Event: Planning-ness, SF

Some of you may remember PSFK’s slight frustration with the Account Planning Conference from the American Association of Advertising Agencies. Over the last couple of years its usefulness and effectiveness has dwindled until this year the AAAA found they couldn’t sell tickets and therefore canceled the event. While this sorry chapter closes a new one opens with an excited movement to make things happen. Mark Lewis, a Planning Director at DDB West (and Likemind SF host!), saw the death of the APG as an opportunity to radically change conferences geared towards planners and decided to to create an un-conference called Planning-ness.

With topics like ‘How to make a documentary’, ‘How do design a great application’ and ‘How to design a great product experience’ Lewis hopes to create an event that inspires planners from talking to doing, from observing to experiencing. In the press release he says:

In a multi-media world, planners need new tangible skills to help understand how people interact and react to the changing world around them. The theme of “get excited and make things” will come to life through workshops, where participants are taught a skill – from game design to industrial design to semiotics – then set a task to help them put these skills onto practice.

We are a big fan of Mark Lewis work and although this event is supported by the AAAA don’t worry, it’s independent and Lewis and his team and put a well-needed spin on the event. Planning-ness 2009 will take place October 16 and 17 at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Tickets are about $200.

Planning-ness

Photo by moleitau

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