f your user group has used the same meeting format forever why not change the pace. There are some alternatives to the one or two speakers with long presentations.
An Expert Panel
One of the most common formats after standard long presentation.
Variations include debates (both serious & comic) , Question & Answer sessions or some combination of both.
Example of an event in Melbourne that has used this format.
Small Workgroup Discussions
After an initial presentation the facilitator divides the room into groups of five and has them discuss an issue or topic related to the presentation. After a predetermined time the groups report on there conclusions to the room as a whole.
Examples of events in Melbourne that have used this format
Many Short Presentations
These short presentation formats are quite popular with many groups in Melbourne and around the world.
There are several different short presentation formats, as well as being distinguished by different durations some format such as
Ignite and
Pecha Kucha Nights have different restrictions on the use of presentation slides.
Lightning Talks - 5 minute talks
examples of events in Melbourne that have used this format
Ignite - 5 minutes
talks - 20 slides x 15 seconds
example of an event in Melbourne that has used this format
Pecha Kucha Nights 6:40 minute talks - 20 slides x 20 seconds
Popular in design and creative fields
example of an event in Melbourne that has used this format
Grok Talks - 10 minute talks
Popular at TechEd
15 minute Talks
Examples of events in Melbourne that have used this format
Why Would You Want to Hear a Lightning Talk?
People will come to a lightning talk when they wouldn't come to a long talk on the same subject. The risk for the attendees is smaller: If the talk turns out to be dull, or if the person giving the talk turns out to be a really bad speaker, well, at least it's over in five minutes. With lightning talks, you're never stuck in some boring lecture for forty-five minutes.
Learning Games
Has broad appeal. Can be used in
and many other learning games
Example of an event in Melbourne that has used this format
Problems and Exercises
Popular with technical audiences.
Small groups collaboratively work through a series of exercises designed to increase their skill level.
These problems can not only be used to increase technical skills but also with process skills such as e.g. Test Driven Development or Pair Programming.
Examples of these types of problems.
Example of an event in Melbourne that has used this format.
Study Group
Attendees help each other with projects and problem faced outside the group.
Example of an event in Melbourne that has used this format.
Book Club
Presented review combined with group discussion and analysis of a different book each month
Example of an event in Melbourne that has used this format.
Live Demonstration
Demonstration of a technology or technique often adapted on the fly using suggestion from the attendees.
Popular with technical audiences.
Examples of events in Melbourne that have used this format.
The most radical format I have heard of is
Speed Geeking
Once proceedings start, the audience splits up into groups and each group goes to one of the presenters. Presenters have a short duration, usually 5 minutes, to give their presentation and answer questions. At the end of the five minutes, the facilitator rings a bell. At this point, each group moves over to the presenter to their right and the timer starts once more. The session ends when every group has attended all the presentations.
I have never seen it applied in Melbourne.
Hackathon
When programmers meet to do collaborative computer programming often as either a community project or as part of a competition.
Example of an event in Melbourne that has used this format.
Installfests
Gathering for mass installations of computer operating systems or software. Often this is either part of open source advocacy or a vendor using the community / express versions of newly release to help drive awareness of there product.
Example of an event in Melbourne that has used this format.
Unconference
Facilitated, participant-driven conference centered around a theme or purpose. Many of the techniques used in these events were developed by Harrison Owen under the name of
Open Space Technology in the mid 1980's.
Examples of events in Melbourne that have used this format.
Quiz Night
Generally a fun activity.
his was a great first meeting for the Mobility SIG.
ean Tabaka agile coach and author of 
or a while now I have had some strategies in place to manage the constant flow of emails.
he event was well attended with 40-50 people showing up. The topic was the BABOK 2.0 (a Body of Knowledge guide for the Business Analysis profession). It was released this March by IIBA. The speaker Dr. Paul Nash characterized the new BABOK as simpler and more general than the previous version (BABOK 1.6).
ust got back from the ACS Victorian Branch Conference.