bil conference

As evident by my infrequent blog posts, there’s simply no time to do anything more than work on school/business and other immediate goals. However…

Nerds like you and me need breaks. Nerds need to be reminded of their purpose in the world, and how they can use their skills and brainpower to actually make a difference. If you’re a long term reader, you’ve probably noticed that my conference and event attending has drastically dropped in the past year.

I’ve come to realize that in many cases, conference content remains static from year to year, and that most conference attendees are there for professional networking. Sounds boring to me. This year, I plan on going to only two conferences. I’ll be taking a one week *vacation* in February, when I’ll be attending both the TED and BIL conferences back-to-back. If you’re super busy, super poor, and want/need an enlightening break from what you normally do, sign yourself up for the BIL conference.

BIL is an ad-hoc conference for people changing the world in big ways. It’s a place for passionate people to come together to energize, brainstorm, and take action. We invite you to bring your world into ours. The catch for many of us is that TED is $6,000, which is too expensive for most people, including a great number with good ideas worth spreading. BIL has been created as a free space for people with ideas to come together and share them.

Unlike TED, attendance at BIL is free. It takes place on a weekend. It’s in Long Beach. It’s organized by the attendees. The talks aren’t limited to web 2.0 bullcrap. Speakers talk about everything related to art, science, society and technology. Your fellow attendees are probably smarter than you. What can be any better than that?!

If you’re not convinced, get a life! Techy conferences like South by Southwest are great and all, but if you’re looking for a true eye-opening experience, do yourself a favor.

Enough of my unselfish promotion of an event that I have absolutely no emotional or financial stake in. The bottom line: Conferences are boring, professional networking is awkward, and I’m tired of taking time off for events that don’t lead me to being a better member of the human race! If you could only go to one event this year, I’d highly recommend going to BIL.

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