Pecha Kucha Back in New Haven

Posted on 17. Dec, 2009 by in Blog, community, innovation

Last night’s Pecha Kucha New Haven brought together an interesting array of people to look at issues that normally wouldn’t get center stage. It wasn’t exclusively artists or exclusively technologist, or exclusively anything. Like a good cocktail, it combined a mix of flavors that delighted the palate, both the crowd and the presenters.
In a New Haven restaurant they vetted arguments against one-way streets, created poetry from architecture, and demonstrated public art that can only be seen from one vantage point. And it happened in front of entrepreneurs, teachers, techies and business people. The format of 20 slides, each for 20 seconds works very well, forcing presenters to hone in on their point, and keep a cadence with the audience. (Anyone who presents or runs meetings should attend, just to observe the cycle between audience and presenter a couple of times.)
Pecha Kucha New Haven should definitely continue, and hopefully, we can bring it up north too. It helps create a culture of experimentation, something many of our businesses and communities desperately need. Sure, you could get up there and blow it with a goofy idea, but no one’s going to boo you off or kick you out the club. Everyone works hard to present something they were passionate about, and even though I might not have understood every detail, I experienced a little of each presenter’s passion, and one day I might make a connection that sets one of my own ideas in motion.
Learn more about the event (including the spectacular sponsors) here.

That's me in the hat. Way in the back.Pecha Kucha is coming back to New Haven, January 27th, and I am personally encouraging our friends and colleagues to go. Once in while a novel “event” comes along and you can’t help but be inspired – even if you don’t fully understand it, yet. Pecha Kucha is one of those events.

Pecha Kucha New Haven brought together an interesting array of people to look at issues that normally wouldn’t get center stage. It wasn’t exclusively artists or exclusively technologist, or exclusively anything. Like a good cocktail, it combined a mix of flavors that delighted the palate, both the crowd and the presenters.

In a New Haven restaurant they vetted arguments against one-way streets, created poetry from architecture, and demonstrated public art that can only be seen from one vantage point. And it happened in front of entrepreneurs, teachers, techies and business people. And, for the most part, they listened. The format of 20 slides, each for 20 seconds works very well, forcing presenters to hone in on their point, and keep a cadence with the audience. (Anyone who presents or runs meetings should attend, just to observe the cycle between audience and presenter a couple of times.)

Pecha Kucha New Haven should definitely continue, and hopefully, we can bring it up north too. It helps create a culture of experimentation, something many of our businesses and communities desperately need. Sure, you could get up there and blow it with a goofy idea, but no one’s going to boo you off or kick you out the club. Everyone worked hard to present something they were passionate about, and even though I might not have understood every detail, I experienced a little of each presenter’s passion, and one day I might make a connection that sets one of my own ideas in motion.

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