Supernova 2007: because technology is everyone's business

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Thanks for another great Supernova!

Supernova 2007 is in the books.  It was a fantastic week, starting with the Open Space Workshop on Tuesday, continuing into the Challenge Day on Wednesday, and concluding with two dynamic days of General Sessions.  (At times, very dynamic!) I’m still recovering, but my mind is buzzing with ideas.

We’ll be posting additional material, including session video, on the Conversation Hub website in the days to come.  It’s my hope that we can continue the discussions started around Supernova 2007 through the rest of the year.  The conference itself may be the crucial physical meeting point for the Supernova community, but it’s only one node in the unfolding conversation.

Thanks again to all the staff, volunteers, speakers, sponsors, bloggers, and attendees who made Supernova 2007 successful!

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Supernova week is here!

It’s over.  And so it begins.

I’ve spent the past several months with my team and friends putting Supernova together, through a maelstrom of email messages, phone calls, meetings, text messages, wiki notes, Skype chats, blog posts, social network pings, and the occasional in-world chat in Second Life and World of Warcraft.  This week, that part of the work is done.  The planning is over.  And the real fun begins. 

I’m thrilled that so many amazing people will be joining us at Supernova 2007.  The magic of interpersonal interactions is what, to me, makes real-world events still worth it, despite all these wonderful tools for virtual communication. 

This year’s Supernova is packed to the gills with four full days of activities. We start on Tuesday with the Open Space Workshop, a self-organized “unconference” that is open to anyone who wants to attend.  Our friends at Jaiku are hosting a that evening at the Adaptive Path offices.  On Wednesday, we open the formal Supernova festivities with the Challenge Day at Wharton West, including an all-conference reception that evening, followed by two days of General Sessions at the Westin St. Francis Hotel. 

For those of you joining us in person for some or all of the festivities in San Francisco, I look forward to seeing you.  And for everyone following virtually through the Conversation Hub and other mechanisms, thanks for participating in the extended Supernova community.  This week, let’s have some provocative, productive fun together.

Monday, June 04, 2007

Your Chance to Speak at Supernova

I always say that the attendees at Supernova have at least as much to contribute as the speakers. (And in fact, many of them regularly speak at other events.) That’s why the speakers don’t get special badges or a “speaker lounge” to hide from the hoi polloi; everyone is a valuable part of the community.

To further leverage the incredible talent at the event, we’ve set aside the final block of sessions on June 20 as “Challenge Roundtables.”

Anyone attending the Wharton West Challenge Day—whether a speaker or not—is invited to propose a short talk on a topic you’re passionate about. It can cover virtually anything that would be of interest to this community, whether technology-focused or not.  Last year, the talks ranged from Network Neutrality to Global Warming, and all were fascinating.  The only thing I don’t want are company or product pitches.

We have limited space, so we can’t guarantee everyone a slot. Please email me at as soon as possible if you’re interested. Include a brief summary (a couple sentences at most) on what you’d like to talk about, and why you’re excited about it.