About InnovationCamp

InnovationCamp is an experiment in cross-disciplinary collaboration. It’s modeled on BarCamp — an “unconference” where attendees determine the programming. There are no keynote speakers. The BarCamp model embraces the principles of open innovation, which is a process of connecting different people from different backgrounds to develop fresh solutions to vexing problems and opportunities. InnovationCamp is problem-oriented. We hope participants will bring real problems they face in their work — problems they are eager to share with others. Ideally, we’ll end up with tangible solutions.

Why InnovationCamp?

The organizers of InnovationCamp believe that the most important things in life happen through collaboration. When people with different skills and talents gather, creative things happen. Countless studies of corporate innovation show that creative churn happens when different people throw-in together to tackle a problem or try to come up with a new product or service. The keyword here for us iscross-pollination. It’s proven to work, and we are eager to create a platform for Austin’s creative class to come together to find creative solutions and approaches to thorny Big Company problems

Why Austin?

In his book, The Rise of the Creative Class, Richard Florida suggests that Austin is one of America’s most creative cities. He measures this in terms of the number of technology patents filed annually, the number of new businesses created annually, the percentage of the population employed in the creative arts (music, film, theatre, writing, and other fine arts), and the number of new industries created. With an established technology community, a thriving advertising and social media community, a growing film and web/video community, and a (nationally) leading green architecture and sustainability community, Austin is a national leader in terms of both cultural and business innovation. For these reasons, we believe that Austin is a great place to host the first InnovationCamp.

Why GSD&M Idea City?

As for the location of the first InnovationCamp, GSD&M Idea City is a perfect fit. They’re one of the most innovative advertising agencies in the country, and one of Austin’s flagship creative firms. For its entire history, GSD&M Idea City has championed new ways of framing old problems and new ways of positioning brands and communicating its core values through its campaigns. GSD&M Idea City is a quintessential Austin firm, and a natural venue for open collaboration

Participants?

We see participants (and their problems) coming from many different backgrounds:

• Business — designers, software developers, social media professionals, human resource managers, marketing professionals, the energy sector, real estate, engineering, architecture
• Education
• Government
• Sustainable Architecture (and the Green Agenda)
• Transporation

Format

When participants arrive at GSD&M Idea City (on Saturday June 28, from 9:00am-6:00pm) there will be an area where they can post questions/issues/problems/challenges around which they would like to organize a panel. Others there will be able to sign up for the sessions they want to attend and contribute to. InnovationCamp will follow a user-generated agenda. The panels that generate the most interest will run first, and over lunch we will allow ideas that come up in the morning to spark ideas for new sessions in the afternoon.

There is no charge for InnovationCamp.