ONE OF THE BEST ROUTES to eureka moments is to mingle with verticals. I believe that so I seek out different people, some left-brained, some right-brained, some artists, some techies, some chefs, some hobbyists, some writers, some producers, some students, some grannies. I get to meet all these people in Kilkenny at Podcamp Ireland. People from the Irish blogging community, school teachers, moms, dads, broadcast journalists and sole traders will come together to talk about ways to create stories that tell the story of technology.
There's a Medici Effect at work in Podcamp Ireland. Seemingly random combinations of people will create new ideas. I first learned about The Medici Effect through Frans Johansson's book. He shows how ideas from different industries and cultures meet and collide, ultimately igniting an explosion of extraordinary new innovations. Johansson coined the term “the Medici effect” from the Medici banking family in Renaissance Italy. Some of their financial empire helped build Kilkenny if you believe old town records relating to the construction of High Street and origins of the Butter Slip in Ireland's most charming medieval city. Things have changed since the Medici family wielded its influence. Johansson now believes that three driving forces—the movement of people, the convergence of scientific disciplines, and the leap in computational power—are increasing the number and types of intersections we can access. And all three will be in play on 27 September 2008 in Hotel Kilkenny.
We are attracting people interested in sharing their stories about their business, teaching maths, creating art portfolios and producing compelling rich media like podcasts or broadcast television. I plan to learn a few things from Ireland's senior podcaster, from Europe's leading education blogger, from a BBC producer, from a personal brand builder, from a talented cook, and from curious students.
The only problem with Podcamp Kilkenny is its fast-paced running happens on a single Saturday. But by the end of the afternoon, I will have discovered new intersections and creative angles all around the 90 people who plan to attend. And where else can I learn from knitting, cooking, rock music, light sculptors, foreign business accountants, and rock collectors? All those facets form part of the backgrounds of attendees and I'm looking forward to the interesting conversations that will unfold in the day of free sessions as well as during the free lunch and coffee breaks.
Brian Greene is talking about social radio on the day.
Broadcaster Rick O'Shea is sharing lessons learned from Twitter.
Frans Johansson -- The Medici Effect: What Elephants and Epidemics Can Teach Us About Innovation ISBN 978-1422102824
Bonus Link: Photos from Podcamp Ireland.
