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PSFK Conference SF 2008

Charles Ogilvie:
Look and Feel


At the PSFK Conference San Francisco 2008, Charles Ogilvie, Creative Designer and Inventor of RED, the award winning in-flight entertainment system for Virgin America, speaks about innovation in the cabin worldwide.

From the drab grey seats and drop down projectors from just ten years ago, Charles explains the thought process he and his team went through when challenged by Richard Branson to figure out “What’s next in aviation?”

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Panel:
Using It


At PSFK Conference SF, George Parker (AdScam/MadScam), Rohit Bhargava (Ogilvy 360 Digital Influence), Lynn Casey (Team Noesis), Adrian Ho (Zeus Jones), and Mark Lewis (DDB SF, Planning from the Outside) shared their insight on how genuine consumer dialogue can improve sales.

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Jean-Marie Sheilds:
Thoughtful Change


At the PSFK Conference San Francisco 2008, Jean-Marie Shields (Starbucks) explains how the future will embrace brands that connect with consumers by converting ideas into thoughtful change.

Focusing on how brands can be thoughtful, Jean-Marie shares some of the insights learned from studying global culture at Starbucks and spending a lot of time figuring out what’s on peoples mind. She explains how Starbucks has changed culture in the US and abroad, where they think it is going, and how Starbucks have dealt with their growing pains. But ultimately, as Jean-Marie explains, it's all about the people - sharing and conversing with people.

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Chris Riley:
Shape the World


At the PSFK Conference San Francisco 2008, Chris Riley (planning guru) explains how three Bay Area residents have shaped his world. A crowd pleaser for sure, Chris explains how these three people personally helped him frame his relation with the world and the work he does.

Seeing the Bay Area as a "crucible for the creation of ideas and things that are having a profound impact on the world," Chris explains how these three extraordinary individuals - and artists in general - are some of the most effective people for providing a longer and deeper view of what’s going on in the world.

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Panel:
SF Snapshot


One of the most buzzed about presentations from PSFK Conference San Francisco was our snapshot panel – where a group of passionate locals spoke about what inspires them most about the San Francisco Bay Area. Held in every city, Snapshot has become a staple of the PSFK Conference series and frequently elicits some of the most insightful quotes from the day. This day was no exception.

Moderated by Colin Nagy (Attention), the panel includes Kevin Allison (Financial Times), Liz Dunn (Funny or Die), Amit Gupta (Photojojo), and Jeremy Townsend (The Ghetto Gourmet). Topics bounce between everything from the Bay Area’s unique physical landscape, it’s rapid fire start up culture and their ability to fail quickly, creative commons, co-working, open source technology, Twitter, Bay to Breakers, Critical Mass, good food and Bay Area celebrities such as Steve Jobs and Larry Ellison.

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George Murphy & John Pollard:
When Words are Not Enough


At the PSFK Conference San Francisco 2008, George Murphy (Modo Group) and John Pollard (Microsoft) describe how environments and technology can help consumers connect with the brand.

Discussing a particular project the two of them have been working on together, George Murphy and John Pollard explain how they’re creating semi-permanent and permanent environments with partners in the hospitality, travel, sports, entertainment and retail industries to get Microsoft’s products in front of consumers in relevant and contextual fashions to highlight the diversity of their portfolio and entice greater brand loyalty and affinity over time.

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Panel:
Make it with Us


At the PSFK Conference San Francisco 2008, Ezra Cooperstein (Current TV) and Andrew Hoppin (NASA) explain how to shake up large bureaucratic industries (e.g. broadcast media and aerospace) by turning customers into creators and collaborators.

Modeling themselves after small start ups and blending life and work, Andrew explains how NASA is utilizing everything from virtual meetings and co-working events to robots and raves to reinvent itself by engaging their community. While Ezra explains Current’s challenge of opening up a platform for creators around the world to tell their story and how they’ve leveraged user generated content and the internet to democratize TV - or at least "create a meritocracy."

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Ed Cotton:
Trends, Should You Care?


In this video, Ed Cotton (Influx Insights / BSSP) kicks off the morning explaining why trends and inspiration matter. Approaching the whole idea of his talk from a creative perspective, Ed describes how account planners or other individuals responsible for briefing creative people can package their message up in a way to get them to pay attention.

Covering everything from Burger King’s $190 burger to guerrilla gardeners to cupcakes, Ed helps define what a trend is and how trend insights can help connect an idea and be more interesting that flat reports.

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Josh Handy & Nate Pence:
Behave


At the PSFK Conference San Francisco 2008, creative leads Josh Handy and Nate Pence of method talk about how they design the method way, and how design and creative both mirror and shape the company.

The two design execs from Method discuss how method, as an organization, is set up to support creativity and describe the guide-rails that have been established to help focus their creative efforts. This insightful and often humorous look at method sheds light on the ethical and aesthetic nuances of a company whose goal has always been "inspire a happy, healthy home through good design and an equally good product."

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Max Schorr:
Aligning Interests


At the PSFK Conference San Francisco 2008, GOOD Magazine co-founder Max Schorr discusses the importance of aligning interests and how the disconnect between people he respected who were doing good and the pejorative notion of a 'do-gooder' inspired him to start a magazine.

Beginning with how the magazine started, Max explains why he believes we as a society have been shooting ourselves in the foot by saying "If you do good, it’s altruistic. You're not going to have sex, you're not going to have fun, and you’re not going to make any money. But go for it!"

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Jen Beckman:
New Art


At the PSFK Conference San Francisco 2008, Jen Bekman (20×200) talks about the trends she sees in art and artists’ use of technology to connect with art-lovers and buyers. Since opening her online and offline art galleries, Jen has witnessed (and encouraged) a new movement of artists, themes and styles.

With a background in technology, Jen explains how she leveraged the web to find new artists, new buyers, and ultimately function as a conduit to the art world for amateur collectors by creating what she refers to as "the gateway drug to owning art."

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