Post conference thoughts

Some conferences I find really inspiring while they're happening but they fade quickly. This one I sometimes found a bit less inspiring, but it really started growing on me and I think it will have a lasting impact.

The organizers made a great choice of topic - "Creating Possibilities" sounded like vague corporate-speak when I first heard it, but it turned out to be inspired. As they explained when the conference kicked off there's been a lot of focus over the last few years on the negatives: what's broken and wrong with media and communications right now. They wanted to move past that and focus on the positive, on what is possible.

To that end, the conference was bookended by two of the most inspiring speakers around: Sir Ken Robinson and Bruce Mau. Today Bruce talked about what he learned from his Massive Change project, and challenged the assembled strategic & marketing talent to apply their skills towards questioning the status quo and creating positive change in the world: "Now that we can do anything what will we do?"

Another speaker gave us a concrete example for how that can happen: Eric Ryan, founder of Method, left advertising to found a company that merges design with socially and environmentally progressive principles, and is shaking up the home cleaning product category.

Even the casual conversations over coffee and drinks seemed to be more action-oriented this year, talking about some concrete things everyone plans to start doing. Now the challenge is to not lose that momentum.

One interesting observation a colleague made was that the people doing the most interesting stuff - Eric Ryan, Mark Earls, Adam Morgan, Rob and Adrian from Zeus Jones - all had to leave traditional advertising in order to do the things they wanted to do. There's an implicit challenge to those of us that are left within agencies: is it possible to create change from within? It's a tall order. But I'm excited to see what happens.

image by Alex Fuller via Chiagoist

Comments

[Mike Arauz]

Yeah, isn't Sir Ken Robinson incredible? I had the pleasure of meeting him at a salon here in New York couple years ago. Definitely one of the more inspiring people I've ever met.

[El Gaffney]

almost all of them seem to have the two first name thing going on if you take the s off of mark's last name.

great meeting you jason and best of luck changing it from the inside out. i, for one, am hopeful (but also don't think we'll have a choice soon enough - change or bye is little less harsh that innovat8 or die).

[sean]

I totally agree about how the most interesting planners were those who left agencies. It really remains to be seen whether we (agency planners) are able to evolve the agency culture or are forced to leave it behind. I sensed mixed feelings of inspiration to change their agency vs. professional wanderlust!

[business alarms]

It is the application of such technology that still holds many undiscovered gems.