|
ideaCity, Toronto - June 23, 2006
ideaCity, June 23 2006, Toronto
When I attended ideaCity 2006 in Toronto, I had no idea what awaited me, other than a strong likelihood of death by embarrassment in front of an eager crowd of half a thousand people.
ideaCity is a most unusual concept. Over three days, speakers follow one another for a series of 20-minute presentations on... well, everything.
The speakers come from all professions and backgrounds, and have only one thing in common: they have something enthusiastic to say about what they do, about what theybelieve. A cataract specialist followed by an alpinist with no legs followed by a flamenco dancer followed by a world expert on compost followed by a sci-fi author followed by a political prisoner... you get my drift. While you can glean facts and figures if you listen carefully, you are left with the lasting impression of individuals moving forward with conviction and resolve. In a world that seems to be constantly shifting direction, that is honestly refreshing and encouraging.
No ivory towers, no exclusive audiences of snotty cognoscenti, nothing esoteric - ideaCity is, if anything, eclectic, exoteric, intriguing and ultimately inviting... which explains how I, who dislike talking (period) ended up on a stage in front of a very expectant audience to talk about... well, something.
Something to do with the way to hold a pencil...
I had some notes, done in a state bordering on panic - from the far side of panic, that is - over the preceding couple of days, a high-tech microphone so I could wander at will, and so many butterflies in my tummy I could easily have taken flight.
Turns out I survived after all.
The video footage of the presentation is the property of ideaCity. It is shown here with the kind permission of ideaCity.
www.ideacityonline.com
|
| |
| |
| Keywords: |
|
| File size: |
33.6 KB |
|
|
