“Besides,” this person added. “I can just listen to the sessions when they’re published.”

I loved the challenge to consider what makes PAB an incredible conference.  I’m sure others in the PAB community have their own thoughts.  (Feel free to share them in the comments to this post, or post your own thoughts)

SIZE MATTERS

One of the early hypotheses adopted for PAB is that the impact of an individual’s experience is inversely proportional to the number of people gathered.  That’s to say, the smaller the conference, the better the experience.  PAB is the only social media conference we know of that is structured around a small capacity.  This bakes in the possibility that everyone will have a chance to meet, if not connect with, everyone else at the conference.

PUTTING THE PROGRAM BACK INTO CONFERENCES

We’ve heard far too many people say that conference programs are meaningless to them so they spend their time in the hallways socializing.  We have nothing against socializing at conferences and believe that there should be ample time to do so built into the program (at PAB, we allocate 15 minutes of each hour to socializing).  Socializing, though, can happen anytime and anywhere — you don’t need a conference (fee or free) to bring people together to socialize.

Bob and I strongly believe that a worthwhile conference has a meaningful and engaging program.  We put most of our time and energy into making sure that each PAB has a program worthy of other people’s time, energy and money.

COMMON EXPERIENCE

PAB’s one-room, one-track program means that everyone who attends gets to experience the same speakers, same sessions and same ideas.  There are no difficult decisions to make on which sessions to sacrifice to be in the audience of a particular session.  Everyone can participate in the common conversation about program content throughout the weekend and after the conference wraps up.  The opinions and interpretations are all unique and that brings extraordinary value to the “one-tent” approach.

HOUSE GUESTS

Bob and I decided to craft the experience of PABsters being guests of a home.  This means we act as hosts, working hard to ensure that everyone is made to feel welcome.  We do the fussy stuff, operate the sound system, help speakers connect their equipment, introduce them and run the microphones around during the interactive part of the program.  Our guests can sit back, relax and enjoy the weekend.  Based on feedback from previous years, we enlisted the help of five people this year to serve as Ambassadors, making sure that PAB newcomers were made to feel welcome and that anyone looking lost, lonely or confused would be helped.

The couches and round tables helped, too.

RE-ENERGIZING LUNCH

In order to keep the program moving and to make sure that the community has the physical and cerebral energy to keep going during the Saturday afternoon, we’ve always made sure to provide a good lunch.  We’ve kept people at the conference site by offering a fantastic buffet each year.  Lunch includes options for the vegan and meat sets, and a great dessert table.

I’M ON A BOAT!

The annual boat cruise has been a highlight of the social part of the program.  Nothing brings people together like being out on scenic Lake Ontario for two hours.  For the last two years, we’ve included an open-mic on the main level of the two-storey boat.  Partners and family members of the PAB community are invited to join us on the boat cruise at no charge.

SECOND TIER

With the exception of PAB06 (our inaugural year), the PAB program has steered away from the basics of recording, publishing and distributing content.  We’ve worked hard to make sure the program offers opportunities for new media and social media enthusiasts and professionals to think differently about the tools and how to use them.  The hope is to challenge the community to do something new.

Newcomers are reminded that there’s a room full of people with podcasting experience and favourite tools and toys, all of whom are eager to share their ideas over a coffee or beer.  It’s not the equipment you use or how you use it, it’s what you want to communicate and how you communicate it that matters most.

MMMMONEY

Money was an unwelcome discussion topic for the first three years of PAB.  This was largely for two reasons.  First, making money from new media and social media should be an advantage, not a catalyst.  That is, producers should focus on doing something remarkable, then figure out if there are opportunities to make money.  Second, and more importantly, we believe that new media and social media were not at a mature enough state to have a meaningful conversation about money, monetization and business models until this year.  PAB09 was the first year in which money was programmed into the discussion — and the dialog was definitely productive and respectful.

CAMPFIRE DISCUSSIONS

I hadn’t considered this until Adam Gratrix mentioned it during his recent appearance on John Meadows’ On The Log podcast.  Adam pointed out that the original idea for PAB was to meet at a campground and to share ideas around a campfire.  The magic of PAB, according to Adam, is that the community has managed to transplant that campfire conversation from the outdoors to a conference room.

BEING THERE

We often hear from people who are thankful that we publish the content of each PAB as audio programs in the months following each conference.  We do this to help advance the conversation and provide added value for the community.  Anyone who believes they’re attending a conference by watching or listening to the verbatim content from the program is only cheating themselves.  It’s the experience of being present for the sessions, discussion and socializing that makes the conference a reality.

HAS ITS OWN PLACE

Among the feedback we received so far about PAB09 is the comment from one person that PAB is what this person had hoped Mesh would be.  That kind of feedback reinforces the value of PAB and makes it okay that Bob and I volunteer hundreds of hours each into planning and running each PAB conference.

Really, we never created PAB to compete with other conferences.  Our goal is to hold an annual conference that fills a void left by, even augments, the other conferences.

PAB IS ABOUT NOT SETTLING

It becomes comfortable planning PAB on a solid foundation each year.  With the exception of PAB06 (our first year and the most risky of all of them — just organizing a conference), we’ve been able to tweak and refine the conference approach each year and build on the previous year’s success.  When things become rhythmic and comfortable, people will settle.

PAB is about trying new things, exploring new ideas and making things more engaging.  PAB is about figuring what the limits are and how to get beyond them.  We must practice what we promote by constantly improving.  That’s why we made the decision to move PAB to Ottawa, and to shake things up a bit.  We’ll still work from the same foundation; it’s just time to test its strength.

While we may have conceived it and taken the reins PAB is a community event.  We value that the community trusts us with this event and providing direction.  Perhaps that’s the most unique component of PAB.

YOUR TURN

What makes PAB unique for you?

Oh yeah! We take a group photo each year. (photo: Bob Goyetche)

As part of my session, I had the entire room participate in adopting a Curiosity Manifesto:

1. Asking one question is only the beginning.
2. Seek a greater understanding, not a solution.
3. A curious attitude will set you free.

I will be blogging about PAB09 in the coming days.

This marks the first time PAB has had a taste associated with it.  Which means that you can enjoy PAB all year round and show your appreciation to Molson at the same time.

The PAB09 program begins tomorrow with a video workshop from 2:00-4:00pm, and the kick-off and keynote speech by Jowi Taylor at 8:00pm.  There’s still space so register and be a part of Canada’s premiere new media conference.

That photo makes me want to have a cold beer!

Award winning radio producer, writer and host, Jowi Taylor will be kicking off PAB2009.  This will be the first keynote presentation at Podcasters Across Borders since Shelagh Rogers opened our inaugural conference in 2006.

During his years with CBC Radio, Jowi hosted the long-running and multiple award-winning program “Global Village”. He was the host, writer, co-creator and co-producer of the incredible documentary series The Wire — which won the 2005 Peabody Award, the 2005 Prix Italia and the 2005 Director’s Choice Award at the Third Coast Audio Festival — and the follow-up series, The Nerve: Music & the Human Experience, which aired on CBC Radio’s Inside the Music

In addition to his radio work, Jowi is the force behind Six String Nation, a project in which a guitar was made using 63 pieces of history and heritage from every part of Canada representing many different cultures, communities and characters from across the country. The guitar has traveled the country, being played in homes, bars, concert halls and at festivals by everyone from guitar hacks to well-known musicians including Bruce Cockburn, Colin James, Feist, Jane Siberry and The Mighty Popo.  Our very own PABster, Sean McGaughey, has also had the privilege to play the 6SN guitar.

Click here to register for PAB2009 while space is still available.

First up, the theme… Outside-in: Learning from beyond the fishbowl.  The concept behind this theme is to evolve the conversation from being inside the fishbowl to drawing on skills, communications styles, experiences, innovations and people from outside of the social media and new media communities.  We want our program to energize, motivate and advance the community.  ANYONE interested in submitting a speaking or JOLT proposal within this theme should click here and read the details in the post.  Like last year, we’re asking speakers to model their sessions on the TEDtalks.

Second… as of this moment, you can register for PAB2009 at the early registration rate of $120/person.  This rate is available until midnight on December 31 or if we reach capacity of 120 people, whichever comes first.  Beginning January 1, 2009, registration becomes $150/person.  ANYONE interested in attending is invited to register and be a part of an amazing community and an incredible event.

Finally… this year you can reserve your hotel room online.  The Holiday Inn is in the process of renovating all of its hotel rooms so, by the time the conference begins, the hotel will have made the shift from the 1970s to the 2000s.  Remember to reserve your hotel room at the conference rate of $160/night (plus taxes and parking) while rooms are still available.  Rooms have two double beds and complimentary high-speed Internet access.

Don’t forget, PAB is promoted through word-of-mouth.  Help spread the word!