Congregation | Purpose | Unconference

What is Congregation?

Three day mind mesh unconference festival of thinking, sharing and connecting.

Celebrating its 10th year, CongRegation™ #cong22 (Nov 25-27), will return as a three day face to face event in Cong Village, Co Mayo, Ireland, with some joining in remotely under the theme of ‘Purpose’.

Understanding the motivations about what we do, why we do it and how to do it can add meaning to our existence and has long tested humanity. This can be an existential question on one level, the constant quest to understand why we are here but having a sense of purpose should guide us in our day to day life from home to work. This build up and is intertwined with some the previous themes and we will dissect this complicated issue and offer shared direction.

One of the key components of CongRegation™ is the diverse background and thinking of attendees and this includes technologists, psychologists, business people, start up community, academics, visionaries, disruptors and sector specific from farming to manufacturing.

Tickets are earned via a submission on the theme which will be debated in virtual huddles on November 26th 2022. Have a read of the 2021 submissions on Leadership.

Draft schedule:

Friday 25th Nov 2022: Night of Purpose Stories | Ashford Castle
Saturday 26th Nov 2022: Unconference |Poetry Open Mic | Sketch Crawl |Cong Village and Zoom
Sunday 27th Nov 2022: Social Event | Cong Woods

Social Venues

CongRegation™ 2022 #cong22 will be physical event in Cong Village with some people also logging in virtually using Zoom. By rotating you from cafes, bookshop, creative spaces to restaurants we hope to mimic the intimacy and authenticity of the best coffee conversations.

Unique Networking

Discuss and share your insights on 'Purpose'. You pay with your insight and are encouraged to share your thoughts on everything ranging from your own personal journey, to industry insights to how ideas are helping shape your sector. We are treating 'Purpose' in its broadest form from psychology, technology, personal experiences to methodology. There are plenty of breaks for people to connect and get to know each other

Mind Mesh

You are guaranteed a day of unforgettable speakers, insights, sight seeing and socializing. Congregation is more than just a conference, it's about connecting people, allowing for non-formal networking and sharing of industry expertise and insights in a relaxed and friendly online atmosphere.

Insightful Speakers

Congregation year to year has hosted some of the worlds greatest minds and achievers. From the inventor of Baileys and author David Gluckman to the founder of Ireland's largest public forum Tom Murphy to the inspirational Gerry Duffy who ran 32 marathons in 32 days.

Movement

Conscious that attendees will be in huddles all day we have lined up some coaching specialists to guide us through some exercises and stretches to keep our bodes limber.

Workshops

Following a full day of sharing and learning new friendships and connections are deepened over virtual poetry open mike and sketch crawl.

Recent Submissions

Earn Your Way In

The submission is a central aspect of CongRegation as its the only way to get a ticket. They are also full of great insights. Browse the latest ones – or if looking for inspiration check out the questions we hope will be answered.

Submit your thoughts on ‘Purpose’ via our online form.

Event Schedule

The schedule at a glance is listed below. Check the program for this year's unconference and learn about the speakers and sessions in store.

Friday 25th | Cong Village

8:00pm

Ashford Castle

All

Improve your drawing skills and wander around Cong Village

Late

#cong21 finish

All

Finishing with a virtual group photo #cong20 will come to an end.

Sunday 27th | Purpose Trip

12:00

Leadership Activities

All

For those staying in Cong we will get you out into the beautiful woodland environment of Cong you will experience some fun activities testing your leadership skills

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Frequently Asked Questions

Check out the FAQs to find the answers to common questions. Can't find your question answered here? Contact us.

1. When will the conference take place?

When will CongRegation™ the conference take place?

CongRegation 2021 will take place on from Nov 27-27th as a face to face event with remote logging in facilitated. Huddles will take place in multiple venues in Cong Village with a special evening in Ashford Castle on Friday and a social activity on Sunday.

Friday – Night of Purpose | Ashford Castle
Saturday – all day unconference | poetry open mike | TBC
Sunday – Social Event | Cong Woods

2. How much does it cost?

How much does it cost?

Tickets for CongRegation™ cannot be purchased but must be earned by a submission on this years theme of ‘Purpose’. Once accepted this submission is posted on the website and included in the post event eBook. The ticket gives access to the full day conference, workshops, music session and social events.

3. How does CongRegation™ work?

How does CongRegation™ work?

Saturday uses an unconference model. Following registration attendees are spilt into 10 different virtual venues, where the chair will moderate the 3 presentations in each ‘Huddle’. Each attendee presents their submission during one of the 4 sessions.

All theses sessions will take place face to face in multiple locations with some joining in via Zoom

4. How can I get a ticket?

How can I get a ticket?

Tickets are allocated subject to the production of a 600 word minimum (no maximum) original article on the theme of “Purpose”. This is submitted through the web application form for consideration. Once approved it will be posted on the website.

The ticket covers.

1 day unconference entry
Teas/coffees and lunch covered
Evening event in Ashford Castle
Social events
Promotion on website and eBook
Adult workshops

Attendees book their own accommodation and travel arrangements..

5. Can I participate virtually?

CongRegation 2022 Online

Taking the lessons from this #cong21 some attendees will be offered the opportunity to participate virtually via zoom. This will take place via laptop/tablets in each huddle.

6. How do I travel to Cong and Accomodation?

How do I get to Cong and where do I stay?

Attendees look after their own accommodation and travel arrangements. Options range from 5 star Ashford Castle to AirBnB with many offering special rates for CongRegation. In previously years people have car pooled and we will support this with shared forms.

Some venues (especially those in the village) are block booked so please call for availability rather than trust online. Places fill out very fast with many already booked for this year. The full list is available here.

7. How does the conference work?

How does the unconference work?

CongRegation uses a hybrid unconference model. Once your submission has been accepted and published, this is your ticket to attend. If participating virtually you will be given a link and password to access the conference. Once you register on the day you will be given a number and a lanyard with instructions on the huddle locations you have been allocated for the day. The huddles are designed according to an algorithm so that in each huddle you will meet 10-12 new people each time.

The day will kick off with a plenary session to orientate everyone to how the sessions will operate. Following this the group will be broken into groups of 10-12 people where the chair will invite three people to talk through their submission. Each huddle will start with a short introduction by each participant followed by an ice breaker. The ice break is a life hack that ranges from philosophies for life to domestic tips. In-between the sessions we will have a special exercise and stretching routine to keep everyone limber. At the end of the day we will also host a virtual poetry open mike and music/art session.

For those participating virtually you do not need a zoom account to participate but having an account will give you access to advanced features.

8. Rules

Guiding Conventions

No self promotion during huddles. (Keep for break out period).
Debate and challenge but be respectful.
Stick to the 15 minutes presentation time.
Keep on theme.
Be succinct.
Earn respect with insight.
Encourage group discussion by all.
Be open minded.
Agree to disagree.
Listen and probe.
Keep personal issues for individual chats

9. How can I participate in the poetry open mike and stand up?

How can I participate in the poetry open mic and sketch crawl?

Attendees can share some original or favourite poems during the 45 minute poetry open mike. Closer to the event we will share the details of the MC who will coordinate the session. During the session the MC will unmute you and you have the stage for a maximum of 5 minutes.

We are planning a quick session with a sketch crawl where we will teach you some fundamental drawing skills, give you the sketch pads nd pencils and give you the space to capture what you see throughout Cong.

Both sessions are high hearted and fast paced.

Sit back with your favourite tipple and enjoy.