inVerge 2007

NOTE: You can download a PDF of the complete Inverge 2007 printed program.

Welcome to the first iteration of Inverge: the interactive convergence conference. The seed for this new business + culture event grew while I was on vacation reading two different books–Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide by Henry Jenkins of MIT and Inside the Dream: The Personal Story of Walt Disney.  As the original master of transmedia storytelling, having Disney’s historic creative and technical innovations fresh in my mind while reading Jenkins’ book provided a deeper context for understanding and insight. Right after that I read Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything and it was a serendipitous combination, resulting in concepts and notions swirling around in my head for what I came to think of as interactive convergence and call “invergence” for short.

I felt compelled to create a communal experience that would explore invergence and the result is the program you are participating in over the next few days. Join us for as much of it as you can and if you find the experience valuable, help spread the word beyond PDX for 2008. Inverge was conceived as part of a destination “happening” that coincides with the Time-Based Art Festival, MusicFestNW and the First Thursday Gallery Walk. It’s a unique opportunity to invite out-of-town colleagues, business partners, clients, prospects, thought-leaders, influencers and other cultural creatives to come together in Portland to learn from and network with each other while experiencing the city at its best.

Steve Gehlen
Founder & Director, Inverge: the interactive convergence conference