An un-conference?!

I hope you’ve booked your seat at the forthcoming ABA conference, which is not to be missed this year (I’m a bit past it now, but I’ve attended plenty of them in my time.) I was intrigued recently, however, to hear of a new concept – the unconference. The Yarra Plenty Regional Library has apparently just completed one. The idea (and it does seem rather attractive) is to embrace those parts of conferences that people actually enjoy, i.e. the drinkies, chatter and networking, and do away with dull presentations and keynote addresses. ‘An unconference is just that—a whole Powerpoint-free zone,’ library CEO Christine Mackenzie proudly told Australian Library News. ‘You don’t get talked at—you are part of the conversation … It took just 12 minutes to compile the program.’ Sounds like my kind of event. Now, could someone please invent an un-awards ceremony?