The Big Omaha experience

Photo by Malone & Company Photography. It’s very easy to get caught up in the names of people who are speaking at a conference like Big Omaha. Today, however, I want to take a step back, and describe the experience of the event. When we started planning the first Big Omaha over a year and…

Photo by Malone & Company Photography.

It’s very easy to get caught up in the names of people who are speaking at a conference like Big Omaha. Today, however, I want to take a step back, and describe the experience of the event.

When we started planning the first Big Omaha over a year and a half ago, we knew we wanted to create a unique and memorable experience for attendees. How do you feel when you’re there? What do you interact with? Who do you meet? Is the environment pleasing and fun? Is it remarkable?

A few things that make Big Omaha more than just about the names of the speakers on the lineup:

  • Unique venue – Held at KANEKO, one of the most creative, interesting, and thought-provoking venues in the city. This isn’t the your typical conference venue.
  • Experiential elements – Art installations, interactive displays, and other things which promote interaction with the space and other attendees. Oh, and there’s a DJ.
  • Interaction – A huge focus for the entire event is around getting people to interact. Parties, lunches, happy hours, breaks – all exist so that people can mingle, meet, and interact.
  • Fun – When did you last have Fruit Rollups and Starbursts (photo above) at a conference? How about signs that read If you’re reading this, you’re at Big Omaha?
  • Attention to detail – We go to painstaking lengths to ensure everyone has a great experience. Example: We extensively butt-test the chairs to ensure they’re the most comfortable we can find.

Photo by Malone & Company Photography.

I think sometimes we get too obsessed with the idea of chasing names (we’re as guilty of it as anyone), and we lose track of how Big Omaha made us feel. The excitement that people felt after walking away from the conference last year was the reason why we wanted to do it all over again.

Attendees shared their experience on their personal and work blogs:

Big Omaha wasn’t just a conference to me, it was a wake-up call that you don’t necessarily have to be in San Francisco to drink tea, tweet and create the next web innovation that impacts the world. Omaha has a community of like-minded thinkers waiting to welcome you.

– Tawheed Kader, tawheedkader.com

Big Omaha wasn’t just about Omaha. It was about taking your passion and turning it into everyone’s passion. From the people of Omaha themselves to the many visitors from around the country, it seemed like just about everybody was ready to up and move to Omaha by the time Friday night rolled around.

– Deep Bench Strategies, deepbenchstrategies.com

That feeling wasn’t about the people on the stage. That was about the people in the audience.

Photo by Malone & Company Photography.

That’s the experience that we want people to take away from Big Omaha, and this year will be no different. We want you to walk away and be jazzed, motivated, enlightened, excited, and empowered. I know it happened last year, it’s our sincere hope that it happens again this year, and we’re doing everything in our power to see to it that it does.

Did you have a great experience last year? Share your thoughts in a comment below.

And if you haven’t registered for Big Omaha, we encourage you to do so today. Visit bigomaha.eventbrite.com.

This story is part of the AIM Archive

This story is part of the AIM Institute Archive on Silicon Prairie News. AIM gifted SPN to the Nebraska Journalism Trust in January 2023. Learn more about SPN’s origin »

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