On Saturday I will be heading to Singapore to participate in the IBM Forum 2003. IBM has invited strategic business decision makers and operational decision makers such as the CIO and IT managers. Being on-line is critical but being in-person at conferences is important too. In 1992 I went to the Agenda conference for the first time and have not missed it since then. Conferences are a way to keep in touch with industry colleagues and key industry trends. There are many good conferences but the ones that I have attended regularly for more than ten years include Agenda, Demo, and PC Forum. There have been many others that have provided great value including Vortex and Telecosm. Sometimes I speak at these conferences; sometimes I just listen. One of the newer conferences is Pop!Tech. Every autumn, in the seaside village of Camden, Maine, more than thirty of the world’s most intriguing visionaries, innovators, leaders, scientists, intellectuals and artists come together to present their views about the future.

Pop!Tech, explores the impact of technology on our lives, our planet and our future. There are some really big things going on which will impact all of us: changes in global societies brought about by new communications technologies; new economic models to follow the wreckage of the 90’s bubble; terrorism and warfare; the unlocking of the human genome, the development of new energy sources; the ‘greying’ of our society as boomers retire; new art and entertainment forms. The list goes on and on.

Pop!Tech explores all of this and provides an opportunity to discuss the issues. The organizers have offered a discounted conference fee for patrickWeb readers. Click the icon below for more information.