Unclear about Un-Conference?!

Jill Woolf from Chimera Communications explains the Chamber Summit's Un-Conference session:

OK, you’ve heard about the Brighton Summit. You’ve decided it’s too good an opportunity to miss. You’re looking through the programme and seeing all the great things on offer. Then you come to the Un-Conference bit.

What on earth are Un-Conference sessions?

Here’s Un-Conference 101 ...

A selection of unusual sessions run by unusual people, all of whom have a fascinating story, skill or journey to share to enrich, invigorate and motivate you in your business life.

At this point in the Summit, you’ll have met some interesting new contacts, caught up with those you already know, been wow-ed by Rob Forkan from Gandys, stimulated by the Adventure Hour, had a sumptuous lunch, done something wild and wacky in the Dare Hour, and you’ll be wondering what else could possibly happen!

Let’s tempt you with just some of the sessions on offer.

Business lessons from Breaking Bad - Julia Chanteray, The Joy of Business

As well as being a triumph of TV drama, Breaking Bad contains many lessons for us in life and business. Julia will conduct a retrospective on the journey of Walt, Jesse, Skyler and the others.  She definitely won't be teaching you how to make crystal meth but about the importance of aligning values with your business partners, efficient distribution chains, and the temptations and limitations when your business grows bigger than you ever needed it to be. Julia says this session is only for fans of Breaking Bad who know what happens at the end of series 5!

Those revelatory DOH! moments: why we need Homer Simpson to grasp our worth at work - Miranda Birch, Miranda Birch Media

They are the skills and knowledge valued by your boss, colleagues or clients. But they tend to be the things you underplay or, worse, overlook.  Sometimes you take them for granted for months or even years. The DOH! moment is when you see your strengths with fresh eyes.  And by tracing the story of how you began, this session will help you to do just that.

Your Adventure Movie - Raph Goldberg, TanglewoodProductions

Learn some basic tips on how to make your own business videos; how best to use DIY videos and gain hands-on experience using video cameras. You may also get a chance to film a short video to use after the event. Beware: it may involve jungle clothing!

Wish you were here - Nick Price, Of Things Immaterial

Design and creativity are used at the leading edge of business consulting.  Nick will take you through a creative business framework and exercise to help your strategy development.  This session will be great for those in high level company roles, open to creative thinking and interested in transformation. This session shows you how to look at your bigger business picture in a unique and personal way.

Fit for business – The Ironman Dream - David Pegler, Brewin Dolphin

David will explain why he decided to take on the extreme challenge of an Ironman triathlon (2.5 mile swim, 112 mile bike and a marathon back-to-back) and how the experience had a massive impact on his life, career and relationships. Explore the power of setting a challenge or goal, enjoying the journey and not just the end result, look at happiness v success and what comes first, time management, good and bad habits, having a great team supporting you, breaking down a goal into bite-size pieces, and becoming fitter for business, in more ways than one.

Back to the future - Toby Buckle, Hazel Branch and Alistair Duncan, Where Two Rivers Meet

When we are off on an adventure it helps to know where we are going and what we will need, but planning can often seem like a boring or daunting process and a bit of a step into the unknown. Wouldn’t it be so much easier if we could start at the end and work backwards? The path up the mountain always seems so much clearer when seen looking back from the summit!

In this session you will explore a powerful, effective and playful backward planning tool that engages your mind and body. You will start with the sweet taste of your journey’s success and work backwards to rid yourself of the uncertainty of today. You won’t need a business plan or spreadsheet or complicated planning tool. Simply bring a project, challenge or business idea you would love to succeed.

Digital Marketing - Steve Lowy, Umidigital

Digital marketing has become traditional marketing, an absolute necessity for businesses fighting to survive. But with terms like responsive design, sem and vlogging, it’s easy to drown in the sea of possibilities.

From the launch of his very first brand umi Hotels, Steve has taught himself new marketing skills, been burnt by third party providers but ultimately deciphered what is important and how to ride the digital marketing wave for businesses. He is keen to help businesses learn how they can stand out from the crowd and engage with their target audiences.

You will walk away from this session saying “OK, digital marketing is not that scary” with practical tips to improve your brand awareness online, regardless of your product or service. You’ll also be eager to jump on your digital marketing surfboard and ride the digital waves.

The story of the story - Jamie Crawford, Storyteller

Hear a story, tell a story, discover what makes a story tick.

Storytelling is distinctive in its ability to convey the greatest emotional truth with the greatest economy of means. But what makes a good story? What keeps an audience hooked? What place is there for stories in our work?

Jamie will guide you through some of the trade secrets he's made his own over a quarter of a century of telling traditional tales to people of all ages. In this fun experimental session you will be telling each other stories and discussing what makes you listen, what takes you on a journey, what lulls you into a dream and what wakes you up!

New strategies for a prosperous retirement - Rod Thomas FCA, Avantis Wealth

Join Rod on a journey into the future of financially secure retirement. Being in business is a great adventure, but alongside your trading company are you sure your retirement is insulated from downturns and disasters? In this interactive workshop you will find out how to ensure you have the financial wherewithal for your future adventures. It is particularly suitable for business owners.

Twitter Marketing - A Cat Odyssey - James Dempster, Cobb Digital

With some take home tips for all levels of Twitter marketers this presentation will take a look at some of the best practices of Twitter usage from a marketing perspective. We'll look at how some brands are winning with Twitter and how some others are leaving a little to be desired. Oh and what would a presentation about Twitter be without mentioning cats, there'll be lots and lots of cats. You WILL NOT need a laptop for this session (the confirmation email  is incorrect)

Understanding human interaction: A journey into the mind -WendyTwigger and Kate Springford

Modern technology is increasingly intelligent, powerful and precise, and yet people continue to relate to each other as if they have learned nothing about interpersonal behaviour. We think it’s time to take another approach: join us in exploring what influences our interactions with others, and how we can become more effective at work.

Learning to cherish the stuff that scares you - Geoff Turral, StoryStream.
After 25 years following a corporate career path Geoff became one of the founders of StoryStream, a Brighton based tech start-up.
The session delves into how the painful aspects of that transition have become and remain essential fuel for StoryStream and life in general
Thought-starters that provoke, along with some interesting learnings from the 20 months that StoryStream has existed will be the key takeaways from this session.

So Un-Conference is all about being informal, delegate-led, interactive and definitely different from a snooze-fest.

We can’t wait!

For more information and to book tickets please click here

If you want to contribute to the Chamber blog, contact us on hannah@brightonchamber.co.uk