(Picture from XMediaLab 2006, Singapore)
Reading through a past issue of Fast Thinking magazine recently, I came across the Australian-based XMediaLab concept. It is an open-space creative incubator event, held a couple of times a year, where teams of creatives from different digital media industries bring forth issues, problems and possible new businesses (yes, for investing) for brainstorming and ideation with established business figures (mentors).
It resembles BarCamp in terms of there being very few rules, and the principle of self-organization is a driver of the event. Teams have ideas for sessions, put them out there, and see what happens. Next one up is in Wellington, New Zealand,.
As we continue planning our first InnovationCamp- to be held in Austin in early June (TBD)- we are on the lookout for other parallel events/concepts that might help us refine the idea. The value of open->unConferences is rather huge, and we hope that the InnovationCamp concept can help bring together people from different disciplines, organizations, and perspectives to take on big hairy problems: energy, sustainability, mobile computing, privacy, community, risk management, gaming and education, etc.
We eagerly invite any and all feedback for InnovationCamp.
Thanks-
The Butcher
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