On the KM-community

In his impressions of last weeks KM in Europe conference in Amsterdam (presentations now on-line for download) Martin Dugage, (weblog Mopsos) writes:

The network of KM professionals is quite active. This community is likely to use the most advanced networking tools available, and many have their own weblogs (« K-logs »). The bonds created across borders of country, language and organizations are quite amazing. Everybody knows everybody.

That coincides with my own feeling about this conference. Next to the bloggers, the KnowledgeBoard community added to this effect as well. It created a good mix of familiar faces and new people to meet.

I think conference organisers would do good to realise that by making free space for 'fringe-events' like the meetings of KnowledgeBoard, or like a Knowledge-Café by David Gurteen, or a bloggers meetup and start seeking out and inviting these initiatives (not organise them themselves) they will be able to both add value to the conference and boost visitor numbers, who will then probably go on and pay for other parts of the conference. The Edinburgh Festival calls itself Fringe not for nothing.