One of the new features we have this year is our Pre-Conference Intensives on Monday May 7th.

We are hosting these intensives for those interested in adding an extra day to their conference experience. These 6 hour intensives are designed to be interactive and will be facilitated by thought leaders and practitioners specializing in the following areas of focus:

(1) The Art of Collaboration and Finding Unexpected Partnerships (with Groupon & Friends)

In this intensive, numerous thought leaders from socially minded companies and organizations in Chicago will present their insights and stories on effective collaboration. Attendees will learn about the business models, the latest technologies, how collaboration is being used and how to give discarded products a new life. In addition, learn about profit models for social change and how leaders are selling impact to benefit to the community and their bottom line. You may download the agenda for this intensive by clicking on the following pdf link: Collaboration Intensive PDF

(2) Leveraging Social Media for Social Good (with Claire Diaz Ortiz of Twitter, Paull Young of charity: water, and Mark Horvath of InvisiblePeople.tv – Sponsored by the W Hotels of Chicago)

There’s no doubt that social media is becoming an integral platform for communication, community building, and marketing. Come spend a day with some of the leading thinkers in the area of social media and good as they share their insights and strategies on platforms and developing digital campaigns.

(3) The Courtship of Fundraising: The Core Functionality & Importance of Relationships in Raising Funds (with Keith Kall of World Vision)

This lab is designed for anyone, experienced or not, who is interested in strengthening their ability to raise financial support for non-profit organizations or causes. This learning lab will cover the total value chain of relational fundraising from prospecting to closing and all the challenges and opportunities in between.  The session will focus on best practices derived from professional experience on how to raise support and build partnerships from major Individual donors to corporate and foundation donors. The goal of the lab is by the end of the day to provide the participants with some new real-world, nuts and bolts, operational skills that will translate into improved fundraising performance. This lab will be an interactive session, so please be prepared to share your experiences, thoughts, questions and expertise.

(4) Idea-Making for Social Entrepreneurs & Startups (with Brent Freeman of Roozt.com & Charles Lee of Ideation)

We all have ideas—things we want to do or create—but only some of us will do what it takes to see those ideas come to pass. In this intensive, participants will discover some of the essential values and principles that guide successful idea-makers, including the leveraging of mixed environments for creativity, working through resistance and setbacks, developing a practical plan for implementation that works, funding ventures, navigating collaborative opportunities, and communicating your idea to make it truly remarkable. You’ll walk away with tangible next steps for making your ideas come to life.

There’s still time to register for these intensives as well as the conference! If you’re anywhere near Chicago, don’t miss out on this opportunity to connect, share, and learn with others who desire to create good for our world.

Hope to see you soon!

The Ideation Conference is proud to announce the following 4 pre-conference intensives for this year’s event:

1. The Art of Collaboration and Finding Unexpected Partnerships (with Groupon & Friends) – Join Patty Huber, G-Team Director of Groupon, as she curates an incredible day of thought-leaders from multiple industries that have collaborated well for good. Speakers and panelists for this intensive include:

Sharon Schnieder, Good Karma Clothing for Kids
Brittany Martin Graunke, Zealous Good
Jud Kinnucan, Bin Donated
Saya Hillman, Mac N Cheese Productions
Pete Aiello, Team Pete
Dr. Luke Hansen, David Sack, & Dr. Marie Crandall of Northwestern Memorial Hospital
JR Kerr, The Curation Group
John Piercy, Neighbor Capital
Jamie Jones & Linda Darragh – The Impact Engine
Jason Saul, Mission Measurement
Jim LoBianco, StreetWise
Mike Simmons, City of Chicago

2. Leveraging Social Media for Social Good (with Claire Diaz Ortiz of Twitter & Sponsored by the W Hotels of Chicago) – Join Claire Diaz Ortiz as she leads a day of exploring strategies and practical insights for leveraging online platforms to engage people for good. Claire is the author of Twitter for Good and has continues to be on the forefront of conversations around new media & social good.

3. The Courtship of Fundraising: The Core Functionality & Importance of Relationships in Raising Funds (with Keith Kall of World Vision) – Join Keith Kall as he shares proven insights into fundraising strategies rooted in lasting, reciprocal relationships. Keith has years of experience from both the not-for-profit and for-profit world and offers actionable steps for building organizations and companies.

4. Idea-Making for Social Entrepreneurs & Startups (with Brent Freeman of Roozt.com & Charles Lee of Ideation) – Join Brent Freeman & Charles Lee as they discuss and share practical insights to launching start-ups as social entrepreneurs. Insights will be shared on idea-making, developing a business plan, overcoming roadblocks to launching, collaboration, brand development, etc.

These intensives will take place on Monday May 7th from 9am to 4pm. They are designed to dive deeply into one area of focus. We have limited seating available for each workshop so please register early!

We look forward to seeing you at Ideation this year!

Here’s a quick video of Eddo describing the heart & work of The Supply.

The Ideation Conference was something birthed out of our company’s passion to create things that matter. Our financial goal has always been to cover expenses and make sure that the event is sustainable.

Some Great News…

Jeremy also spends his time on social art, developing and working on projects that have community impact. Jeremy has worked with multiple non-profit organizations and traveled throughout Africa to photograph and bring awareness to the needs of those people. He is the founder of Help-Portrait, a worldwide movement of photographers using their time, equipment, and expertise to give back to those less fortunate. In 2009 and 2010, Help-Portrait provided free portraits for over 80,000 people in 50+ countries.

Lastly, after the devastating earthquake hit Haiti in January of 2010, Jeremy responded with his “Voices of Haiti” photo essay, letting the people of Haiti express their own prayers and hopes through photography. This project was later displayed in the halls of the United Nations in New York City. Jeremy has published 3 Coffee Table books that feature his photography: “Hope in the Dark“, “The Poor Will Be Glad” and “Awakening“. As his list of clients continues to grow, so does Jeremy’s desire to improve on his craft and give back to those around him.

Don’t miss your chance to connect with Jeremy and learn more about his work!  Be sure to register for the Ideation Conference by February 24th to receive the Super Early Bird discount.

Check out Jeremy’s work in this behind the scenes video of his photo essay, “Voices of Haiti.”

Voices of Haiti: The Making of from Jeremy Cowart on Vimeo.

This is one of several Ideation Talks that will be posted from this year’s 2011 Ideation Conference. You’re invited to watch and share this with your network! Also, be sure to visit our website for information our 2012 conference in Chicago May 7-9, 2012. Registration opens January 1st.

Post by Charles Lee

Registration for the Ideation Conference officially opens today!

As mentioned in a previous post, we will be hosting our annual conference in Chicago next May 7-9, 2012. You can now check out some of the presenters (with several more to be announced in the next few weeks!), venue (absolutely stunning!), and schedule for the conference on our website.

What’s New for the Conference?

Our team has added some new experiences for next year’s event including:

• New Pre-Conference Intensives on May 7th
  • As a conference focused on sharing and implementing ideas well, we felt it was important to add an extra day to the event for those who want to dive deeper into a relevant topic in the area of social good. This is why we are excited to introduce pre-conference intensives that will be led by thought leaders and practitioners in a 6 hour format. Yes, six hours!
  • We are offering 5-6 key intensives that will provide companies and organizations relevant knowledge, emerging perspectives, and practical skill-sets for developing social good in our world.
  • You may add this to your conference registration that will allow you to participate in all three days of the event or register solely for one of the pre-conference intensives.
• New Networking Gatherings
  • One of the main highlights of our conference each year is the networking of participants. Well, we’ve been working on new ways to better facilitate connections during our event! Our hope is that you will walk away with several new relationships that will lead to further friendship and collaborative opportunities in between our events. As always, our team will be available to make introductions for you with other great companies and organizations seeking to collaborate in your passions.
• New Interactive Workshop Experiences
  • Over the first two years of our event, participants have given us great insights into making workshops better. We’ve listened to your input and will be rolling out improved ways to engage the presenters and others attending the workshops. We think the workshop experience will be unlike another conference you’ve attended. Yes, we are working hard to make it remarkable!

We have no doubt that Ideation Conference 2012 will be an amazing event!

Our team has been deeply moved by the overwhelming support, exposure, and buy-in from influencers, leading brands & organizations, and people all over the world. Over the next few weeks, we will be announcing some exciting partnerships, sponsors, and new opportunities for those participating in the event. Stay tuned!

Personal Note: I see next year’s event as the fruit of much collaborative effort over the past several years among multiple individuals, brands, and organizations. It will be a beautiful expression of the hope we possess in making our world a better place.

Don’t miss out next year! I’d love to see you in Chicago. Be sure to register by January 20th to take full advantage of our lowest registration prices while supplies last! I promise that you won’t regret it!

This is one of several Ideation Talks that will be posted from this year’s 2011 Ideation Conference. You’re invited to watch and share this with your network! Also, be sure to visit our website for information our 2012 conference in Chicago May 7-9, 2012. Registration opens January 1st.

In this 2011 Ideation Talk by Jeff Shinabarger, Founder of Plywood People & Gift Card Giver, he explores and challenges us to consider, “What is enough?”

This is the first of several Ideation Talks that will be posted from this year’s 2011 Ideation Conference. You’re invited to watch and share this with your network! Also, be sure to visit our website for information our 2012 conference in Chicago May 7-9, 2012. Registration opens January 1st.

We will be updating this site in the next few weeks with details. Please stay tuned!