• by Seth Burstein
• Dec 08, 2017
• experiential marketing, event planning, event planners, event professionals, unconference

The Haute Dokimazo (HD) team of Liz Lathan, Nicole Osibodu, and Tom Spano have done it again – hosting another epic event industry “un-conference.” Our second time participating, the Dec 4-5 event was in sunny (yet surprisingly chilly) San Diego. Yet despite the seemingly unseasonably cold weather, everything about the event was haute, haute, haute! 

Unlike the inaugural Austin event which spanned a single day, this go-round was a two-day event, affording the group extra time to meet and mingle in the sessions, during meals and breaks, and over cocktails. The event kicked off with an informal buffet lunch at a downtown restaurant, followed by group pedicab rides (a fun and novel transportation choice) to the New Children’s Museum, our event venue. Consistent with HD’s unconventional approach, the traditional general session and breakout formula was deconstructed and reimagined as a series of informal small-group sessions facilitated by one-to-two peers. Discussion topics were suggested in advance, and conversations evolved organically. 

My co-founder Ian Framson helped lead a small group session on new technology shaping the event landscape – a session held in the museum’s sandbox play space. Thirty participants packed the small dimly lit room, with many choosing to remove their shoes and sit in a circle, barefoot toes buried in sand. Many shared stories of recent experiential activations, covering the use of laser and 8K video projectors, WiFi splash pages, Crowd Mics, AR, VR, and more obscure one-off social media integrations that don’t yet have fancy acronyms. 

I found the event was a great mix of “repeat offenders” (aka – folks that attended the first HD event) and first-time attendees. Much like the first Haute Dokimazo, I was impressed with the level of experience that attendees brought to the table. Participants were well spoken, and all had real life event planning or supplier-side experience, leading to lively discussions and some really cool ideas. Some of the sessions were somewhat scripted, but most were entirely freeform, and all had valuable takeaways. 

But it wasn’t just in the sessions where the learning and connections happened. The numerous meals and snack breaks often led to engaging conversations – sometimes with people of similar backgrounds, sometimes with clients or prospects, sometimes with people I’d never interact with in my day-to-day activities, but could share their perspective on the event industry or life in general. I found myself swapping my favorite Audible audio books with another attendee. One of my break time discussions with two other attendees was so engaging, it sailed right through the next session and into the following break, ending with plans for a future surf vacation together. 

Kudos to Liz, Nicole, and Tom for creating another engaging, informative, and fun event – this Hautee is hooked!