It’s extremely weird to be in the news in a language you don’t understand. If these articles say “Swiss-French loser comes to Korea to organize his crappy conference” I don’t even know it ;)
Thanks Channy for the press clippings, we found around 50 articles in blogs and media (there is no longer a difference in Korea) and are adding them progressively to the Lift press archive.
I visited Ewha university and they have some “U-Classrooms”, with “U” standing for Ubiquitous. Seems “U” is the new “i” (iPhone, iGoogle), which in its time was the new “e” (eBusiness, eLearning).
Wow. The odds were against us. Most people thoughts I was really crazy when I took the decision to do a Lift in Asia. It has certainly been the most challenging and dangerous project I have ever done, and three days before the event I was still having nightmares of being alone in the room with the speakers. But Asia is like that. It is a place where things work out differently, where you get 200 registrants in two days. And all the hard work and sleepless nights are nothing compared to the satisfaction and pride of having done what was probably our best ever conference here under the sun of Jeju Island.
We had 400 participants, some of the best social events we have ever hosted, at least 10 speeches that will certainly get thousands of views once they will be online (in 7-10 days I hope), and some completely magical moments like lifters playing the games of Jury Han with their phones during a session, Bruno Bonnel singing german songs on stage to prove the french had invented Karaoke (sorry Bruno, my fault ;), Tomoaki Masuga’s robot enteraining the crowd with its amazing acting, Sarah Marquis telling us the story of her walks, etc, etc, etc. I have so many memories that I will need a bit of time to digest all this. I will take a few days off, fly back to Europe, and start working on Lift09 as soon as my body is done recovering from this adventure.
Here is an interesting article talking about the state of the video games market in Korea, and the effects of gaming in society. This market is set to undergo MASSIVE change in the coming years, with offline gaming losing ground to social/group/online gaming:
The Korea Herald: Unlocking the positive potential of video games
According to [...] the official report of the Korean game industry, [...] revenues totaled 5.14 trillion won in 2007, a 31 percent drop from 7.45 trillion won in 2006. The sharp drop was caused by the drastic shrink of the arcade game sector, whose revenue plummeted from 3.3 trillion won in 2006 to a mere 87 billion won in 2007 [Korea, where a market size can be divided 40 in a year...].
In contrast, online games enjoyed solid revenue growth of 26 percent, from 1.78 trillion won in 2006 to 2.24 trillion won in 2007. Mobile games posted healthy growth of 5 percent, with income totaling 252 billion won in 2007.
(((Video games create more self-efficacy…)))
Regarding the positive effect of computer games on personal behavior, [...] playing online games enhances users’ “self-efficacy” and leadership. Self-efficacy is an educational psychology term that means capability in performing actions needed to attain certain goals. It is critical to distinguish between self-esteem and self-efficacy. Self-esteem is a sense of sense-worth or self-respect, whereas self-efficacy is one’s ability to produce effects. [...]
(((…and teach you how to be a “leader”)))
When people become a leader in games they learn how to manage and control a number of team members. Those leaders actually perform a similar role as they would in reality in terms of organizational management and strategic challenges. Whether it is online or offline, the way we cooperate as a team to solve a problem basically shares the same modes of activity. [...] higher game leadership actually presented higher offline leadership, leading us to the conclusion that “virtual leaders are real leaders.”
You know you left the twentieth century when, in a newly built Airbus A340, you read “Please Turn Off Electronic Devices” instead of “Non Smoking”.
Seen on the Finnair flight from Helsinki to Seoul. Fly with Finnair, it’s 50 times better than most European companies.
When faced with a tough issue one always has two options: solve it, or put “lipstick on the pig” as one of my favorite American expression calls it. North Korea inventing “hunger delaying noodles” is one of the best ever example of, well, the not solve it solution…
N Korea ‘develops special noodle’
North Korean scientists have developed a new kind of noodle that delays feelings of hunger, a Japan-based pro-Pyongyang newspaper has reported.
The noodles were made from corn and soybeans, the Choson Shinbo said.
They left people feeling fuller longer and represented a technological breakthrough, the newspaper said.
The irony of this is that these noodles will be a huge hit in the western world. Weight & watchers has probably already dispatched experts to Pyongyang to steal the formula. And patent it.
Update: I added SeedCamp and Mastermundo.
I will be speaking at these great conferences in the coming months:
As I head to the Seoul airport to fly back to Europe (I will spend the next 9 days there, before promptly coming back to Korea) allow me to paste the Lift Asia program in case you haven’t seen it. I just rewrote it completely and it looks exciting, a good mix of Asian and Western speakers, great social events, time to visit the country, and a (rare) occasion for me to speak at my own conference as the event’s theme needs a bit of explanation! Original page is here. Register at only 250/650$ until the end of the week.
The program of Lift Asia 08 is built around one main theme: beyond the browser. We will discuss the upcoming changes that the internet, now moving past the browser and into objects, cities or robots, will soon generate in our society.
[13:00 Doors opening and coffee]
14:00 Welcome Speech by Laurent Haug (Lift) and Seo Young Roh (Nabi Art Center).
14:15 Session: Beyond the web we know
What can we expect from the web in the near future, what comes after web2.0?
Laurent Haug will explain the vision behind the main theme of the conference, and what a mature web means for our society.
Then Eric Rodenbeck of Stamen Design (USA) will share his perspectives about how the web becomes a “richer” media through the use of information visualizations.
[15:30 Break and Lift experience]
The breaks will be dedicated to networking and inspiration, with comfortable sofas and warm coffee dispatched among the various art installations created by the Nabi Art Center. Meet other lifters, take a break, write your ideas and get ready for the next session!
16:30 Session: Virtual money
Recent changes in the digitization of money are less perceptible than more glamorous technologies, but they are of considerable importance. This session will explore the upcoming cashless economy with international expert David Birch (Consult Hyperion, UK) and American science fiction writer Bruce Sterling (initiator of the cyberpunk movement, writer on Wired).
[17:30 Break and Lift experience]
18:00 Sustainable Development Evening
The traditional session on our planet’s biggest challenge, organized in partnership with WattWatt, will welcome American gadget guru Dan Dubno (Gizmorama, USA) and Swiss adventurer Sarah Marquis who will explain how one can travel the world in energetic independence.
[19:30 Cocktail and Dinner]
Lifters are invited to share a cocktail and dinner at the magnificent Hyatt hotel, on the terrace overseeing the ocean. Enjoy international wines & dishes and take the chance to meet participants from all over the globe.
09:00 Session: Aiming for a better society
How can technologies help us shape a more inclusive and sustainable society, as well as take advantage of the world’s diversity? Wonsun Park (The Hope Institute, Korea) and Raphael Grignani (Nokia Design, USA) will address this question alongside a final speaker to be announced soon.
[10:30 Break and Lift experience]
11:30 Session: Networked city
The new digital layers provided by ICTs on contemporary cities have now become reality. What does that mean for its inhabitants? What changes can we expect? How will ubiquitous computing influence the way we live? « Everyware » author Adam Greenfield (Nokia Design, Finland), as well as architects Jeffrey Huang (EPFL, Switzerland) and Yang Soo Yin (The Living, Korea) who will provide their vision on this not so distant future.
[13:15 Lunch]
In the purest Lift tradition, Swiss Chef Roland Hini will prepare a Swiss meal where dishes imported directly from the Alps will be served. Expect to discover new tastes like Gruyère and Roesti!
14:30 Open Afternoon
Present your company, moderate a workshop, introduce your ideas to the world. The floor is yours, make your propositions!
16:30 Session: The future of social worlds
Social networks and Massive Multi-Player games are now merging in a new category of digital entertainment platforms with new business models, reaching consumers via different screens. What does the usage of such platforms tell us about new forms of socialization? Where is gaming heading? What are the new opportunities?
Joonmo Kwon (Nexon, Korea) will share his profound experience in this field, and present the vision he has for his 300 millions customers strong company. Then Jury Hahn (Megaphone, USA) will talk about the latest and most innovative forms of social mobile entertainment, using cell phones as the main platforms.
[17:30 Break and Lift experience]
18:00 Session: Techno-nomadic life
The wireless and mobile technologies have freed us from the tyranny of “place”, but what are the new constraints? What is the new behavior? Is the mobile web going through the same process as the Web of the 90s?
Star design researcher Jan Chipchase (Nokia, Japan) will present some insights nomadic work/life practices enabled by mobile technologies, while i-mode father Takeshi Natsuno (Keio University, Japan) and Christian Lindholm (Fjord, UK) will talk about the future of mobile services.
[19:00 Cocktail and karoake]
The day will end in style at a karaoke party where Westerners will try to challenge the unequivocal Asian domination on this soon-to-be-Olympic discipline.
10:00 Session: From robots to networked objects
Current robots are going beyond the traditional anthropomorphism and start to communicate. What can we expect? What’s hot in that domain that we will soon see all around us?
Japanese inventor Tomoaki Kasuga (Speecys, Japan) will show his latest robotic creation, while researcher Frédéric Kaplan (EPFL, Switzerland), known for his work with the Sony Aibo, will talk about the future of robots as part of our daily life. Legendary French entrepreneur Bruno Bonnell, founder of Infogrames and former CEO of Atari, will close the session by presenting the differences between the Asian and Western perception of robotics.
11:50 Conference wrap-up
Various speakers and members of the audience will be on stage to provide their vision on the conference, the ideas and insights they will take home, and their wishes for the next editions of Lift.
[12:30 End of conference]
See you at Lift09 in Geneva!
[13:30 Social Activities and visits]
In partnership with Jungtour, we will encourage Lifters to head for a visit of one of the many attractions in Jeju like the Stone park, some of the world’s most beautiful golf courses, and the teddy bear museum!
I finally took a bit of time off in Seoul, a day spend with Moka and Alexandre trying some of the things one has to try in this city. We started with a trip to Dr. Fish, a weird bathtub-like hole in the ground crowded with little fishes (Garra rufa and Cyprinion macrostomus) eating anything that looks like human skin. It is one of the weirdest sensation I have experienced, and even if the treatment aspect is not that obvious this was worth the try.
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Then a fabulously clear day made us go to Seoul Tower where the clean air allowed us to see miles away:
Tomorrow work resumes and I will start the day with Swiss chef Roland Hinni to discuss the logistics of organizing a Helvetic lunch at Lift Asia. Aside from being a chef and university professor, Roland also has a TV show on Korean Television and I look forward to hear from him what we will be able to serve our guests. We received a grant from Présence Suisse, the organization promoting Switzerland across the world, and therefore are able to bring Gruyère and Salami to Korea!
Then Tuesday will be a key day. Our partner Daum is launching a major promotion campaign, and we expect the ticket rush to start. Koreans register for events extremely late. It is a cultural habit due to the fact that in this country things can change radically from one week to another, so fixing your schedule too much in advance can be a bad idea. We will see. First year registration patterns are always weird.
And for those of you still hesitating about coming to Korea: as last month’s Wired taught us plane tickets tend to be cheaper between eight and two weeks before departure! So if you haven’t booked your flight for Seoul you can still do it at a very low price, Finnair still having seats from Geneva at 1286CHF. I start to know this city quite well and promise personal advices to all the westerners who will dare coming to Lift Asia!
I am back in Seoul for the final preparation of Lift Asia. Things are going very well, with cool partners and participants signing up. In Korea long term is one month, so the registration boom is still ahead of us and should come next week with an intense promotion campaign on the various Daum websites. As I get to know more and more people here, Seoulites take me to amazing places, the latest being Koraebul, a mythical sashimi place serving whale and live shrimps. See for yourself, this country has pretty amazing dishes to offer. The shrimps are less spectacular than live octopus, but slightly better.
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As I am a fan of Thalassa, the french TV show that profiled Koraebul’s boss, we got to try ten years old oysters, and it was another fabulous dish that you can not find anywhere else. This kind of experiences abound here in Seoul, and I am looking forward to share a few addresses with all the foreigners who will join us at Lift in the early days of September.
PS: and if you speak Korean we now have a translated version of the Lift website!
Contact:
Tel +41786966480
Email laurent@liftlab.com
Skype: laurenthaug
Profiles: LinkedIn, Google+, Facebook
Twitter: @laurenthaug
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