So, IdeaFestival. What do you know about it? Do you know anything about it? Are you going to any of the sessions? Have you bought your tickets yet? I ask because I think IdeaFest is such a very cool thing and it makes me incredibly proud to have it in Louisville but when I talk about it around town people often tell me they have no idea what I’m talking about. If you’re reading Consuming Louisville clearly you’re a smart, interesting and interested individual. This makes you an ideal IdeaFest attendee.

I’m going to pretend you aren’t all familiar with IdeaFestival and explain it to you as I see it, and in my terms. Well first, the official IdeaFest description:

IdeaFestival (IF) is a world-class event that
attracts leading and highly diverse thinkers from across the nation and
around the globe to explore and celebrate innovation, imagination and
cutting-edge ideas.  

The IdeaFestival is a unique non-linear program designed to stretch
people’s horizon’s and promote breakthrough thinking… utilizing
multiple venues to showcase, discuss and “connect” important ideas in
science, the arts, design, business, film, technology, education, etc.

The Festival is designed to appeal to a broad cross-section of
people - with presenters selected for their ideas, achievements, and
their ability to communicate to a wide-ranging audience.

IdeaFest as I see it:

A collection of very cool, interesting, sometimes esoteric, sometimes mainstream, sometimes super nerdy (in the best possible way) events, lectures and parties. Individually these are interesting events that aren’t commonplace. Collectively this is an event the likes of which you’d be hard pressed to find anywhere else in the world much less in our part of the country. So while I’m very glad lots of visitors will be coming to Louisville for IdeaFest I want lots and lots of actual Louisville citizens to take advantage of the great opportunity IdeaFest presents. What opportunity is that exactly? Well I think it’s the opportunity to learn stuff, have new ideas and concepts presented, be entertained and engaged by really smart people. Also? The opportunity to show off how smart, cool and innovative Louisville is.

I can’t tell you how fantastic all that sounds to a nerd like me. That’s why I’m incredibly excited to be attending my first IdeaFest this year. I know, shocking right? I was so busy getting settled into our new place last year I didn’t make it to any IdeaFest events and I still kick myself for missing Steve Wozniak. It’s shameful for a self-respecting Mac fangirl like myself to admit that Woz was here and I missed out on seeing him. I’d shed a tear but I don’t like to get moisture near my MacBook. Moving on.

If my little ramble here is your first real introduction to IdeaFest let me share the good news that passes to individual events are ridiculously affordable. Like $15, 18 or $20 affordable for most events. There are even some really cool free events. All access passes are $350. Not cheap but well worth the money if you can swing it and have the time to attend events over the entire festival.

Between now and IdeaFestival (September 25-27, 2008) I’m going to be writing about events that I personally think are can’t miss events. In the meantime I encourage you to check out the schedule and read the descriptions of all the events to make your own can’t miss list.
 
I’m working with IdeaFest a little bit trying to make sure that blogging, twittering, flickring and other kinds of -ing things are both happening behind the scenes and encouraged amongst festival attendees. So if you’re a blogger, a geek with a smart phone, a Twitter addict, etc I’m definitely encouraging you to attend IdeaFest and get it on all the fun. If you’ve got questions about IdeaFest that I might possibly be able to answer let me know.