I was fortunate enough to attend a social media conference on Wednesday, but I have to say – I was a little disappointed. It seemed like the majority of the speakers were only present to promote their own websites or companies. There were a few good speakers, but, for the part, I was disappointed and don’t really feel like I learned much.

How could this conference be improved, and what lessons can small staff associations learn from this?

For one thing, all speakers (except panel discussions) were limited to just 10 minutes. Ten minutes may be sufficient time for one speaker, but not for another. I think the schedule and line-up could have been more carefully thought out to reflect each individual’s strengths.

Please, provide good coffee. This may sound like a minor thing, but I heard more than one complaint about the quality of the java at Wednesday’s event. For better or for worse, a lot of people (myself included) rely on a daily dose of caffeine.

Encourage speakers to focus not on the background of their business, but on their future plans. It was interesting to hear some of the stories, but I would have preferred a more forward-thinking approach from these speakers. I wanted to know their future plans and how they thought social media would affect their businesses in the coming months and years.

Plan to have a strong wifi signal and make sure your venue has adequate 3G service. My iPhone had sketchy service at best throughout the day, and even my MacBook had trouble connecting to the Internet. I was almost unable to do the little work I needed to get done at the conference, and tweeting and taking notes on my phone was extremely difficult. Even if you don’t think your audience will be tech-savvy, be sure they can connect to the Internet. And try to have your event in a venue with outlets!

What practical advice for conference planning can you share?