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May
16
2011

What Makes #ungeeked So Special

By | Marketing, News & Notes, Strategy

12 Comments

Christmas #23 - One hundred sigmaYou could say it’s the speaker lineup and that they lead discussions instead of giving presentations. You could say it was the variety and depth of topics — or that the price for a 3 day conference  was very reasonable. You could even say it was the quality of attendees and the small room so you met them all. Ungeeked Elite in Chicago was all of these things and they certainly made it one of the best conferences I’ve ever attended. But what really made the difference (to me) is how everyone (conference organizers, speakers, attendees, and even previous attendees and attendees from other ungeeked events) formed a open, friendly, and helpful community.

Friendly & Open

Just about everyone at UnGeeked was interesting in meeting everyone else. Not just meeting, but talking to, learning more about, and actually building the start of an ongoing relationship. Building a network is more than just saying hi and exchanging business cards (although that was certainly done), it’s also about finding connections (and creating connections) that make that relationship meaningful going forward.

Helpful & Giving

Not only is the ungeeked community friendly and open, they’re also helpful and giving — willing to help you out, share what you do, and connect you to others who can also help. Finding a community that’s open and friendly is one thing, but it’s a true gem to find people who are willing to help each other out (and not just attendees).

Interesting & Valuable

The variety of people and backgrounds and skill sets at UnGeeked was really cool. Sometimes we get caught in an echo-chamber of the same people saying the same things and it’s nice to meet new people who have new things to contribute. It’salso rare to meet so many people in one place that are truly valuable to have in your network, because they are helpful, giving and interesting.

Well Worth Way More

I’ve been to the Web 2.0 Conference (and the Summit) in San Francisco, I’ve been to more regional conferences (and local events), but I have never been at one event that was valuable for more than the speakers or the topics or the one person with whom you connected. UnGeeked had all that, but also has built a community of people who care.

Were you at #ungeeked? What did you think?

(photo by kevindooley, on Flickr)

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  • http://twitter.com/thatwoman_is My name is Cd

     Thank you Sarah for the fine write-up.  You confirmed for me that we are doing right — and what we need to continue to do better. Respects, Cd

  • http://twitter.com/thatwoman_is My name is Cd

     Thank you Sarah, this post means a lot.  We are trying to offer a different type of experience where learning and bonding and building a community of people who can help you in business. Any suggestions you have are welcomed. We are always working within our limited super powers to make it an enjoyable experience.

  • William Caraher

     #unGeeked is like catching lightning in a bottle.  On the surface, three days seems like a really LONG time for a conference.  But, this is no ordinary conference and many would stay for five days!  The thought-leaders of today are the unGeeked discussion leaders and they are eager to share and learn from the group.  Typically the keynotes and headliners are there for their talk and gone. At unGeeked, there are no keynotes and almost all the speakers come for the day and are very open to side discussions and peer interactions.  unGeeked is unique and a one-of-a-kind event. I enjoyed meeting you Sarah and the other social media trailblazers at the conference. Thanks & others can follow me on Twitter: @williamcaraher:twitter  

  • http://sazbean.com sazbean

    You’re welcome, Cd.  Thanks for putting together a great community.  I do have some ideas that I’ll share with you via email. 

  • http://twitter.com/jenhowver Jen Howver

    Sarah, you did a great job encapsulating unGeeked. The experience really is like no other conference I’ve ever attended. Not only were the presentations engaging and helpful, but the people there were actually passionate about marketing, branding, and social media, which made it easy to connect with each other. I feel like the content really challenged me to think new ways about all the topics, and many of the people I met have become friends IRL.

  • http://profiles.google.com/678partners Parissa Behnia

    I was at #unGeeked and you so beautifully and eloquently captured what made this gathering so special especially the generosity and goodwill of all.  What made this special for me was that it felt like a continuous virtuous circle: the discussion leaders shared, invited commentary and we all benefitted.  In the beginning, I heard that many friendships were started and continued to grow thanks to #unGeeked.  And, I have to admit I was skeptical.  Now that I’ve gone through it, I “get it” and am so thankful I was open to having this experience.

  • http://www.yaffetidbitsblog.com mikemcclure

    Nice post Sarah. I already wished I could go. Now I really want to make it next year!  

  • http://twitter.com/nikkistephan Nikki Stephan

    Me too!!

  • http://twitter.com/pegsta1 Peggy Fitzpatrick

    It is so hard for me to even formulate how I feel about my time at #ungeeked. I literally had a smile on my face on my whole plane ride home. I am still processing all the information that was discussed. The quality of the presentations was amazing but the in depth conversations between attendees and the presenters who participated throughout the weekend was invaluable. Every single presenter was approachable and lovely. For me the biggest bonus was the relationships that I made with so many wonderful people throughout my time in Chicago. I cannot believe how much I laughed! Coming home, I am throughly enjoying watching the conversations continue on the #ungeeked stream. Blogs are being shared and discussions are continuing. People did not just make friends, they built relationships which are forging new business ideas and spurring blog posts as well as awesome, lasting connections. Super awesome Social Media Camp with an IQ boost as a bonus. Brilliant!

  • http://sazbean.com sazbean

     You should! Or go to one of the other events.  It really was awesome! :)

  • http://sazbean.com sazbean

     I like that: “continuous virtuous circle”. I’d add “of sharing”

  • http://sazbean.com sazbean

     Thanks, Jen. I think that besides the people and connections, the content at this conference was really good — maybe due to the discussion aspect. Often I only come home with a few new ideas, but this event was jam packed! I don’t think it was necessarily that topics were new, just that new ideas came out of almost every session (at least for me).  It was great meeting you too, by the way!