The AMICAL unconference was launched in 2014 and has since been a key part of the AMICAL experience.

What is an unconference?

It is an informal set of sessions where you, the participant, decide on the agenda, mainly focused on discussion and idea exchange.

Why an unconference?

When attending a conference like AMICAL, you reconnect with old colleagues or meet new ones. When people talk to each other during a break, over lunch or on the bus to the hotel, they come up with ideas, questions and common interests they want to explore further and share with the rest of the Conference participants in search for common ground. The unconference gives you the opportunity to share your idea for a cool practice, a discussion or exploration of a topic and gather a group of people who share the same interest right there, before leaving the Conference.

Do I need a presentation?

No. Unconference sessions can be simple group discussions or hands-on workshops. You don’t even need a slide deck. A session with just two people is fine. Great ideas can come out of small, informal discussions and people always appreciate learning something new. There is no critical mass for inspiration! When facilitating an unconference session, make sure you allow and encourage everyone to feel free to join in late or leave if they want to check out other sessions too.

How does it work?

Add your idea to the AMICAL 2016 unconference online document. You also have to pitch your idea in one minute, on Saturday, after the morning keynote. All unconference ideas will be available online for voting and the ones that generate interest will be added to the schedule, which will become available during the break leading to the unconference session.

So, what would you like to share? Let’s talk about it!