I consider myself lucky to one of the lucky few able to get a ticket to last night’s sold out inaugural Interesting Vancouver conference with some friends. Oops, I meant to say “unconference.” It was the third local event that I’d consider part of the unconference social movement which is growing in popularity, as both a co-host of Likemind Vancouver and an attendee at the latest edition of Pecha Kucha—all in the span of a week.
My friends and I, including CSS guru Dave Shea, his beautiful fiancé Lauren Isaacson, and my colleague Matt SamyciaWood, decided to try to avoid using the word “interesting” during the event, lest the offender be forced to buy the next round. Let’s just say it was good thing we augmented the rules before we were completely sideways and Matt had hit the limit on his credit card. That would have made the night ahead definitely…uh…interesting.
Unconferences are becoming quite popular recently. Perhaps it’s a reaction to these uncertain political, economical and environmental times, but I don’t care—I like it. The idea of large, complicated and expensive conferences centred around an industry or topic has it’s place, but I relish the idea of smaller gatherings of like-minded folks to discuss a variety of topics that affect them. And the notable lack of pressure to hand out business cards and endlessly network, seeking clients or employment is refreshing.
The evening was nearly flawless in its execution. Organized and calmly presented. The schedule was adhered to strictly and the presentations were divers, fresh and succinct. Having been disappointed with all but a few of the speakers at the recent Pecha Kucha event—some of the better ones actually in the audience last night—I found the key strength of Interesting Vancouver was the quality of the presentations themselves. Clearly the organizer, Brett MacFarlane, put a great deal of time and thought into inviting just the right mix of topics and speakers, includeing James Chutter , Darren Barefoot, Dave Ng, Tom Williams and Irwin Oostindie among others.
Presentations alternated from quick three minute overviews to longer twenty minute diatribes on topics such as eating local food, the challenges of living abroad, the impact of art & design on culture, and how we can all find meaning in our lives by supporting various charities. Some speakers addressed precisely how interesting Vancouver is directly, with explorations of the efforts being made to build community and gathering spaces, how BC is a world leader in addressing climate change, and the variety of museums in the area. Every single speaker seemed hand selected and were clearly well prepared and well rehearsed for the evening. The final presentation of the night was by new Vancouverite and 2nd Globe artist David Young, who ended with a sobering look at moments of genius and accomplishment throughout history that occured in cities much smaller and less developed than Vancouver, challenging the audience to consider “Why not us?”, suggesting that Vancouver may indeed by the “next great place.”
Another key factor for me last night was the combination of the high calibre of attendees combined with the casual, comfortable feeling in the room. Hosted at The Vancouver Rowing Club, with its spectacular views of the Vancouver skyline, the event had a casual, town hall feel. People from all walks—though admittedly skewed toward the geek “wonk” crowd—sipped beers and munched apples compliments of the organizers. Apples and beer? Try it for yourself, it’s a delicious combo.
The night ended as it had begun: enjoying good conversations over drinks with likeminded friends, only this time they were coffees with cake—to help shake off the multiple beers imbibed earlier. I’m looking forward to next year’s edition of Interesting Vancouver and recommend you attend, although I hope it doesn’t grow much larger due its success this year, and suggest you think up a more clever drinking game than we did. Ouch.
Tags: event, Events, Inspiration, interestingvancouver, unconference, Vancouver
