Regular attendees to the Esri International User Conference might remember Richard Saul Wurman. He gave the keynote in 2010 (press release, APB coverage). It was about his project 19.20.21. I confess that I didn't quite follow his talk or his point. I do remember Jack Dangermond introducing Wurman as the individual who founded the TED Conferences. Wurman has created and now directs a new event, the WWW Conference. Esri is hosting the inaugural event this week in Redlands, Tues-Thurs Sept 18-20.
What makes this event different is that famous, artistic and otherwise intriquing people are paired up and presented with a question or topic for discussion. This year's class, which includes Yo-Yo Ma, Moshe Safdie, Matt Groening, Stephen Wolfram, and Dangermond among others, is not getting paid to speak. Those in the audience pay $16,000 to watch and listen live, stay at the Mission Inn in Riverside and eat fancy food and drink. An iPad app with content and extras is planned for December. The 160 seats for sale in Esri's Conference Center (Building Q), auditorium have already been sold.
Why Redlands? Geography matters! Wurman, a friend of Dangermond's, feels there will be no distractions.
Only one journalist is covering the event, a reporter from the Financial Times of London Sunday arts section.
