Ponder this:

70+ people invited after submitting 300-word proposals to present 20 minutes (basically a TED Talk) on something related to the announced conference theme. People from 23 countries come to Mansfield College, Oxford, rooming in the dorm.

Those presentations grouped into “pods” of 3 speakers + good time for Q&A. We are encouraged to propose questions relevant to all 3 speakers in the session.

Break for tea or a meal, rinse, repeat for 3 days. (Frequently there are parallel sessions.) We all have the book of abstracts, so we can choose relevant “pods” to attend.

EVERYONE ATTENDING IS AN EXPERT. Or no one is an expert. The point is, no hierarchy is assumed–or even tolerated.

“Brilliant!” As the Brits say!