What happened at the unconference experience in 2026

Dave Denniston, host of the Leadership in Land podcast and organizer of the Land Unconference, reflects on the July 2026 unconference event held in Minnesota. After experiencing burnout from the August 2025 event, Denniston had announced he wouldn't hold another event in the same format, but changed his mind and decided to organize a smaller, less rigidly planned gathering in July 2026.

The event was designed with flexibility in mind—Denniston intentionally avoided extensive pre-planning, deciding instead to create a hybrid format combining morning panel discussions and roundtable conversations with afternoon experiential activities. Originally planned to include canoeing on the St. Croix River, the event had to pivot due to wildfires and smoke from Canadian fires affecting Minnesota air quality. The team adapted by hosting activities at the office and moved the outdoor component to Pinstripes, which offers bowling and bocce ball, while still incorporating a Minnesota staple: Juicy Lucy burgers (burgers with cheese inside rather than on top).

Attendees included both first-time participants and returning conference veterans, with approximately 25 people total including staff. New attendees like Anne and Mary Danielson from Wisconsin/Colorado and Kirk Peart and Corinne Stanek from Florida expressed initial uncertainty but reported enjoying the intimate setting, quality of conversations, and diverse group of land investors. JT Olmsted, a returning attendee, highlighted that the unconference format's key differentiator is its focus on participant collaboration rather than speaker presentations.

Participants praised the smaller group size, depth of content (including an AI panel discussion), honest and open community atmosphere, and lack of sales pressure. Returning attendees emphasized the value of the community and their commitment to attending annually. Denniston expressed gratitude for attendees despite the event not reaching his originally intended size, noting that the smaller format resulted in meaningful relationships and positive memories. He announced plans for future events, including a potential fishing trip to Canada in 2027 and a return to the traditional 50-60 person unconference format, inviting interested parties to apply at landunconference.com.