Making GovCamp North more participant-led
TL:DR
- As an unconference, the agenda has been set by participants from the event’s inception
- We ran training sessions and sponsor session last time. The topics were decided by the agencies running them.
- All the sponsor and build-up sessions will be based on user research this time
- Add your views to what you want to hear about here: https://forms.gle/qEUR58ZussUMf4sx9
- Sign up to GovCamp North here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/gov-camp-north-2021-tickets-162060434121?aff=medium
Of course it’s participant-led, it’s an unconference!
Last year, we ran the first-ever GovCamp North. Like our sister event UK GovCamp, it was an unconference; because we believe in putting the power in participants’ hands. Unconferences foster meaningful conversations by allowing attendees to set the agenda, and encouraging them to participate where they feel they have the most impact.
We were worried about this bring a hard-sell for some attendees’ managers, so I wrote this blog on how we were building some concrete learning around the event. The pre-event training and sponsor sessions were a success, people really enjoyed the balance of unplanned and planned sessions. However, we always felt the ‘planned’ sessions could be more centred around attendees needs. It was just something we didn’t have time to explore in our inaugural event.
Going with user-research for 2021
This year, we added a user-research role into the organising team. We created some questions and send a survey to all participants who signed up for early-bird tickets and those who attended last year. It has helped us decide on some key issues, and the research we did will feed directly into pre-event and sponsor sessions.
We are still open to feedback, so if you are attending this year, feel free to give us your input via this form: https://forms.gle/qEUR58ZussUMf4sx9
What we’ve learned so far
- Up to 80% of people are interested in pre-event sessions
- 50% of that interest depends on the topic of the pre-event session
- Morning and and afternoon are the most popular slots, not many people wanted lunch-time sessions
- Popular topics include: collaboration, cross-agency working, closer alignment between digital and policy, working in the open, changing culture, accessibility, hybrid working, going back to the office, and personal career stories.
- People really like stickers and pens!
- Up to 80% of people would be happy to have a tree planted, rather than receive merch from us 💚
Sign-up to this year’s GovCamp North
Tickets have just gone on sale for GovCamp North 2021, grab one here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/gov-camp-north-2021-tickets-162060434121?aff=medium
See you there!
