2008 Event Announcements
(Click here for monthly calendar of events.)



CREATE '08

You are invited to attend the first International CREATE Conference from January 3-8 at the UGA Costa Rica Ecolodge-San Luis and Research Station, located on the edge of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve.

Tentative Daily Schedule:
7:00 - 9:00 morning walk, breakfast, meditation
9:00 - 12:00 sessions
12:00 - 2:00 lunch, casual discussions, nature walks
2:00 - 5:00 sessions
5:00 - 6:30 rest, horseback riding
6:30 dinner
After dinner: local entertainment, night hikes, discussions

Some special activities that we can arrange include: visit to coffee or botanical farm, trip to artisan village, welcome dinner, bird watching, milking, hike to waterfall traditional cooking butterfly garden organic farm. There is also an optional after-conference trip to active volcano and beaches for extra cost. Join us for a professional retreat that will provide opportunities for you to refresh yourself spiritually, and physically as well as mentally. For more information, visit www.coe.uga.edu/epit.


Invention-On-Demand Weekend

Project Renaissance will offer Invention-On-Demand during a weekend training event, February 1-3, in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Invention-On-Demand trains you in the experience and skills of creating invention, innovation, and discovery ideas and in understanding your way toward almost any technical or scientific solution. Invention-On-Demand does not teach how to develop your invention or discovery, nor how to get rich inventing. But Invention-On-Demand does give you some extraordinarily effective problem-solving skills which might be of some help to those processes, should you apply them for such purpose. Details can be found at www.winwenger.com/iodtrain08.htm.


American Creativity Association

Join us as we explore "Creativity Across Cultures" at our 2008 international conference in Singapore! The conference will focus on all aspects of creativity as it intersects with "culture." And culture is defined in the broadest possible way (i.e., nationality, ethnicity, religion, personality, gender, age, educational, governmental, corporate, etc.).

We will focus on big ideas and big questions; in particular, how knowledge and wisdom are created and transferred to practitioners both now and in the future.
Our goal is to share usable insights into creativity and the understanding that comes from real-world encounters, including the valuable lessons learned from success and from failure. Throughout the conference, cultural factors and considerations will be taken into account, thus highlighting the fundamental connection between culture and reality and culture and creativity.

Participants will learn, observe, and engage in the art, craft, practice, and experience of creativity. Presenters and participants will learn from each other through interaction that has a focus on addressing the real challenges and opportunities facing our governmental, educational, artistic/cultural, nonprofit, business, and corporate sectors.  For more information, visit www.amcreativityassoc.org/2008Conf-overview.html.


TED2008

Many people come to TED seeking something out of the ordinary. A chance to mentally recharge. A chance to step back and consider the really big stuff that's happening. A chance to understand life in a richer way. 2008 will be our most ambitious attempt yet to deliver on that agenda. We're building our program around the biggest questions there are. And because it's TED, we'll be seeking answers not just from the sources you might expect, but by bringing together multiple voices from very different disciplines. The "Aha" moments often come from the most unexpected connections. Plenty of Profundity and Challenge, for sure ... but also plenty of room for Cool, Exciting and Whimsical. TED2008 will take place February 27-March 1, 2008 at the Monterey Conference Center, Monterey, California, USA. We think you will like it very much. For more information, see www.ted.com/index.php/pages/view/id/48.


TED@Aspen

TED@Aspen will be held in Aspen, Colorado from Feb. 27-March 1, 2008. This February, 300 TEDsters will gather in beautiful Aspen and enjoy the full TED2008 program, broadcast live via satellite from Monterey. And it's not just a one-way connection. Several speakers -- including historian (and former Time magazine chief) Walter Isaacson -- will present from Aspen. And in every other aspect -- spectacular evening events, terrific conversations with amazing people, beautiful gift bag, the famous TED Book Club, post-conference DVDs, online networking with all conference participants -- the experience will be 100% TED quality.

It won't, however, be 100% of the cost. TED@Aspen entrance is $3,000, half the minimum cost for the conference in Monterey. We're launching this exciting new program in response to the growing demand for TED. (TED2008 sold out more than a year in advance, and we now have a waiting list of 3,000.) We can't bring more people to our main conference in Monterey, but remote simulcasts offer another way to grow the TED community. In truth, we suspect that many of you will prefer the intimate size of TED@Aspen. TED in Monterey is awesome, but can be overwhelming for some. With 300 people, it's easier to forge connections. And a hosting group of longstanding TEDsters -- including our own Kelly Stoetzel -- is lined up to attend, ensuring an authentic TED atmosphere. It's our intention to make this a regular part of TED going forward. For more information, see www.ted.com/index.php/pages/view/id/130.


Alden B. Dow Creativity Conference

The 19th Annual International Alden B. Dow Creativity Conference will take place March 6-8, 2008, at the Northwood University Campus, in Midland, Michigan.  For more information, see http://www.northwood.edu/abd/creativityconference.


Florida Creativity Weekend V

We are excited to announce the 5th Annual Florida Creativity Weekend (Catch the Creativity Wave: Business, Education, Community & Personal Creativity) to be held in Sarasota, Florida on Friday from 5 p.m. through Sunday noon, March 7-9, 2008. There will also be Pre-Weekend opportunities on Friday (9 a.m. – 4 p.m.).

Florida Creativity Weekend is a weekend of interactive learning experiences focusing on creativity, creative problem solving, team building and professional and personal development. We do this to explore personal, professional and organizational creativity and the ways creative energy, thinking and process can be applied to improve many areas including: learning, team building, planning, business development, communication, understanding self and others, healthy aging, personal expression and our communities. The Weekend will be one of learning together in experiential ways and of sharing connections with fellow participants.

The Weekend attracts participants and leaders who come from many arenas – educators, the arts, business, not-for-profit, retired community members, youth, health care – anyone sharing a common interest in learning more about the myriad aspects of creativity and its many applications. For more information, see http://flcreativity.com.


Perspectives on Creativity

"Perspectives on Creativity" has as its goal the gathering of professionals from different areas of study and practice in order to share what we know about creativity. Individuals from the fields of psychology, philosophy, education, art, political science, history, and medicine were invited to submit papers addressing one of six themes. The themes included: the nature of creativity and the creative process; the characteristics of creative individuals; the relationship between creativity and mental health; the healing power of creativity; the relationship between creativity and brain functioning; the developmental trajectory of creativity; and society’s shaping influences on creativity. It is anticipated that Conference participants will leave with a broader view of the topic of creativity, will have had the opportunity to interact with others interested in similar themes, and will have formed relationships that may culminate in scholarly collaboration.

The conference will be held on March 29, 2008 at Holy Family University in Philadelphia, PA. The conference will begin with a complimentary continental breakfast and registration at 8:30 am, followed by the keynote address. Hour-long workshops will be held from 10 am - noon and then again from 1-4 pm. Lunch is included in the registration fee. Holy Family’s art gallery will be open during the conference for browsing. For more information, see conference web site at: www.holyfamily.edu/sas/creativity/index.shtml.


CREA Conference

What does the CREA Conference offer? The conference offers time and space to be creative, while learning how to live and work creatively. Sestri Levante, Italy, is the setting for this unique mix of people, cultures and ideas.

How does the CREA conference explore the deliberate use of creativity (purposeful creativity)?
Through the various core programs, workshops and other activities, such as the labyrinth, biodance, drumming, meditation tent and more!

Participants will learn the latest models and theories in Creativity and Creative Problem Solving, along with new tools and techniques for applying them to daily life and work. As well, a variety of 90 minute workshops (Expos) offer participants a chance to customize their learning throughout the conference.

The result? Feeling rejuvenated, refreshed, and revitalized! Oxygen to your brain! The 6th Annual CREA Conference will take place April 16-20.  For more information, see www.creaconference.com.


Creativity and Innovation Day

Admit it -- you are Creative. Creativity and Innovation Day is a global celebration of our ability to generate new ideas, use imagination and make new decisions in every sphere of life.

Each year on April 21st we remind ourselves and encourage others to solve new challenges in rewarding ways by holding Creativity and Innovation Day events and activities in over 50 countries. Join in!

The first Creativity and Innovation Day celebration occurred in 2002 with 1,000 people participating. More than 5,000 people were in involved in 2004 including schools, universities, businesses, communities, and individual families. More and more people are finding ways to honour their restlessness for improvements in positive ways and choosing to announce this with pride and celebrate creative and innovative energies annually. The idea sprang from a group of people in Canada and is peacefully spanning the globe. Join us!

For more information, see: www.creativityday.org.


6a Conferencia Iberoamericana de Creatividad e Innovación

The Conferencia Iberoamericana de Creatividad e Innovación will take place April 21-23, 2008, in Mexico.  For more information, see http://6aconferencia.path-leadership.org/index.html.


Atlanta Creativity Exchange  2008

The center for Business Innovation and Creativity is pleased to announce the first annual conference on Innovation and Creativity in business and education.
When:   May 15-18, 2008
Where:  At the KSU center at Kennesaw State University
What:   Atlanta Creativity Exchange 2008 is a conference where exchange of ideas in more than 60 sessions will take place. Ideas will be shared on innovation in business, education and personal well being. Book early because only 150 registrations are available. For more information, contact Harry Vardis at hvardis@kennesaw.edu.


Front End of Innovation 2008

The Front End of Innovation 2008 will take place May 19-21, 2008, at the Boston World Trade Center & Seaport Hotel. The Front End of Innovation (FEI), or discovery portion of the innovation process, remains to be the source for major growth in corporations. Most companies have developed very efficient development processes for bringing incremental innovations to the market. In contrast, few companies have an efficient front end for developing the next generation platform products. What does a robust FEI look and feel like? What are the latest tools and techniques used by companies to achieve success? How do these companies achieve repeatable success in today's virtual and global community? Learn from thought leaders and through case studies…how success is accomplished. For more information, see www.iirusa.com/frontend/14544.xml.


16th Annual "Double Festival" Conference

The Sixteenth Annual "Double Festival" of Project Renaissance will take place May 23-25, 2008, Pasadena, Maryland.  Come join us as we doubly celebrate the discovery how every creativity-related technique can also be used to profoundly accelerate and improve learning, and vice-versa!

A special pre-conference event will be a Beyond-Einstein workshop -- a day-long training event, May 23, in Pasadena, Maryland! Historic Socratic Method led to such miracle leaps of understanding that its practitioners thought all knowledge was already within each of us. Explore the key psychological and physical principles behind what made Socratic Method so very productive of genius. Learn new, easy, effortless and even more powerful ways than the historic method, to Socratize one another, your staff, your friends and co-workers, your family — and even yourself! For more info on the Beyond-Einstein process, see www.winwenger.com/courses.htm#Beyond. For more details on the preconference event, contact Project Renaissance at WWenger101@aol.com.

There will also be a special post-conference event -- Special Advanced Training for Trainers of Project Renaissance method, May 26-28.  This training provides major new perspectives on overall creativity method, practice, and theory.  For more information on becoming a Project Renaissance Trainer, see www.winwenger.com/trainer.htm#trainers. For information on all the exciting offerings of the "Double Festival" Conference, see details posted at www.winwenger.com/upcoming.htm. 


2nd Creativity and Innovation Management Community Meeting

The International Center for Studies in Creativity in collaboration with Creativity and Innovation Management (CIM) and Blackwell Publishing LTD announce the 2nd Creativity and Innovation Management Community Meeting to be held in Buffalo, NY, USA on the campus of Buffalo State College.  This will be the 2nd CIM Community Meeting and the sequel to the successful first meeting in Oxford (March 2005). The three-day conference in Buffalo will begin with an opening reception on the evening of May 28 followed by two full days of paper presentations and keynote talks (May 29-30).
 
Sessions will relate to the philosophy and vision of Creativity and Innovation Management whose "central consideration is how to challenge and facilitate creative potential, and how then to imbed this into result-oriented business development.  The creativity of individuals, coupled with structured and well-managed innovation projects, create a sound base from which organizations may operate effectively within their inter-organizational and societal environment...therefore, a cultural focus and inspiring leadership are as crucial to an organizations success as efficient structural arrangements and support facilities."  For more information, see http://buffalostate.edu/creativity/CIM2008.xml.


2008 ISPIM Conference - Open Innovation:
Creating Products and Services through Collaboration

The 2008 ISPIM Conference - Open Innovation: Creating Products and Services through Collaboration - will be held in Tours (Loire Valley), France on 15-18 June 2008. Organised by ISPIM and supported by ESCEM School of Business and Management, this conference will bring together academics, business leaders, consultants and other professionals involved in innovation management. The conference format includes plenary and parallel sessions with both academic and practitioner presentations and workshops. Additionally, the conference will provide excellent networking opportunities together with a taste of local culture. For more information, visit, www.ispim.org/conference/index.html.


52nd International Humor Program

Dates have been announced for the HUMOR Project's 52nd international conference on "The Positive Power of Humor and Creativity." This world-class program will take place on June 20-22, 2008 at the Silver Bay Conference Center on majestic Lake George in upstate New York.  For more information, see www.humorproject.com.


Creative Problem Solving Institute (CPSI)

The 2008 Creative Problem Solving Institute will take place at Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain, Georgia, from June 22nd - 27th. For more information, see www.cpsiconference.com.


8th International Creativity Conference: UK Creativity Jamboree

The 8th International Creativity Conference: UK Creativity Jamboree will take place 3rd & 4th July 2008 at the UNESCO historical maritime campus of the University of Greenwich.  Themes for the conference are:

•Creativity from Africa (Ubuntu, Lekgotla, etc.)
•Creativity in Social Enterprise
•Creativity for 21st Century Leadership
•Creating extraordinary teams

Call for Papers: 500 word abstracts with title, key conceptual points and proposed applied session due 15 December. Queries should be sent to: k.k.rajah@gre.ac.uk. Further information available at:http://www.gre.ac.uk/__data/assets/file/0003/94701/8thInternationalCreativityConferenceFlierweb.pdf.


4th Design Research Society Conference: Undisciplined!

The 4th bi-annual Design Research Society Conference: Undisciplined! will take place July 16-19 at Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK. DRS is open to the whole range of designing disciplines and any scholar interested in the matter of designing. The conference is a very wide ranging survey of contemporary inquiry but will concentrate on two important issues.

First, the question of new and hybrid disciplines. Designing seems to be moving into a new era, the disciplines that have framed our work are reshaping themselves, new kinds of designing are emerging and we are not yet able to define these new and hybrid professions, some created by people not previously thought of as designers.

Second, a different kind of "discipline" - the principle that research requires rigour. Some of us work in emerging academic cultures, seeking appropriate forms of inquiry whose methods and contributions to knowledge may not fit comfortably into the "rules" of other disciplines. Design research has seen some very different views taken, ranging from rejection of academic conventions to Talmudic reiterations of the fundamental principles of scholarly inquiry.

Above all, this conference is an exciting opportunity for researchers to share new inquiries and interesting contributions to our knowledge and understanding. For more information, see http://drs2008.designinquiry.wikispaces.net.


Art of Management & Organization

Our aim is the exploration and promotion of the arts (in the most inclusive sense) as a means of understanding management and organization(al) life. This conference series has given rise to a vibrant global community of praxis – including scholars and practitioners. The conference has resided in London (2002), Paris (2004), Krakow (2006); and in 2008 – we will travel to Banff, Canada, September 9-12. This shift from Europe reflects the growing diversity of our community – which touches every continent. The location of The Banff Centre, a world renowned arts centre, also reflects our desire to encourage participants “out of the classroom” – to not simply intellectually explore the topics at hand, but to also aesthetically experience the conference location in the heart of the majestic Canadian Rocky Mountains, in Canada’s first National Park, and a recognized UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The continuing growth, diversity and strength of the field of art and aesthetics in organizations, along with this exciting location, has inspired a number of innovative and stimulating sessions. In addition to our usual range of conference events, a new enhancement to the programme is a pre-conference theatre festival that intends to develop and showcase a number of theatrical approaches that explore, engage, provoke, and inspire creative leadership in organizations. For us, this all adds to the potential for a very exciting Fourth Art of Management and Organization Conference, and we hope you will consider joining us in this ongoing quest into art and aesthetics in organizations.  For more information, visit www.essex.ac.uk/afm/emc/streams_banff.htm.


Mindcamp Toronto

Mindcamp is a four-day micro-university for personal, professional, and organizational creativity — a feast of 90-minute concurrent sessions presented by the best creativity leaders in North America and around the world.

Mindcamp exposes more than 100 creative people to a wide range of perspectives on the research and practice of deliberate creativity. And on top of our scheduled programs, there are evening salons, dialog sessions, music, dancing, campfires, and just plain fun.

Toronto's Fifth Mindcamp Creativity Weekend will be held Thursday to Sunday, September 11 to 14, 2008. For more information, visit http://thinkxic.com/mindcamp/weekend.php.


2008 Idea Festival

Why an Idea Festival? With ideas and innovation we create the future. It is in fact the development, integration and application of knowledge and ideas that is driving meaningful change and progress in the 21st Century. Much of the innovation that we are now witnessing is emerging from and at the intersections of different fields (science, the arts, business, design, technology, education, etc.). Ideas need to be discussed. Unfortunately most people have little opportunity to get out of their field to learn about, discuss and explore how to integrate (and apply to their area of interest) diverse and important ideas and innovations. The Idea Festival, September 25-27 in Louisville, Kentucky, provides this unique “space” and opportunity.

The premise for the Idea Festival is straightforward: to bring together people with diverse backgrounds, knowledge and perspectives to discuss and explore innovation and cutting-edge ideas. Based on the realization that answers are everywhere…the Festival promotes out-of-the-box thinking and the cross-fertilization of ideas, as a means toward high-speed innovation and developing new products, services, and creative endeavors. For more information, see www.ideafestival.com.


14th Annual International Creativity Conference in Africa

The 14th ACRE, When Creativity Becomes Innovation, will be held 7-10 October, 2008, at the Klein Kariba Resort, in Bela-Bela, Limpopo, South Africa, Some of the world's leading international presenters will present on topics including:
• Learning about the benefits of 21st century creativity.
• Moving from creativity to innovation --- the ultimate process
• Creativity for dreamers and doers
• The power of a creative team.
• Generate more ideas and more breakthrough ideas.
• 7 steps to innovate your organisation
• How to navigate complex challenges.
• Coaching and creativity – the perfect mix.
• Sustaining creative passion and energy.

We are offering the same remarkable registration fee as last year – probably the lowest anywhere in the world for an international conference – R3900,00 plus R546,00 (VAT) = R4446,00 per person for the duration of the conference. This fee includes:
* Accommodation from the afternoon of Tuesday 7th until morning tea on Friday 10th October 2008.
* All meals from the evening of the 7th until the morning of the 10th October 2008.
* Tea, coffee, snacks during tea-breaks.
* Conference material.
* Attendance of all keynotes, sessions, workshops, evening entertainment.
Please register early – this conference is fully booked every year!

To register, visit www.sacreativity.com or e-mail at enab@iafrica.com. For more info tel: 014.736.2099.


International Congress of Creativity and Innovation 2008

The International Congress of Creativity and Innovation will take place 17-19 October 2008, in Loulé, Portugal.  The idea that will be developed will center around the role that both countries, Portugal and Spain, had in revealing new worlds, reconverted now in the common creation of future in which the globalization can exist without losing own identity. To further define the problem: Can the Iberian space bring something innovative to the building of the European space?

The Congress is intended to promote experience in the creativity and innovation management area, stimulating conditions for competitiveness of companies and effectiveness in organizations in the following areas: organizations and company, visual and performance arts, literature and poetry, education, communication, science and technology.

“The Creative City 2008” will be nominated, according to the support given to creativity, as well as the award “Ricardo Marin” for entities that have distinguished themselves in the field of creativity and innovation. For more information, see www.apgico.pt/web_apgico_en_ficheiros/Page525.htm and
www.apgico.pt/CONGRESSO_EN_online.pdf.


International Conference on Creativity Education

The National Chengchi University (Taipei, Taiwan) and the National Sun Yat-Sen University (Kaohsiung, Taiwan) are pleased to announce the hosting of an International Conference on Creativity Education: Creativity for Lifespan.  The event will take place in Taipei, Taiwan from 20th to 21 of October, 2008, and in Kaohsiung, Taiwan from 23rd to 24th of October, 2008.

The conference will provide a medium for scholarship on: cultivating creativity in various life stages (from birth to death); cultivating creativity within various social settings (e.g., families, schools, government organizations, academic departments, and private enterprises); & cultivating creativity within the boundaries of disciplinary knowledge (e.g. distinct courses of study, various fields of studies, and industrial sectors).

National and overseas academics as well as decision makers in creativity policies are invited to attend a series of seminars targeting different disciplines of knowledge, various issues related to life stages, and environments that cultivate creativity. The sessions will serve as a forum to conduct in-depth reviews and discussions of what has been accomplished in creativity education and to consider plans for further development of creativity education as a field of study. For more details, see: http://tisecweb.nccu.edu.tw/2008ccis.


Sustainable Innovation 08

Sustainable Innovation 08 will provide a platform to discuss in the future opportunities and challenges related to sustainable innovation, technology, product and service design and development. Sustainable Innovation 08 will include invited and refereed papers from academics, consultants, entrepreneurs, investors, technology providers, designers, sustainability, environment and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) managers as well as other business functions. The event will be a unique learning experience, networking space and an opportunity to think or even jump 'out of the box'. Delegates will come globally from large companies, entrepreneurs, as well as academia, government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

Sustainable Innovation 08 will provide a range of benefits to speakers and delegates:
* Unique forum for new ideas and concepts
* Leading-edge presentations from key international researchers, practitioners and policy-makers
* Content new research, results and thinking
* Networking opportunities to meet business, government and academia

Over 1400 delegates from over 40 countries have attended previous 'Towards Sustainable Product Design' conferences. Sustainable Innovation 08 will take place October 27-28, 2008, in Malmo, Sweden. For more information about Sustainable Innovation 2008, see www.designophy.com/article.php?id=1185.
International Forum of Creativity Organizations
connecting innovators across the globe