...are really not ready for prime-time.

 

I was amazed but not surprised at how well-run and well-planned HR.com's recent virtual HR Conference (December 12, 13). Debbie McGrath is so willing to invest and develop cutting edge concepts to deliver knowledge that few others will ever develop her experience (without at least acknowledging the path she has forged through the forrest ahead of them). Only Elliott Masie in my experience has done more to develop new ideas in delivering information online to the HR community.

 

Bill Kutik offered a fabulous review of his experience as a participant wandering the booths and attending the sessions in his HR Executive online column. Personally, I think his column will be a classic study of this (early 7 developing) technology and I've no doubt that it will get better sooner rather than later.

 

As an online presenter experimenting with the medium for more than a decade, sooner can't come fast enough for me. The whole concept of trying to replicate an in-person conference session online is just a serious mistake. At best sessions in non-virtual conferences should be archived as online as webinars- but, live online webinars need a serious makeover- with todays' technology they are still missing key feedback elements for both the participants and especially the presenters. Primitive "chat room based" technology for getting questions is so 90's it hurts and awkward as hell from the presenter's side in literally every template.

 

For presenters here are a few issues:

- The polling capability (with instant results) is a a vast  improvement over previous templates but it needs to be incorporated in the design of the session's content as a primary focus (as opposed a side gimmick to add as an afterthought).

- Fewer people in a given session (and perhaps a second session back to back) would increase the ability to incorporate stops for questions - live audio - NOT text -messaged so that a greater percentage of the participants could be heard. Giving participants self-service capability to access audio is essential (in my mind) going forward. More is learned in the audio than can ever be tranmitted via text. the text message should be used to alert the speaker about the interest and nature of a question.

- Let's get skype-like video incorporated. Give me the the ability to turn on a talking head (mine or someone else) in the corner (or not). yes, it should be opt-in but we could do it with some useful impact.

- Make it easier for particpants to see what I see and follow what I'm doing on the scree whether it is sharing a slide on a powerpoint, sharing a video clip or linking to a web site to illustrate a point.

- Pre and Post- Each session's pages should look more like a temporarily created social network where an individual participants profiles (as well as speakers) can be accessed and messages sent. Let the audience in and even debating with one another about what they are hearing/seeing- offering evidence to the contrary and challenging the speakers. That means more info might be available to the participants in the hours and days before the session even begins. They could check out an attachment or two, upload questions and so on. Post session, the speakers could continue to answer questions and send notes on to participants via their profiles.

 

....and that is just a start.

 

Mark and I are looking forward to experimenting with something vastly different - not a venue for hundreds but a real venue for those few too passionate to wait for a conference to ask a question and willing to be part of a new model requiring a much more active audience with a more engaged and transparent facilitator.

 

If I had to guess who is more likely to get there....