A community with standards is not a trade show pretending to be a community.

distinction — attributed to Laurie Kirby

Trade shows monetize floor space and call the resulting traffic community. Real communities have a curatorial spine and the willingness to say no. The test is whether the gatekeeper will turn down a sponsor whose audience is wrong, or a speaker whose ideas are stale, or an exhibitor whose presence would dilute the room. If the gatekeeper will not, it is a trade show with a community marketing line. The standards make the community. The willingness to enforce them makes the standards.

For convening founders deciding what to say yes and no to in year two.

curation, community, gatekeeping, standards