heading to LIFT08

v v happy to be flying back to geneva this year for the ever-awesome LIFT conference. huge props to laurent, nicolas, sylvie and the rest of the LIFT team for putting together another really fantastic program. bruce sterling, bill cockayne,  lee bryant, julian bleecker, fabien girardin, stephanie booth, henriette weber andersen and noel hidalgo will be among the many giving talks, leading conversations and workshopping. tom is also giving what looks to be awesome workshop on the future of wireless. oof, unfortunately with the conference last week and project applications all over the place, i missed the deadline to submit…

regardless, i’m looking forward to catching up with friends, meeting new people and having my mind saturated with absolutely fantastic conversations. a new element this year is the venture night – where new startups give us their pitch! and there’s the threat of switzerland’s biggest. fondue. evar. <cheese glee>

if you happen to be in seoul next month…

photo thomas purves

the wonderful people at LIFT are organizing a free event to take place sept 12, 2007 in seoul, korea (venue tbd). if you happen to be there, i strongly suggest to go – it will change you. and if korea is too far or too soon, LIFT08 happens in february. congrats to laurent, nicolas and team on the launch of LIFTlabs

Join us for a night in Seoul with Adam Greenfield, Bruce Sterling and Korean architect Yoo Suk Yeon to discuss real and digital spaces.

Topic: Spaces: From Real to Digital. How technological developments in both the physical worlds and virtual environments are reshaping our buildings, our games, and soon our web browsers.

When: 12 September 2007 in Seoul, South Korea. The precise location will be announced later.

Speakers:
• Adam Greenfield will show us the opportunities and problems of living in a world where technologies pervaded the physical space.
• The upcoming hybridizations of the digital and the physical will be tackled by Bruce Sterling, who will also present what he, as a science-fiction writer and technology journalist expects.
• Korean architect Yoo Suk Yeon will then talk about the latest trends in architecture and how this hybridization is of importance.
• Virtual spaces and usage of massive multi-player platforms would also be addressed by a fourth speaker coming from the video gaming industry.

Registration: the event will be free but registration is required. To register, email your name to info@liftconference.com (a better system is coming soon).

LIFT 07 videos

the videos from LIFT07 have been uploaded, so go check them out here.

some to definitely take a listen to for their eloquence, insight and downright fun…

ben cerveny

brian cox

regine debatty/france cadet

julian bleecker

lee bryant

jan chipchase

post-LIFT07

wow. it’s over. feeling sorta like a deflated balloon.

i spent last week in geneva, switzerland at LIFT07, an amazing conference about what we can do with new technologies – challenges, opportunities, possible futures… whose goal is to: connect people who are passionate about new applications of technology and propel their conversations into the broader world to improve life and work.

it was an amazing week – packed to the brim with incredible people, provocative ideas, fantastic conversations and lots and lots of cheese. The premise for this conference, and what makes it stand out from just about very other event i’ve attended, is that the organizers have a strong sense of what these events are about – the people. yes the presentations must be relevant, meaningful, critical and well thought out, as well as good, but what people really take away is the conversations, the contacts and the relationships.

and so LIFT was super successful because the nature of that intent was reflected throughout – in the ‘official’ sessions, the participant sessions, the extra-curricular events and other details that emphasized community and exchange. but you have to want it – the experience is only as meaningful as you make it.

the self-organized contingent (i know there’s a ton of ppl missing in that link cluster :( …)worked hard at meeting people at LIFT, building up connections and conversations. i’m seeing those conversations morph into something else now as the flurry of linkedin, flickr and facebook connections explodes all over the place. i love how it’s growing beyond itself.
in terms of the sessions and ideas – wow! *pink mist* all over the place. highlights include…