PSFK Conference

So, we’ve locked down our event space and our date for our next event: July 17th at Fort Mason by the marina. We’re gradually building our list of speakers - it’s the same general theme on trends and creative ideas and we’ll present local inspirational speakers.

Do feel free to buy a ticket now as they sold out early at the last event.

Details & tickets: www.psfkconferencesanfrancisco.com

We hope you guys can make it.

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Here’s a good Friday post - an out-take from the NY culture panel at the PSFK Conference New York 08 where Faris Yakob asks a panel what the hell are hipsters. Panel includes Doug Jaeger of thehappycorp/LVHRD, Sascha Lewis of Flavorpill, Jen Chung of Gothamist and Steve Bryant of Thrillist.

In this out-take from PSFK Conference New York Michelin Star awarded Eric Ripert talks about food trends and suggests that soon we will enjoy good food that tastes good.

He says that just because something is local or even grown organically today, it doesn’t mean that it is edible:

Organic and sustainable is going to stay a strong trend. We were focusing on developing our own business, never really thought about the planet. Now we’re self-conscious. We’re abusing it in many forms. Today, I see a big trend, trying to create some business models and farming where we keep in mind that the planet is fragile. We have to have a certain sensibility about it. Organic and sustainable doesn’t mean that your product is good. An organic cheese 10 years ago was inedible, like rubber. An organic apple doesn’t mean that it’s good. What we’re going to see is a development of products that are sustainable but something which is going to be, people want to eat something good, but they want to eat something good when they eat.

Eric Ripert

You can subscribe to our iTunes podcast feed to get free access to all our past conference videos and the ones from our last event in New York as and when we release them.

Simply click this link.

In this out-take from the PSFK Conference New York, Michael Monello of Campfire Media (and producer of The Blair Witch Project) discusses the challenges of trying to reproduce TV shows for the web.

In this out-take from the PSFK Conference New York 2008, CollegeHumor.com founder Ricky Van Veen explains the challenges that lie ahead for the online content business including the barriers that make it difficult for advertising and talent to migrate from TV to the web.

The paper cup that contained our trial for the new coffee from Starbucks reminded me of a theme I might explore at the PSFK Conference San Francisco - it’s about whether big companies are really doing enough to support the drive towards sustainability, whether they can or whether we need a new breed of alternative brands to replace them.

Look at the picture. Can Starbucks really only provide cups with 10% recycled material? Why not 100%? Am sure there’s a standard excuse but if all they can muster is 10% why do they bother saying it on the packaging. And I think of something Jeff Staple said in this clip at the PSFK Conference New York 2008 where he talked about trying to make one out of 2000 Nike shoe designs environmentally sustainable. The question I ask is, why not all 2000 now?

I know that there’s an argument that it’s these big companies who need to lead sustainable change but with them taking so long to take up the cause fully (rather than dip their toes), you begin to wonder whether it’s time to leave them all behind and work with a new crop of companies who really ‘get it’.

PSFK Conference San Francisco

Thank you to everyone who made it last Thursday - including the speakers and the purple t-shirted volunteers. It was a great event and thank you all for being part of it.

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Looking forward to seeing ticket holders bright and early tomorrow for an 8.30 start at the Art Directors Club. If you haven’t got a ticket, please don’t try to buy at the door. Sorry - but we’re over-subscribed as it is - and we’ll turn you away. Instead, follow the folks in their by reading their reports by checking the tag PSFKConference for blogs or PSFKConference for Flickr and @PSFKConference for Twitter.

PSFK Conference New York