Charlie Bernstein

Recent Activity

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  Charlie commented on the article | over 2 years ago

  The Conference Is Dead (...Does Anyone Care?)

  PS -

  
  

  That's not to say that fundraising is bad. It's good. And we're pretty good at it. But painting the idea of conferences with the Evil brush says more about your own experience than it does about the usefulness of getting people into one same room.

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  Charlie commented on the article | over 2 years ago

  The Conference Is Dead (...Does Anyone Care?)

  Be fair, Angela! We're putting on a conference in about three weeks, and it's costing us money. In fact, we've never hosted a conference that didn't cost us money to produce. Far from running them as a business, we're a nonprofit, and we use them to advance our mission. We do bring in a few dollars through sponsorships and reservations, but never as much as organizing them costs.

  
  

  And - get rid of inspiring speakers? Get rid of all the ways we build in for people to talk with each other (what Whittemore techily calls "networking breaks") and learn and get to know each other? That defeats the entire purpose of getting together.

  
  

  Bad organizers organize bad events. Good organizers organize good events. If the streudel is no good, don't blame all the streudels in the world. Blame the baker.