Forget 2018, or Even 2019 -- What Will Conferences Look Like in 2029?

On this episode of the Thought Talk Podcast, I speak with Bernardo Moya, founder of The Best You EXPO and editor-in-chief of The Best You Magazine.

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Bernardo navigated economic adversity during the 2008–2009 recession by seeking opportunities where others saw obstacles. Today, Bernardo runs Europe’s largest personal development trade fair. In our interview, he discusses the future of conferences and how to get the most out of them.Topics include:

What will conferences look like in 2029?

Moya says that while he believes that live events will be part of the future of conferences, the challenge will be to customize the event experience to each person’s individual requirements. “Moving forward I believe that virtual will play a big part,” says Moya. “I see huge opportunities to engage with people online, even as part of a live conference.” 

For example: 

• You will have the opportunity to instantly download a video, eBook, online presentation, etc., from the company or speaker whose session you are attending live. 
• You will be able to virtually check out what is going on in the various breakout rooms and watch it being livestreamed. 
• You will get to chat with others at the conference via an app even if you are not in the same physical space. 

Preparing to attend conferences so that you get the most benefit.

“The conference will obviously put together a program, a schedule, etc.,” says Moya. “While having a general plan works, if you can come with an open mind, without a pre-established idea of what an event should or shouldn’t be, you will get more out of it.” 

Ultimately the key to a successful conference is to be open to those Aha! moments to see what actually can happen.

How you can do a better job of implementing back home what you learned at the conference. 

One of the things that happen is that people go to conferences, get inspired, learn a lot, and then never implement what they learned. Moya has a curious take on how people can do a better job of actually implementing what they’re learning when they get back home. To start, Moya says there are three types of people who attend conferences: 

• Those who attend a conference out of curiosity but never take any action based on what they learned.   
• Those who have big dreams and attend but don’t necessarily implement what they learn; rather, they keep on procrastinating and putting things on the back burner.
• Those who attend and go out and make it happen. 

Moya believes that the biggest difference between those who go on to take action after a conference and those who don’t is a belief in their own mortality. 

“What happens is that even though we all know that we are mortal, we tend to believe that our mortality is going to come when it’s convenient for us or once we’ve achieved X or Y,” says Moya. “The challenge is to stop procrastinating, understand you are mortal, welcome change, and just go for it.” 

For more from Bernardo Moya, the founder of The Best You EXPO and editor-in-chief of The Best You Magazine, listen to his episode on the Thought Talk Podcast.