The first Conferences That Work peer conference held in Japan began today! Federation EIL, the worldwide network of The Experiment in International Living (EIL), is running the five-day event. Founded in 1932, EIL was one of the first organizations to engage individuals in intercultural living and learning. Originating in the United States, The Experiment introduced the homestay concept to the world. The organization carefully prepares and places “Experimenters” in the homes of host families to study other languages and cultures firsthand.
This is the third year that Federation EIL has used the Conferences That Work format for its annual member meeting. The first meeting, held in Paris, France in April 2010, was disrupted by the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull Icelandic volcano which caused 75% of European flights to be canceled and prevented half the registrants from attending. Federation EIL staff told me recently that had they been using a conventional conference design, they would have cancelled the event because of so many absent speakers. But the Conferences That Work design “routed around the damage” and the event was a success!
I’m happy that we’ve held a Conferences That Work event in Japan, and hope that there will be many more in the future.