Alternative formats for conferences

While at NC State I participated in planning a graduate symposium. Denise Gonzales Crisp encouraged our graduate class to keep the idea of a symposium in mind, versus a traditional conference. It took me a while to get my mind around what the differences really were as I had not been to many conferences myself. Now, as a professor, my time spent at conferences is increasing. What makes a good conference? And what makes a bad conference? Are there alternatives that really work? What do you do if one person from the audience dominants the conversation and what they have to say just really isn't that interesting? It happens. How do you balance speaking times? Pecha Kucha is an interesting option, but certainly doesn't work for everything. I realize I am posing more questions than answers here, but I'm at a hotel after a conference and my brain is in a fairly mushy state.

This article by Valerie Casey explores some of these issues in a more coherent manner.

Now to skip the conference dinner and seek out a cool local joint. I am 'conferenced' out.