Ignite Brisbane

Hi everyone. It’s been a while since the blog has been updated with Christmas, new projects and general busyness, but we’re hoping to make this a more regular occurrence in the future. Andrew and Daniel (me!) from GO1 attended the March Brisbane Ignite evening.

Ignite is a novel concept started in Seattle in 2006 by a couple of entrepreneurs, it is a conference style event in which a number of experts on varied geeky topics are given 20 slides and 15 seconds per slide (for a total of 5 minutes). It was an eclectic group offering some fascinating insights into various industries, with a focus on the web.

Some standout speeches included advice by an ex-Microsoft employee on simplifying user interfaces, the trials and tribulations of setting up Australia’s first video gaming bar and a fascinating insight into the future of interactive touch surfaces.

The rapid fire nature of the talks worked surprisingly well, spurring the speakers on to express themselves as succinctly as possible in the allotted time. Attention spans were never tested with the wide range of topics constantly changing. Drinks and some snacks were also provided, giving us the opportunity to meet with some fellow guests and it’s always great to connect further with other creative types in Brisbane.

If the event had one weakness, the topics were a little too diverse and specialised. Some of the audience were clearly a little befuddled by some of the more obscure discussions that may not have been relevant to everyone attending. However, considering that this was the first ever Ignite Brisbane, it was a great success. The organisers mentioned that they are looking to make it a twice yearly event, and we will certainly be attending the next one. Hope to see you there!