Last week I began a top ten list of reasons you should plan to attend our inaugural Accordance Users’ Conference outside of Dallas on September 24-25. Here again are reasons number 9 and 10, along with reason number 8:
10. Hang Out with Other Accordance Users: See here for more.
9. Get to Know Accordance Developers: See here for more.
8. Go Light or Heavy: Whenever we do a one day Accordance training seminar, we ask the attendees to give us their feedback on what they liked and what we could do better. The one thing we’re consistently asked to do better is to focus more on the needs of two distinct groups of users. You see, the beginning users feel like the morning sessions covering the basics are very helpful, but that the later sessions on Greek and Hebrew are beyond them. Meanwhile, the power users wish we would spend less time on the basics and go deeper into the heavy stuff. In trying to meet the needs of both these groups at the same time, we inevitably leave them both wanting for just a little bit more.
The Users’ Conference will therefore be split between a “Light” and a “Heavy” track. So whether you’re a serious scholar wanting to learn how to develop complex construct searches, or a brand new user wanting to learn Bible study basics, you’ll be able to choose the session “track” which is right for you.
The “Light” track will cover the basics with sessions like “Setting Up Custom Workspaces” and “How to Research a Theological Question,” as well as hands-on workshops on “Sermon Prep,” “Inductive Bible Study,” and using “Graphical Resources” like the Atlas, Timeline, and PhotoGuide.
The “Heavy” track will focus more on language students, scholars, and power users. It features sessions on getting more out of your commentaries, automating your Accordance workflow, and “Using Accordance in Scrolls Research.” “Heavy” track workshops will provide hands-on instruction in “Original Languages,” using the “Construct Window,” and using our upcoming “Syntax” features.
Unlike our training seminars, which have to cover a broad range of topics for a broad range of users, the Users’ Conference is designed to be more focused on your individual needs and questions. It will be more interactive and personalized than the seminar format allows, so even if you’ve been to a half-dozen seminars, you won’t want to miss the Users’ Conference.
I’ve now given you three good reasons to attend the User’s Conference. Look for the other seven in upcoming posts, and be sure to pre-register before the price goes up.