Posting today on BuzzMachine, blogger Jeff Jarvis argues that “the conference business is ripe for revolution.” Maybe so (and after all, what isn’t?). But Jeff, while I wholeheartedly agree with your prescription for conferences that “emphasize conversation over lectures, meeting over merely sitting” (that’s exactly what we do), some aspects of your diagnosis need another look. For starters, I would be a rich, rich woman if only the financials worked as you’ve described.

I’ve been in the conference business for a long, long time, employed by many of the usual suspects. I now run my own media company and have the freedom to test formats and speakers as I see fit, letting content and audience (see the rules below) drive format, pricing, and sponsorships. We also have a good consulting business — a more robust version of your “concierge” concept — which pays the bills. I may not be rolling in money, but we do have a lot of integrity — which is one reason so many people love coming to our conferences and roundtables.

The principles below may or may not be revolutionary, but we know from experience that, applied intelligently, they produce a richer and more useful result.

Rules for Conference Producers

1. People want to be in a room with people who are at least as important, educated, and smart as they are and are willing to learn from each other.

Want proof? Check out http://web2.0central.com/archives/162.

2. People are inherently lazy, so it’s great to have wikis and self-serve stuff. But I’d bet real money that there are one or two people organizing it all behind the scenes. Feature creep is a real problem for organizers. I like to keep it simple: Human interaction and info should be the focus.

3. Separate church and state at all costs. Think of more creative ways to give sponsors what they’re looking for. Talk to them and agree and test ways in which everyone can benefit.

4. Test and assess constantly. Try new formats and ideas, keep costs relatively low, and encourage feedback.

Posting today on BuzzMachine, blogger Jeff Jarvis argues that “the conference business is ripe for revolution.” Maybe so (and after all, what isn’t?). But Jeff, while I wholeheartedly agree with your prescription for conferences that “emphasize conversation over lectures, meeting over merely sitting” (that’s exactly what we do), some aspects of your diagnosis need another look. For starters, I would be a rich, rich woman if only the financials worked as you’ve described.

I’ve been in the conference business for a long, long time, employed by many of the usual suspects. I now run my own media company and have the freedom to test formats and speakers as I see fit, letting content and audience (see the rules below) drive format, pricing, and sponsorships. We also have a good consulting business — a more robust version of your “concierge” concept — which pays the bills. I may not be rolling in money, but we do have a lot of integrity — which is one reason so many people love coming to our conferences and roundtables.

The principles below may or may not be revolutionary, but we know from experience that, applied intelligently, they produce a richer and more useful result.

Rules for Conference Producers

1. People want to be in a room with people who are at least as important, educated, and smart as they are and are willing to learn from each other.

Want proof? Check out http://web2.0central.com/archives/162.

2. People are inherently lazy, so it’s great to have wikis and self-serve stuff. But I’d bet real money that there are one or two people organizing it all behind the scenes. Feature creep is a real problem for organizers. I like to keep it simple: Human interaction and info should be the focus.

3. Separate church and state at all costs. Think of more creative ways to give sponsors what they’re looking for. Talk to them and agree and test ways in which everyone can benefit.

4. Test and assess constantly. Try new formats and ideas, keep costs relatively low, and encourage feedback.