After we run a conference, we solicit feedback in a number of ways. We check out blog posts from attendees. We ask attendees to fill out a formal online survey. We email sponsors and speakers to get their views. All this makes the next year’s conference that much better.
We at Zephyr Adventures use a standard five-point scale for all of our conferences (and tours) that is weighted to be difficult – three equals “good”, four equals “very good”, and five equals “outstanding”. The first-ever European Beer Bloggers Conference scored the highest participant rating of any of our conferences -beer, food, wine, or fitness & health – with a 4.59 rating. 72% of respondents rated the conference Outstanding.
Here are just two comments from participants:
- “I had high expectations after reading the line-up. My expectations were completely overwhelmed and the whole weekend was far better than I imagined possible.”
- “Sceptical at first but excellently organised, good content, good bunch of folks, really brought people together. Came away feeling inspired.”
From a sponsor’s perspective, make sure to read this summary from Bad Attitude Brewery in Switzerland. Specifically, he wrote the following about the Live Beer Blogging:
“The meeting ends and now it’s time for my speed dating (Live Blogging) event. Five minutes to explain my beer, my brewery, my philosophy. And in English, too!! What will I say? All of a sudden I don’t feel so confident – I feel like an idiot. What if I brought the wrong beer? Was I wrong in bringing a UK-inspired porter (our TwoPenny) to an English beer event? A beer that has been brewed intentionally out of style, too! What if they hate it?
Then I decide to just go with the flow and speak about me, about Switzerland, Italy, Bad Attitude and our philosophy. And my difficulties with the language sound fitting, in a way – our TwoPenny is just as out of style as my weird way of speaking English. I interpret a style in my own personal way as a manner of expressing something about myself. Brewing a Porter in perfect style would only result in mimicking someone else’s work: in brewing out of style I want to claim my own difference and distinctiveness.
The result is a total success. Everyone is in love with our TwoPenny. Speed dating was tough but very fun and rewarding. And hearing an English man praising your own beer as the best of the lot, even if it’s out of style, even if you described it in a lousy English, well – it’s priceless. I am thrilled.”
To give you a better idea of the conference, we’ll post this unofficial summary video of Day 2 of the European Beer Bloggers Conference, created by Nathan at Mr. Drink ‘n’ Eat. This is a high-quality production that perfectly captures the mood of the conference. If you are in North America and have not yet signed up for the August 19-21 conference in Portland, don’t miss it!