Discussions

You have been invited to Stream because you are a leader, or game-changer in your field…. And we want to hear your thoughts, not ours. Crowd-sourcing determines the content of the event, which begins with an empty whiteboard to be filled by you, the participants, with ideas for Discussions. Everyone, including you, is expected to participate and contribute.

So, what is a Discussion?

A Discussion is a 1-hour long discussion group on a topic proposed by a participant of Stream. Typically, each group will have between 20-30 people, and will be hosted in one of our class-room spaces around the hotel, ranging from tents in the gardens, to indoor spaces with basic AV.

Suggesting a discussion topic doesn’t mean you have all the answers. Instead, good discussions favour a punchy question, debate and willingness to hear many points of view. Previous topics include: “Artificial Intelligence: will it overwhelm us?”; “The future of news for millennials”; “Crowdfunding: how the little guy wins”; “Are we becoming illiterate?”; “What I discovered living inside Instagram”; “Seven reasons mobile is king in Africa”; “Are wearables a scam?”; and “Can there be a future without ads?”

OK got it. So how do I add my idea for a Discussion to the agenda?

You can create a New Discussion by clicking on the orange ‘Submit Your Idea’ button below. You’re aiming for a short, sharp, teaser as a title, and then 3-4 lines to explain what you’ll cover in the Discussion. You can see examples below, or here.

If it’s your first time at Stream, and you’re hesitating, don’t. 80% of everyone at Stream has never been to an “unconference” before, so you’re in good company. The event is designed to get you out of your comfort zone. If you’d like test out an idea before posting it, let us know.

How do I schedule a time for my Discussion?

When you arrive at the hotel, we’ll register you, and show you to the Big Boards, two massive white-boards, that look a bit like a blank school timetable. You’ll be able to add your idea to a 1-hour slot on the boards at 3.30pm on Wednesday. Later that day, we’ll give you the opportunity to “pitch” your idea to the whole group as part of the Preview Show.

Any questions?

Let us know! We are open to ALL ideas, and can help you plan a Discussion outline, feedback on an idea, or prepare any materials you might want. Just get in touch here.

Steve Dunlop

A Million Ads

How personal is too personal?

Messaging that feels familiar tricks our brains into getting more of our attention, so there is an opportunity for advertising to be more personal to take advantage of this. Personalisation is already going strong in CRM emails and display ads, and is emerging in video and audio ... and personalised chatbots are on the way. But, if every channel is trying to use what they know about us to grab our attention and make us feel comfortable, is there a line beyond which it becomes creepy? Do some brands have more permission than others to talk to me personally? What stops it going too far, just to grab our attention?

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Discussions

Steve Dunlop

How personal is too personal?

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