So we were in a different location across the country, in a hotel that soared above the city, with about 75 people in attendance (25 or so more than in Portland) – and the end result of FaffCon 2 – Electric Boogaloo – fabulosity.
Seriously, this sharing ideas, experiences and even a few secrets with your working peers has all kinds of consequences:
- Better business methods
- Cool marketing strategies
- Increased technological understanding
- Practical performance ideas
But probably the most important is the feeling of long-term connection with your fellow performers with whom you share much more than the space next to them at a lecture.
While many of us do benefit from more organized conferences in some ways, FaffCon is different in that it is:
“…not VO 101. FaffCon is a participant-driven unconference, by and for working voice over pros. This is talent in the trenches helping each other figure out how to get better at what we do, and make more money doing it.”
People in VO seem more willing to share information than other areas of the performance business, but it is such a great feeling to be able to share your ideas and know that the person listening will actually be able to use the information in a practical and immediate way to improve their business.
As the semi-official photographer for FaffCon, I have posted an album of shots on my Facebook page.
Why “what happens at Faffcon stays at Faffcon?” It would seem that many of us share information we obtain through expensive workshops, conventions or personal, privste contacts that had been developed through the years.
I understand your point J.S. And much of what was discussed is common sense business knowledge that we may or may not already know. Things we simply may not be putting into practice. It may be the kind of information that is occasionally (or even frequently) distributed through message boards or social media, conferences and workshops.
The point of this “cone of silence ” is to encourage a more open exchange of ideas – even if the information is freely available from other sources. Perhaps we will put it into practice more effectively because of the forum – a forum that is not simply a one-way flow of information.
And yes, certainly, we can’t help but pass along specific tidbits to our personal private contacts as the situation arises.
But it seems as though the exchange of what people consider their personal “secrets” is much more freely done when we know that it isn’t being recorded and posted on YouTube.
Some participants may in fact HAVE posted some of their information/advice online prior to the conference, or may end up doing so at a later date.
A silly idea? I dunno – kind of makes it feel like we are part of a special group. Perhaps much like all the other special groups who don’t really have any secrets.
With FaffCon, partially because of the limited size and the way it is so completely participatory, I feel like I have a much larger take away than most conferences.
JS– I understand your comment, and that response is entirely understandable from the perspective of someone who’s never been to FaffCon and is therefore left to assume it’s like other VO conferences and workshops they’ve been to.
The main reason for the confidentiality of FaffCon is because of the leave-your-ego-at-the-door/”keep it real” nature of the event. FaffCon is by no means about recapitulating things we’ve learned in other workshops and classes. It’s about sharing what’s working for each of us personally now, AND sharing openly what’s going wrong so others can help.
A lot of attendees ahare personal, vulnerable stories. If someone were to post something on Facebook like “Great tip! JS Gilbert said his income was down 50% last year because he didn’t realize that he had a -40dB rumble in his studio. He never heard it! After getting his hearing checked in a routine exam, he had a wax removal treatment and was prescribed a small, almost invisible hearing aid. Pro tip: if everyone hears the problem except you, maybe you should get your ears checked!” it would obviously have a chilling effect on the level of sharing next time.
Other people present information at FaffCon that is their intellectual property and for which they typically get paid a lot of money in a different context. So it’s disrespectful to share that, too.
Bottom line: We learned from FaffCon 1 that it’s hard for a lot of people to discern what is cool to share and what is not. So this time we took the What Happens in Vegas route. Overkill? Maybe. But it’s the safest route and I’d rather err on the side of draconian measures so we can continue to attract outstanding, generous talent and enjoy a high level of sharing.