This week I’ll be peeking in at the Channel 4 sponsored 2gehter08, something that I’m describing as being the ‘un-conference’ conference. In fact, those spearheading this event, with a focus on how digital technologies can bring about major new social benefits, aren’t even using that word conference, as it can often inspire big yawns. Instead, what is on offer is a Festival of ideas and action that's agenda is being shaped by its attendants and participants.
It looks to be a good candidate for being London's answer to the popular USA's TED Talks Here’s a quick peek at the details:
There's an extraordinarily rich schedule for July 2-3 in London, when 350 people will be exploring how digital technologies can bring us major new social benefits. Highlights below, other details at these links.
Two day schedule | all on this site | joining instructions | start networking
oOOo
Posing challenging discussions, and asking participants for action solutions:
Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive of the RSA, Umair Haque, Director of Havas Media Lab, and John Naish, author of Enough, help set our agenda, asking what are the biggest challenges we face in the 21st Century?
How the emerging technology and the media landscape fits into the solution with presentations:
Kicking things off with Jon Gisby, Director of New Media and Technology at Channel 4, and Martha Lane Fox.
Talks and interviews including JP Rangaswami, Managing Director of BT Data, Blake Chandlee, UK Director of Facebook, philosopher Julian Baggini, John Naish, author of Enough, and Ben Page, chair of Ipsos Mori.
Russell Davies on ‘Interesting for a Change’; Mark Earls on ‘How things spread’; the polar explorer Ben Saunders; Marek Kohn on the evolutionary origins of trust, and the launch of the Digital Health Service.
And even fringe fun, with a musical! Mint is debuting Web 2.0 The Musical,
Also featuring Tag Wall Breakouts, bitesize learning and teaching from the School of Everything, Collective Connections, Think Public’s Design Clinic and London United, a workshop from London’s hottest new entrepreneurs, activists, designers and technologists.
Day passes are still available for Thursday, visit www.2gether08.com for booking information. Other details at these links:
The clever organizers behind 2gether08, include Steve Moore who heads Policy Unplugged being the visionary, and pivotal in organizing this event in the most grassroots, community-focused effort I’ve ever witnessed in my career, which includes attendance at many conference, festivals and various business events.
oOOo The Sponsors!
My agency Hai Media Group, along with Channel 4, and many other supporters, have been putting in the hours to make this unusual gathering a huge success, and a welcome beginning for a format that many think will be Britain’s answer to the popular TED Talks that happen in the USA.
Best let me share some of Steve’s own words on what 2gether08 will bring to London over the next two days in Shoreditch’s Rochelle School (2-3 July)
“It is commonplace to go on about the affordances of new technologies and how in the right hands they can allow us to overcome economic impediments that curtailed our ability to connect, collaborate, share and converse to do in Clay’s lovely phrase ‘big things for love’ .
2gether feels a bit like that. In just over 8 weeks we have gone from nothing to a programme of over 75 talks, sessions and other little curiosities developed by hundreds of people who have responded with some brio to the challenge of developing the event from ground up.
We will doubtless be working until the wee small hours on Wednesday morning on the final details but it will be worth it.
The latest additions to the slate include Russell Davies on ‘Interesting for a Change’, Mark Earls on ‘How things spread’ the polar explorer Ben Saunders. Marek Kohn on the evolutionary origins of trust, JP Rangaswami on Cluetrain Manifesto; ten years on, a great session on freeing up public data, the launch of a Digital Health Service, a introduction to London United and -yes - Web 2.0 the musical.
Over 100 hundreds of content and plenty of time to mingle and respond to ideas to emerge.
I always felt that generosity would be a hallmark of 2gether and it the generosity of spirit and the willingness to engage freely and in the spirit of creative adventure that has taken us this far…. It may be presumptious on the eve of an event - but it is the irrational optimist in me - by I know we have something a bit special on our hands, I am pleased we have taken the risks we have and I really can’t wait to get started…”
I’ll be blogging some quick peeks from 2gether08 this week here, so check back for updates.
Best try and get to bed for all the 2gether07 excitement in the next two days,
-Lisa
Lisa Devaney
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Member since: 14 Jun 2008
Last login: 26 Aug 2008
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