Being in the High Tech PR world there is never a shortage of events and industry conferences to attend, especially in the Hub with its growing innovation community. Having said that, there is nothing quite like the ultimate brain-trust that is the MassTLC unConference, which took place last Friday at the Hynes. As first time attendees we weren’t exactly sure what we were walking into but we were more than sure that at the end of the day we were walking out of an invaluable experience.
As young professionals we can’t say there are many instances that we get to sit in a room and have an engaging discussion on company values with esteemed entrepreneurs like Katie Rae and Mark Guadagnoli, or get personalized pitch advice from Scott Kirsner and Michael Morisy. But that’s the beauty of unConference, office politics don’t exist and CEOs are on the same level as a Northeastern student. The point of this unstructured structure? To make a better company, a better Boston, a better innovation community.
From the town hall style presentation of discussion topics to the conversational and open style of each session, unConference creates an atmosphere that is ideal for getting down to what attendees really want to learn and discuss. Rather than sit in a theater style setting and listen to an hour-long PowerPoint prepared keynote, participants were able to mold the sessions into conversations they found meaningful and simultaneously get tailored advice from industry pros they might not normally get at your run-of-the-mill conference.
That’s the best part about the unConference in Boston – there really is no other “conference” like it. Packed to the walls with entrepreneurs, business owners, reporters, analysts and students, MassTLC’s unConference provides you with a unique experience in which you can meet and greet just about the entire Boston tech community in one day.
Here’s a brief recap from BostInno, highlighting the standout discussions and mentors throughout the day. Between the people you meet, the dialogues you have between others, and the free food and beer, this event is without a doubt a keeper in our book.
For more on CHEN’s experience at the 2013 unConference you can check out the MassTLC recap here.
-Shannon & Kayla