About the Search Central Unconference

The Search Central Unconference is an event series where you can meet the community, exchange ideas, and have fun together! There's a global event where anyone can join, as well as region or language specific events.

What is an unconference?

The Unconference is different from most other events. It's about you, not about us. It isn't just for you - it is your event! There are no speakers and no presentations. In particular, the word "Unconference" means that you get to propose sessions, choose which sessions you want to attend and become an active part of. You will shape the event by taking part in brainstorming, discussions, feedback sessions, or any other similar formats that need your input.

This event series started in 2020. We realized there was a need for a more interactive environment, where people could share, brainstorm, and connect. Compared to a typical conference where an audience is learning from presentations, an unconference brings everyone together to talk about a topic. People enjoyed the event, felt heard and included at the event, and found the discussions useful, so we continued to host this style of event in more regions and timezones. In 2022, we expanded it to cover non-English languages. Currently, the event series is virtual only.

And counting...

How does this event work?

The event is a collection of group discussions, and these discussions can take many forms. We've seen brainstorming sessions, feedback collection, case studies, and experience sharing. Each of these discussions will have one or two facilitators (this could be you!), who make sure there is a starting point for a conversation and that there's momentum throughout the session, as well as a chance for everyone to join in.

To keep these discussions manageable and open, each discussion has a limited number of participants and the session will not be recorded.

Facilitators might be Googlers, Product Experts from the community, or other community members. Yes, we are looking at you!

How to find the next event?

For upcoming events, check our event calendar or follow us at @googlesearchc for upcoming events.

Taking part in the event

Facilitate a session

When we announce an event, we'll first open registration to facilitators. To apply to be a facilitator, you will need to propose one (or more) potential session topic. The topic will then be selected and voted. The deadline to submit the topic typically closes before participant registration opens.

Be an active participant

When participant registration opens, you can apply for a spot at the event and vote for the topic or session that you are interested in. We will screen all applications and try to pick a set of participants that is diverse in terms of geography, occupation, expertise, and a range of other demographics, so that the discussions will be insightful and interesting.

The event is free of charge for both facilitators and participants.

Expectations for joining the events

To make this work, we expect facilitators and participants to actively participate in the sessions and follow the Community Guidelines.

For virtual events, facilitators and participants need at least a microphone (and optionally a camera, if available) to join the sessions and discuss with others. Sessions will be held in English or other languages that is specified for each event, so you should be able to speak and understand the language specified reasonably well.

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