked for years, and he walked out without his walker and almost all pain gone. These are just highlights. Isn't encountering God what "church" is all about? Information is great, and so is warm fuzzy cumbaia, but more of God is so much better! I'm just curious if this kind of stuff goes on in the conferences mentioned?
Robert
I was sitting in a breakout session for a popular conference near where I live and was looking around and listening to others. One of the key points was listening to a lot of these people were talking about going to this conference or meeting up at the next conference (in a week or month.) I also noticed how some of the speakers were just giving talks from their books or other articles, not much originality. Nothing prepared me for the long "buy this" or "buy that" or "go get this" merchandising from the stage. For instance one speaker said there were a limited number shoes at the store in the lobby, I happened to be standing above the area and the masses descended like parents at Christmas over the special toy. Then I began getting some trial copies of free evangelical magazines I signed up for at that conference. They were loaded with promo pieces for more conferences.
Basically I got bored or it all. I asked our other staff members (we're a smaller church) and we decided to just go ahead and skip the conferences for the next three years. So we're on a conference sabbatical.
There's a lot of money in Christianity. Too much of it goes to building bigger steeples, larger publishers, and exorbitant merchandisers. If we shut down every conference in the US next year, gave all our conference budgets to international missions in countries that desperately need the Gospel, how much better off would the Kingdom of God be by the end of the year.
Conferences are just so silly to me I guess. No offense, but I think we can be better stewards.
You are the Church!