This is one of the projects that kept us busy all summer, after several requests from all over the world asked us to organize local, smaller scale events: Lift at home is our answer, an exchange of value between the conference (offering attention, support and online tools) and members of our community (who keep the conference alive all year by running small events).

When the idea came up, we thought “wow, this is really innovative and smart”. But quickly we found out that we had not invented anything: Tupperware has been doing for years. And since 1907 a famous movement has functionned in a similar way, groups of people getting together following guidelines expressed in a book. It is of course Scouting. Scouting spread all around the world based on Baden Powell’s book. So if you thought Barcamp and Pecha Kucha’s concept of decentralized events was new, unfortunately it is not really. Welcome to the frustration of living in the 21st century, almost everything has already been done :)

The differences Lift at home bring are still many, first and foremost our community: a group of diverse and exciting people from different cultural and social backgrounds who can transform any event in a great moment. Then there is a bottom up approach I believe separates us from the rest. We don’t impose much. Just no commercial content, no charge at the door. The format, length, theme, location, date, all the rest is up to you, and we do it because we believe that great things will happen. Great things that will then inspire our “big” events, and allow us to continue organizing one of the world’s most innovative conference three times a year in Switzerland, France and Korea.

Over my brief career as a manager, I have noticed two reactions to freedom. Some people see it as a paralyzing factor. Not having enough rules can make one feel like he’s risking too much. On the other side, many use freedom to have to push the envelope and invent the future. I bet the latter will happen. Time to run your Lift!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009 at 10:05 am and is filed under event, lift. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.