The First Women’s Conference Of Its Kind
Join us at SERENDIPITY October 26 + 27 guildserendipity.com
The last few conferences I’ve attended all seem to blend together in my memory. First of all, I see mostly old white guys on stage (sorry Ron and Bill!), I catch up on email during the sessions that repeat content from the last fireside chat (echo-chamber hello hello), accumulate business cards and LinkedIn connections over forgettable exchanges of small talk, take a few pages of notes, and sometimes leave questioning the overall contribution toward my professional development.
Besides being “seen” at these conferences, what’s the real point?
I’ve been thinking about how to design a conference that would help women to grow holistically, in an inviting, authentic space, with an impact on all areas of their lives. Every idea I crowdsourced centered around the same theme: create an authentic space conducive to making connections, and put women at ease around each other. But what does that look like? Here’s what we came up with:
Time.
What would it be like if we had the time and freedom at a conference not only to identify and deep-dive into topics chosen by the entire group (channeling the wonderful UnConference), but also to open up meaningful 1:1 conversations through coffee dates and family-style dinners. For once, we would not feel rushed through a topic, or pressured to get to the point, instead letting conversation flow organically.
Facilitate well-matched interactions.
Sure, a star-studded lineup of speakers is important for ticket sales and buzzworthy PR, but there’s a subtle “othering” that happens when we’re constantly forced to pay attention and blindly take advice from our seats in the audience, admiring from afar those who have “made it.” Instead, how about small-group workshops where we can actually have a back-and-forth with the experts? This would be so much more personal and meaningful than taking notes.
Relevant content.
It’s all too easy to zone out during a session and start scrolling through Facebook. But when you care about the session’s topic and can directly apply it to your project, something changes. Here’s an idea. What about a workshop addressing the alternative funding options for our business ideas, or how to effectively manage diverse teams? How about a format that offers a short meeting with an expert who can provide insight on your PR strategy, your questions about equity crowdfunding or help you find work-life balance with an accountability partner?
Realign and refocus.
There are traditional conferences designed for vendors, agents, and product buyers, and a productive day at these conferences may result in a big sale or contract. Yet somehow, this structure of the gigantic super-successful conference has bled into smaller professional development events. It’s time to adjust the agenda, and address other parts of our lives. Why not include workshops outside the professional realm, affording you time to focus on yourself in ways that are tricky during the work week. How about a self-care workshop, or a chance to network with other professional women in a more relaxed setting, say over a manicure? I’d venture to say this could be a lot more valuable than just jumping from one vendor booth to the next.
We’ve had amazing feedback from last year’s SERENDIPITY attendees and again this year we’re opening up applications for workshop hosts, story tellers, founders and funders, investors, coaches, moderators and inspired attendees to say YES! to SERENDIPITY. Join in and share with the people you admire! guildserendipity.com
There’s no reason we should leave a business workshop feeling exhausted and playing catch up, when we could instead leave rejuvenated with a to-do list of inspiring possibilities.
Have an idea for what would make SERENDIPITY even better? Brunch with mimosas, a reading by an admired author, your favorite workshop host? Let us know in the comments below.
