Field Notes Inside an Integrated Communications Agency

The Good

Metaliq , the new promoters and organizers of Flashforward 2008 had the courage to shake things up.  They gave the conference a strong theme.  They chose a great city. They added inspirational speakers from outside the community, and found great speakers from within the community. The event was smooth, well planned, and seamless.

I really enjoyed the raffles, the speaker slam, and the Thursday night after party. I loved Miha Pogacnik's keynote and was surprised how much of Jamy Iam Smith 's presentation carried over to Flash design.  Craig Swan , Robert Hogin , Jared Ficklin, and Erik Natzke were inspirational.

The Bad

Not all their risks and changes were for the better. Changing from a four track program to a one track program eliminated all choice. Next time I would appreciate at least two tracks.

The Ugly

The great speakers like Craig Swan and Paul Ortchanian were not permitted enough time to thoroughly talk about their subjects and show examples. The speakers seemed frustrated and the audience missed the inspirational work that these people do.

Additionally, the elimination of Q&A time make the conference a one way conversation. Q&A adds to the collaborative and interactive magic of the event and puts conference goers in touch with the leaders in the industry. I felt frustrated sitting in the dark, in an uncomfortable chair, without a good place for my laptop, watching the host get to have a conversation with the speakers.

The Bottom Line

A valiant first effort. The bad and ugly can be easily fixed. Metaliq seems to have good instincts about speakers and seems to understand the community. I look forward to next year, but will look for some changes to the format before I buy my ticket.