All this collaboration and social stuff sounds good, but will people really participate, to make the investment in social media tools worth it?

Absolutely.

What if we invited interested people to contribute potential topics and suggest speakers for an upcoming conference?

What if, once topics and speakers were chosen for a conference, the community could express their concerns and questions to speakers--before the conference?

What if conference attendees and those unable to attend could see th qustions and answers form speakers.

Benefits All Around 

First, having all material in one place, on a wiki, where all interested parties can find everything, correct, and add content does not cost a lot. And you won’t believe the time savings when you tell speakers, organizers, and others involved in the show to just “put it on the wiki.” Participants then get accurate, up-to-date information.

Plus, we have learned from FaceBook and MySpace that people love to share their knowledge, and often they know things no one else does. Try out ‘crowd think.’ You’re no longer limited to the creative ideas your staff comes up with. Open the doors to a whole new world of ideas. Take what you want and leave the rest.