Getting the schedule right

Revise

In the two years we have been at Sydney Convention Centre, we've used pretty much the same schedule: hour long keynotes at the opening and close of each day, sandwiching 4 x 50 minute sessions (over 3 tracks) throughout the day. Starting at 9am, finishing at 5.15.

I've always felt this has a nice simplicity and symmetry that I find appealing. But I also have a nagging sense that we could experiment with mixing it up a bit somehow.

Last year we tried long 2 hour panels on JavaScript Libraries and Backend Frameworks. What did people think of these? Are there other topics we could treat similarly?

Are there topics that would go well in shorted sessions, and how could we make this work?

Starting earlier? Going later?

All ideas welcome.

Idea # 7Other

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The javascript session - rocked. I would have put this up against other 2 hour sessions however so to reduce the change over etc half why through

We would consider this, though it means we'd need to come up with two topics (for both of the other two simultaneous tracks) that were both amenable to a two hour treatment.

Was the changeover really disruptive? I thought people appreciated the 5 minute break. Maybe another solution might actually be to encourage the moderator to have an official 5 minute break to happen at the same time as the between session breaks going on in the other tracks. Would hat have solved the problem?

I agree the panel sessions rocked, but I felt the two-hour format was a bit long. From my perspective, the panels didn’t really get going until the second hour. With a more constrained timeframe, panelists would need to dive right in and make their points more briskly, and I feel it would lift the entire experience.

Start 10 or 15 minutes earlier and end 10 or 15 minutes later. Not to have more sessions or make them longer, but to make the breaks in between them a few minutes longer.

So you can get a drink of water, coffee if you get the cart/s, take a walk or toilet break. But most to interact with other attendees, while the last presentation is

Don't know what happened to my last comment. It was supposed to read

But most of all to interact with other attendees, while the last presentation is still fresh in their mind. I find this is where I get the most value from WDS, bouncing ideas/theories/concepts/problems with my peers.

There are plenty of topics that would make shorter sessions. I could mention sessions from previous WDSs that could of been done in half the allocated time.

It is a more work to compress a talk in 25 minutes, than it does to stretch it out to 45 minutes.

That said I who find it easier to present a CSS tips and trick session in 25 minutes than, 45 minutes. Example, quick explanation, the code, further reference, next ....

45 mins at that pace would wear me out

Been thinking on this one.

It's a hard call.

A 90 minute session with three concurrent shootouts would be good on one afternoon

On the other why not try 3 x 30 minute sessions (25 minutes + 5 minutes question time) making up 90 minutes but run these as 3 concurrent blocks so you have 9 presentations happening in that space. 4 streams that's 12 speakers up in that space. This is especially useful for locals.

These can be as Nick pointed out short and sharp "How to" or just very practical tips sessions etc to uber advanced techniques. Personally 25 minutes is usually a snap to fill.

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