Flipping through WIRED 17.01 and there is an “Wired Insider – Events | Promotions | Special Offers | Contests” (read special advertising page) with details about a
WIRED presented a four-part conference series with The Hollywood Hill, a Los Angeles non-profit reinventing social activism through digital technology. Members engage with leading tech professionals on topics ranging from microfinance to mobile media. The events included A-list cocktail receptions graciously hosted by producers such as Darren Star and Ari Arad.
The Hollywood Hill looks like a very interesting organization.
“The Hollywood Hill provides its entertainment industry members with both speaker-driven educational events and tools that support them in the production of social issue media content.”
It is a membership driven organization. Memberships are limited to “Entertainment Industry professionals” and range in price from $1200/year, “for those that have experience significant success within the industry”, to $120/year , “for Assistants and those who recently entered the industry as creative talent”. Membership allows you to RSVP for any of the events.
It’s an interesting model. Probably not enough members to generate membership fees to cover all the costs
The events cover both educational workshops, e.g., Domestic Film Distrubtion, and trends, e.g., The Future of Hi-Tech Warfare, The Future of Copyright (with Lawrence Lessig). The conferences also look interesting:
Excites me because in Toronto we have many a lot of similar organizations and events. There’s:
- Mesh Conference
- IdeaCity
- Interactive Ontario
- OCAD Events
- Rotman School of Management Event’s
- MaRS Events
- Centre for Social Innovation Events
- OCE Mind-to-Market Innovation series & OCE Discovery
- CMA Business of Ideas Forum and other events
- MobileMondayToronto
- StartupEmpire
- DemoCampToronto
- Third Tuesday Toronto
This only scratches the surface. It would be fantastic if we had a few elder spokespersons with money (like Darren Star who hosts receptions at The Hollywood Hill events). And it would be even better if we had a cost effective venue capable of hosting groups greater than 100+ people comfortably that provided both a presentation setting and a social setting for the post mingling and networking (the most important part of any event) and was able to provide it at a reasonable price.