Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

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March 23, 2009

The Castaways of Survivor SxSW Austin: How to Find ADOS Immunity at a Huge Conference

ME Liz Strauss wrote this at 8:27 am

Off to the Island We Go

I was still a young pup when I discovered the key to conferences. It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in. They’re arranged, funded, and attended by people. People at conferences seem to fall victim to the same behaviors. By the end, the folks leaving can look like they’ve lived a season of Survivor — Take for example this recent conference: Survivor SxSW Austin.

People were off to the island of Austin. Soon enough SxSW castaways realized that their ties to home were gone. We started saying hello; finding common ground; seeing who had a SxSW badge, forming our teams. The people of the town, the people of restaurants, the people in the cars, cabs, and hallways become like so much scenery — we only interacted with them when we needed essentials — food, clothing, and shelter (well, mostly food.)

Survivor SxSW became Reality 2.0. Anticipation was high. Possibilities were higher. Intentions and expectations were everywhere. “Do everything” looked like the only option between now and home. Survival required focus and follow through in the alien environment that only a huge conference can be. The folks who came without training were at a serious disadvantage.

The 3 questions on the Survivor site were heard throughout the week.

Who would be left standing at the end of a week?

It’s easy to feel alone. No one gets automatic immunity. You have to find your own.

The Castaways

Huge conference after huge conference the cast doesn’t seem to change. Let me introduce you to the folks I always see. They were there last year … but like a new season of Survivor, they seemed to be the same people with different names.

  1. The first timer: She was glad to be there and overwhelmed that everyone knew what she didn’t — that just because you know 100 people at the same conference, it doesn’t mean you’ll see any of them. She’s was soon wishing she’d come with comfortable shoes, with a plan, with a friend to keep her company.
  2. The up and comer: He went for the win. In a few hours, everyone knew him. He was networking until the cows came home, or at least back to his hotel. You’ll know him by the number of flickr pix that you find tagged with his name. Do you have a copy of his book? Wait, he hasn’t had time to write it yet.
  3. The information junkie: Her head was in the panels. She could quote chapter and verse of the keynotes and blogged every question. Her program was worn to shreds from handling by Day 2. She exchanged cards with every speaker, but didn’t really have a conversation the entire week.
  4. The party monkeys: Each morning they built alliances on the list of parties they’d attend that evening. The next day they spoke slowly about how long the lines were. They lost their voices and their hearing by bits with each new sunrise.
  5. The rockstar: She showed up for appearances, did her gig, smiled at fans, shook their hands, and disappeared almost as quickly. She might have gotten off most easily because her unreal fame fits the unreality of the conference with a resonating rhythm.
  6. The social jockey: He decided what to do and which people to spend time with based on whether they add to his visibility. You know your star is rising if his kind spoke with you this year.
  7. The sponsors and the sponsored: They worked their butts off and hardly had time to talk. They made everything happen. When they had downtime they talked business or partied like the attendees.
  8. The camera crew: The camera crew was busy with their cameras. They are not allowed to interact while the cameras are on. They’ll experience the conference when they look through their flickr accounts.
  9. The pros: They treated the conference like a Twitter stream — taking part in what they found valuable, letting the rest go by. They did business. They attended some sessions and events. They skipped others for quality conversation. They got sleep every night. They kept their feet on ground and their thoughts in perspective.

Lots of regular folks were there too, by Day 4 they were easy to identify. They were the ones who were still awake and itching to find their own pillow. A Survivor Experience can wear on the most grounded psyches. These are the folks who disappeared from the interwebs when they got home.

How to Find ADOS Immunity at a Huge Conference

Lots of great things happen at conferences. SxSW is outstanding for what it offers –incredible opportunities to expand your network and constant input to move your thinking to new levels. You’ll meet great people and if you try, you’ll get a chance to know them. To be successful, you need to find immunity to an extreme case of ADD that someone called ADOS — AD-oooo shiny.

Five ground rules will help.

  1. Build your network before you go. Meet people via email and telephone long before you get to the “island.” Huge conferences are more valuable if you already have a connection to the people you’re going to meet. You’ll also find that more of the meetings that you plan will actually take place.
  2. Invest in a goal. That will give your conference a direction and a basis on which to make decisions about what to do next when unexpected opportunities jump in front of you.
  3. Only plan 3 - 5 things each day and be lethal about getting those done. Interruptions and opportunities to explore people, places, and conversations will be everywhere all day long. If you find you have time to do more than you planned, you’ll be ahead of the game.
  4. Make time for at least one important conversation daily. Go to lunch with smart people. Talk about smart things. A week of continuous small talk can make any person feel shallow, insecure, and a little lost.
  5. Make time for sleep. Don’t think you can do everything. No one will notice if you missed that third party on Tuesday. Everyone will notice if you look a wreck and can’t think by Day 3.

Those few strategies can help keep your balance. You’ll accomplish your goals, get a return on your investment, and learn plenty from just being there. You’ll head home a Survivor, feeling like the tribe was worth every minute you spent in their company.

What do you do to survive huge conferences?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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9 Comments to “The Castaways of Survivor SxSW Austin: How to Find ADOS Immunity at a Huge Conference”

  1. March 23rd, 2009 at 9:49 am
    rainesmaker said

    Liz,

    Good metaphor that “Survivor Island.” You could also interchange it with “Hotel California.” Same dynamics in play. I like the idea of the “unconferences,” whereas, the attendees share in healthy debate, thought and the back and forth to evolve thinking. Otherwise, these events end up like more push marketing by the “handled” and the “handlers” with a (willingly altruistically)captured audience. The “pros” make action and their work “the event.” My take. Cheers.

  2. March 23rd, 2009 at 12:21 pm
    Heather Rast said

    I agree, Liz–Survivor is a great metaphor, in my opinion, for SXSW. This was my first year there; I took chapter/verse notes on several speakers and panels; I tried to connect with key people from my network. In a way, I guess I’m a combination of several types listed above.

    Another thing I learned was that sometimes, (unfortunately), the better side of people (Tweeple) are hidden in their zeal to connect and party with the really cool kids. You know, that layer of cool one step above. I observed that in a few folks, and it was disappointing to see. But conversely, as those cool people closed ranks, I observed others–smart, cool themselves–willing to open their group and share. So I’d suggest that someone attending these big events just take stock of the “real” people, those like-minded and interested in bringing others along (as versus leaving them behind) and navigate the waters with them.

  3. March 23rd, 2009 at 2:25 pm
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Hey Rainesmaker,
    I’m not such a fan of unconferences only because they can easily become so much unconnected knowledge and such. I’ve always been a boutique shopper.

    heh heh

  4. March 23rd, 2009 at 2:27 pm
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Heather,
    How well you describe a situation that I observe every year that also disappoints me. Sometimes as a species we get confused about what’s real and what’s not.

    I like the folks who just see everyone as human without looking for their position. I found a few more of those I admire this time and I’m feeling lucky for that.

  5. March 23rd, 2009 at 2:51 pm
    Richard Reeve said

    Hey Liz,
    Your post had me laughing so hard even my one year old daughter was looking my way with a sort of “you ok dad?” kind of expression.

    SxSW exceeded all my expectations and provided wonderful opportunities for chance encounters. I met some amazing folks seated in the blogger’s lounge. Because I was on my own, the seat next to me was often vacant.

    I met the three goals I set out for myself and gained invaluable insights in how the “interactive” community operates. I also found great humor in the behavior of some of the characters you sketched above. And surprise, surprise: a few of the tools that got pitched my way are really quite useful.

  6. March 23rd, 2009 at 10:25 pm
    LisaNewton said

    I’m just in the process of attending a few conferences here in LA, when they are available. I’m not sure which of these categories I fit into, but I’m myself whenever I go out, so it’s probably a combination of several of these.

    Thanks for the ground rules, Liz. These really do help newbies like me.

  7. March 24th, 2009 at 6:11 am
    Lucretia Pruitt said

    Beautiful post - but I don’t know where I fit… is that odd? Probably not. I never really fit well into these things.

    I made a few panels, limited myself to the parties I didn’t have to stand in line for, spent time talking with anyone who would talk with me, lost my voice, got no sleep, was sponsored and spent time with my sponsors and doing my job, and generally had a fabulous (if exhausting) time… much of it spent in your company! But just as much of it spent talking to “rockstars” as to “just regular folks” and as I said, anyone who would talk with me!

    I think that makes me… um, well, typical for me. Right? :)

    Love ya and paying attention to your ground-rules and noting them for future reference.

  8. March 24th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
    Linda Sherman said

    Lucretia, great seeing you at SXSW. You’re always great even with no voice.

    I’d say the rule that works for me at conferences is to NOT drink on the first night. It is the first night that is the most exciting and thus requires the most discipline. The parties with lines at SXSW are generally not worth it even when you have a card that gets you to the front of the line. The smaller by invite only parties are much better.

  9. March 24th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
    Andi said

    I really enjoyed this post and it further confirms my purposeful choice of small conferences where you actually have an opportunity to meet people in a more intimate setting. The huge conference like SXSW and Blogher seem unwieldy and wonder what value they can really offer. My freshman year in high school (a LONG time ago) I went to school of thousands, my father was in the military so after that first year we moved to a place where I the total amount of students was 500, I had such a better experience at that school and I think that has an influence on the workshops and conference I select now.
    Was a very entertaining read!

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