“To be honest, I am here for the free drinks”, a gentleman I befriended at a recent HR conference quipped.

Attendees’ indifference aside, the case for physically attending conferences seems to diminish by the day. Technology driving the adoption of virtual conferences are improving and free webinars are available with increasingly regularity. Besides, content presented at most conferences are eventually available for free. If you wait a month or two, you can view most of the material presented at TED. New forms of meeting are also emerging. Tweetups are a product of our age and many swear by the unconference style.  Indeed, conferences are changing rapidly, in content, form and the value they offer.

So, RecruitTech ask you to part with $299, and more significantly give up one whole day of your life? Why should you bother?

I think a well run conference offers value that the alternatives do not. For a start, good conferences work hard to treat you like royalty, after all you are investing money and time. Good conferences provide intimacy between speakers and attendees; facilitate networking and encourages taking new steps. New connections, new relationships and new knowledge (One cannot get from PowerPoint transcripts) are offered in abundance.

Indeed, there are two sides to the conference coin. It’s the organiser’s responsibility to provide a platform where attendees can learn, make new connections and be motivated to do things differently after the event. On the flip side, attendees should prepare themselves to be active participants. The days of just showing up are long gone. Even the best run conferences mean little if an attendee is passive, showed up just to please the Boss, or worse not willing to take ‘action’ after the event concluded. Generally, one is not inclined to invest money and time on anything unless the goal is to gain something. Why should conferences be any different?

Clayton Wehner has arranged an impressive line-up of speakers (including a flattered yours truly). Relevant issues of our times will be addressed in a format conducive for maximum face time and learning. Recruitech is worth considering if you want a conference to trigger an action. Otherwise, check other events. Or even start one yourself. Sitting still is not an option, not when everything (including conferences) in our world is changing so rapidly.

(p.s: If you are attending, say ‘hi’. It would be lovely to meet in person)

Related posts:

1. Australasian Talent Conference – Conversation with Trevor Vas
2. Australasian Talent Conference
3. “Just try stuff’ and other musings @ Recruittech Conference
4. Australian Talent events in 2009
5. Australasian Talent Conference – Day 1