HMG Attends SHINE 09
Hai Media Group’s Lisa Devaney attended SHINE 09, a two-day business “unconference” for social entrepreneurs. The event included one-to-one mentoring sessions, social collaboration games, creative brainstorming to foster new ideas, and guidance to help execute new projects.
Funding was won for a new project by Martin Sherrard, for his Stratford Walled Kitchen Garden concept, offering horticultural training and a community restaurant serving produce grown in the garden. He pitched his concept for the prize, along with Re-Made in Brixton, Open Free Cycle and Youandiskills.com.
Participating in Dave Wilcox’s social collaboration game, Devaney, along with others, conceived the concept of “Re-Think!” a community programme for troubled youths caught in the criminal justice system that would see them be taught new 21st century skills by learning how to re-furbish old computers from discarded consumer electronics. While Re-Think! didn’t win the game, due to a request for more funding than was on offer, the process brought together a mix of ideas and agendas and created something productive.
Lisa Devaney blogged about SHINE 09, here:
Other non-traditional conferences coming up in the UK include:
bTWEEN (11-12 June 2009, Liverpool), an interactive digital media forum
2gether09, a London summer conference run in festival style, aims to explore and celebrate how technology can be used to promote social progress.
Over The Air, a September London mobile development gathering spaced over two days of fun, learning, hacking and socializing with participants camping over night.