That’s why PhilanthroMedia has spent the past year pioneering what we call Conference Engagement 2.0. Our best test case occurred over the summer and fall of 2009, when the Communications Network engaged us to implement an effort that would increase engagement among attendees at its annual conference, held October 14-16 at the Ford Foundation in NYC.

The goals were to provide: a.) Hands-on experience with Conference 2.0 technologies/approaches that would enable members to better understand how to promote interactivity at their own gatherings. b.) Opportunities for Squad members to interact with their fellow conference attendees, and to network in a productive way. c.) Content that could be used to continue dialogue after the conference was concluded, as well as to involve those who were unable to attend this sold-out gathering.

The experiment was widely lauded as a success and we have since launched components of this approach with OSI-Baltimore and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Want to know how we did it and what we learned? Check out the resources and evaluation materials which the Communications Network has made available here.