TED Global - Stop. Look. Go.

This week I have attended the TED Global conference in Edinburgh. The best way to describe the conference is through it's initial vision – a ‘dinner party’ or gathering of inspiring people sharing topical ideas and addressing relevant global issues or trends.  Richard Saul Wurman started the event in Monterey in 1984 bringing together like-minds to participate in interesting conversation. Originally encompassing ideas around Technology, Entertainment and Design (hence the name TED) the conference also now encourages other topics - namely politics and business. In 2002 media entreprenuer and current owner Chris Anderson bought the TED brand via his non-profit organisation and began distributing the content free via the internet. The slogan 'ideas worth spreading' was born and is the now underlying philosophy of the conference and culture.

The TED Global conference has been held in Edinburgh for the last few years after originating in Oxford and short spell in Africa. For a city known for its history and medical innovation it was the perfect destination to gather some forward-thinking minds.  I was looking for inspiration and ideas along with meeting people from diverse eclectic backgrounds.  Also a good excuse to visit Edinburgh on the fringe of summer! After filling out a quite comprehenseive application process I was accepted to attend, so booked my tickets for Scotland and with no expectations I threw myself head first into this cauldron of debate of disruptive ideas and discussion.

I arrived at the Edinburgh Conference Center to be met by the friendly event staff, many from Vancouver where the TED head office is based. Although many of the 700 attendees were staying at the Sheraton I had booked into a local apartment through Airbnb, although I didn't spend much time there except to sleep! A warm up cocktail events was planned at the National Museum. It was here I met a number of speakers, including Charlie Robertson who is the leading thinking on macro investment in Africa, a continent fast on its way to be the new frontier of tech start ups. But more on that later. I also met up with fellow kiwi Elliott Blade. Elliot organizes the Auckland TEDx event and was to be my wing man for the week.

The first day kicked off with TED University which was the opportunity for conference attendees to speak on topics they felt strongly about. A soapbox if you like for passionate thinkers who support the TED ethsos. When the conference began we were welcomed by infamous Greek PM George Papandreou who spoke about the spirit of democracy and encouraged all to join the global voice on issues or risk being left out.  Other opening talks also included benefits of taking sleep seriously and then power of asking questions to ensure topical issues continue to be bought to the fore.

A whole session was dedicated to ‘those flying machines’- namely drones. Sci-fi author David Suarez spoke about the ethics of drone warfare and danger of machines making decisions on who should live or die in combat. An interactive session showed quadrocoptic drones working to algorithms to complete specific tasks at the request of hand gestures. We heard about the use of airborne robots for digital mapping and observing animal behaviour in a game parks, along analysing forest deforestation in the Amazon. And a futuristic vision for airborne delivery of healthcare supplies to remote villages in Africa. By the end of the session it wasn’t hard to imagine a world in whereby drones would complete day to day tasks in our cities, like delivering pizzas or building houses, all at the direction of specific GPS algorhythms.

A further welcoming dinner was held which was a great chance to meet some of the fellow delegates.  Here a crude game of speed networking took place as the room buzzed with introductions and conversation.  It was great to meet 2 young Harvard MPP/MBA grads Jake and Matt who have set up CrossBorders - a company focused on investment in third world such as Afganistan and Sudan.  By the end of the week we were great mates. Another young guy was Dan who was Australia’s youth representative at the UN.  There was the wealthy Oxford donor who helps fund the TED Foundation. A dashing fund manager from New York. A manager of Miami-based philanthropist Knight Foundation. Ex-pat kiwi musician Natasha Beddingfield. The networking continued at the hotel bar over a few whiskeys but I left at a reasonable hour with intentions to get the most out of the week.

As the conference went on the conversation seemed to heat up. A memorable moment was from author Lesley Hazeldine who discussed an excerpt from her book 'The First Muslim'.  A courageous and powerful speech from a female agnostic Jew's perspective about the presence of 'doubt' in religion, completely undermining the plight of fanatical Muslim extremists. Many were saying her talk was the highlight of the week. I was certainly memorised by her dulcut tones and eloquant depictions of why real faith needs a sense of doubt. A standing ovation soon ensued.

An engaging talk by Eric Li a Professor from UC Berkley on the Chinese government and how it more efficient system of government over democracy despite continued ridicule from the West. That the Chinese Communist Party run a regime that is adaptable, competent and is on track to leading China as the world's largest economy while containing corruption and poverty along the way. 

This was followed by a discussion from Political theorist Benjamin Barber about Mayors being the respected leaders of the powerful ‘urban animals’, commonly known as cities. Mayors are pragmatic, problem solvers and respected by the people they govern due to emersed in the very world they govern being he argued. Imagine the world run by a parliament of Mayors rather than Heads of State? Why do we follow leaders that consistently have the support less than 50% approval rating? One idea that resonated with me.

During the breaks the Conference Center was a hive of activity. Healthy lunch and snacks were provided along with fresh coffee. Bean bags were set out in adjoining rooms and all the talks broadcast live on TV's for those who wanted a break from the theatre. It was here you could easily mix and mingle or even snooze if you so choose. I met Steve Gottleib who was an ex-music mogul from New York, having discovered Nine Inch Nails.  Also Juliana Rotich a TED fellow from Uganda. There were 20 TED fellows annually who are flown in from around the world to be part in the discussion.

Elliott and I took front row seats for the session Forces of Change. This was curated by TED fellow Erik Hersman who was leading the charge of Nairobi billion dollar tech industry, now known as the 'Silicon Savannah'.  We learnt that the East-African hub is about 5 years away from the infrastructure to sustain itself and has the scalability or millions as high speed broadband, VC and access to hardware all align on the new frontier. Toby Shapshak a reknown tech editor spoke about the innovation in the South African community. Not unlike NZ, many cutting edge innovation is born to not on but ‘over’ the edge. The difference between our countries is the scale of the market from South Africa north is enormous. This session lit a fire on Africa I my consciousness that has continued to burn long after the conference.

The most moving discussion of the week revolved around a young North Korean refeugee Joseph Kim. He spoke courageously about the starvation and poverty in his home country, which saw his father waste away before his eyes. His sister and mother left him at aged 13 to food never to return.  He spent the next years working in a mine before escaping via China to the USA.  He gave an emotional shout out to his sister and  mother in the hope that they will one day see them. He left us with a honest of statement of how hope can help you survive even the darkest experiences and he received a standing ovation as many of the crowd wiped away their tears.

It wasn’t all heavy hitting global and political discussion. There were lots of lighter moments and each session had some form of entertainment. Natasha Beddingfield and Jamie Cullum performed live. Illusionist and pick pocketer Apollo Robbins showed how the mind plays tricks and how to remove a watch.  A classically trained guitarist and pianist performed.  Also some unique medical advances such as a small sandpaper like medical device that will replace syrynges. Or recording and analysing the sounds of nature.  Animal sex even!

http://scienceblogs.com/notrocketscience/2009/12/22/ballistic-penises-and-corkscrew-vaginas-the-sexual-battles/

The closing party was a chance for speakers and delegates alike to mingled while a Brazilian band provided the soundtrack, warming the crowd up for next years Global conference in Rio. I caught up with Holly Morris, a travel presenter who had spoken about her time in Chernobyl and the unique story of the elderly ladies who still live in the danger zone, refusing to spend the rest of their days away from their spiritual homes. Also other TEDx organisers from Montreal to Melbourne. 

The final day was a heavy weight line up with reknown Havard business Professor Michael Porter speaking about the responsibilities and ethics of business. This was countered by a Harvard Philosopher Michael Sandel saying the market needs to be kept in their places and discussed user pays systems. A heavy debate with respected scholars followed.

A final talk was given about happiness by a monk David Steindl-Rast. His message was it is gratefulness that makes you happy. He negated the saying 'that opportunity knocks only once' highlighting that in fact every moment is another opportunity. He left us with the token to 'Stop, Look and Go'. Build stop signs into your life to be able to take a moment to stand back from your busy lives. Open your eyes, nose, ears and look around at the enjoyable life you are experiencing! Then continue, remembering to seek the opportunity to makes others happy as you strive to live your dreams.

It was a fitting end to a memorable week. A social picnic rounded off the week before a group of delegates took to their bikes to explore the city, scaling the mighty Arthurs Seat for stunning views and exploring Craigwarren Castle - the former home of Mary the Queen of Scots.  It was great to get outside and continue meeting people, including a doctor from Omaha, a IP specialist from Portland and a sailor from Norway.

In all my first TED Conference was an amazing and inspiring experience. My head is still blown - full of information, stories, perspectives and theories - all of which a week prior I had no understanding or appreciation for.  The people I met were so friendly, so diverse and so inspiring and motivated to make a change and a difference.  Many were just to be updated with information. As someone said it was her holiday that he later self would thank her for. One lady said she had a number of 'brain crushes' on the speakers. An interesting analogy.

Me - I'm just glad I took a chance and threw myself into a new community, one I will be sure to exist in. I learnt a lot about a number of new subjects and have been left inspired long after those last drams of whiskey. Made some great new mates as well I will keep in touch with. My inbox is now full of invitations to attend events in India and Mexico, and offers of places to stay in Portland, Lisbon and New York City. 

And a stack of ideas to begin to spread.

But before then I will be sure to Stop. Look. And Go.

Kiwi Boys Done Good - The Stafford Brothers

Last week I had the opportunity to hang out with Kiwi DJ's the Stafford Brothers in Los Angeles.  They were scheduled to play at Hollywood nightspot 'Lure' and invited Toby Burrows and I up for a couple of drinks at their house in Laurel Canyon before hand.  The DJ's had played at BW Campgrounds a few years back and Toby had kept in touch with them, often hanging out when in LA.

The brothers Matt and Chris Stafford had grown up in Wellington, New Zealand and moved to Australia when they were teenagers. Originally talented rugby players, the boys love of music and good times got them involved in the burgenoing club scene on the Gold Coast.  After dominating the local nightclubs, the boys won a trip to Ibiza for up and coming DJ's with Channel V. It opened their eyes to a whole new world and they returned to turned to their focus to producing the big room tunes they are known for today. Their hard work paid off and they were awarded #1 DJ's in Australia by IntheMix in 2010 and 2011.  Having cracked it at home, the boys jumped at the chance to get US representation and further their career in the burgeoning US EDM market.

With the brothers firmly entrenched in the LA scene now for 18 months they have been keeping good company.  They have a new single out with Lil Wayne and Christina Milan called ‘Hello’ which has already gone platinum in Australia and about to drop in USA just in time for the Memorial Day pool parties.  They have time for club remixes as well – they latest one is called ‘Hands Up’ and features Lil Jon on the record. It was made with festivals in mind so has a big room vibe track!

Stafford Brothers feat. Christina Milan and Lil Wayne

So anyway we were invited up at their mansion a few pre drinks.  Now for a passionate musician like me who was raised on the sweet sounds of Californian rock acts like the Eagles and Neil Young – Laurel Canyon is a mythical oasis of music and creativity.  The very name drips with all the trappings of fame and excess, as numerous deals were done poolside with moguls like David Geffen. Legendary songwriters like Jackson Brown and James Taylor would host soirees attended by the stars of the time. I was excited to be able to experience some of the magic of this famous community nestled in the hills above Hollywood.

We pulled up outside the boys pad, which is apparently just down the street from where George Clooney has a home.  One thing that struck me is that the homes in the Hills are quite unassuming from street view.  Many properties were developed back in the 60's I guess so the facades can appear quite dated and understated in terms of modern villas. Remember Brenda and Brandon’s house on 90210?  Although in a famous area code, the outside facing wouldn’t have been out of place in Takapuna.

However walking in felt like I was in an episode of MTV Cribs. A lavish lobby sprawled out into a huge lounge with comfy couches and big screen TV's.  A circular bar area was the focal point for the entertainment as it serviced guests both indoors and outside.  The pool area was magnificent, laden with palms and with a big deck looking out on to Studio City below.  A skate ramp sat adjacent to the pool. More big screen TV’s loomed over us outside, while a waterfall fountain trickled into a dark blue blue water.  Sweet - you could watch the AB's while doing bombs off the rock facade. Chur bro! 

Matt bounded over with a big grin and gave us a warm welcome, highlighting how excited he was to have us along for the night.  After meeting a few industry types and hangers-on, our ride was waiting to escourt us - the 'inner entourage' - to the club.  Uber is the hot new craze in LA where you can book private cars on your phone with your own personalized driver.  So a black Escslade had arrived to escourt us down the hill.   Harry the personable and professional driver opened the door and squeezed Toby and I in with a couple of other friends visiting from down under.

We arrived at 'Lure' to a huge line outside but were ushered in the VIP entrance and into the green room. It was great to meet a number of their friends from Australia who were living in LA.  Even the boys parents were there - having relocated to LA for the summer to join the festivities. Otherwise there were other DJ's and promoters, schmoozing and boozing.  The thing with LA is everyone is hustling and networking. I walked out with about 5 business cards from up and coming dance producers, managers and promoters - as they did with mine.

I went out into the club as the boys began and the place was heaving. Cashed up banker-types buying tables for girls in skimpy dresses. Ravers moshing up the front to the sounds of the heavy hitting electro mash ups. The VIP booth was full of interesting people, producers for pop artists like Justin Beiber, artist managers, promoters and hostesses.  Popular Canadian dubstep producer Datsik was there and jumped up to perform a couple of tracks. Cannons littered the crowd with confetti, as a girl in a bikini floated out over the dancefloor amongst jets of CO2 pumping dry ice on every drop.  Welcome to LA club life.

Post show we trudged back to the house expecting for a few warm downs. We greeted by dozens of guests outside the mansion. Its seems Matt had invited the half club back to his house! An example of their warm hospitality - they are loving sharing their lifestyle and success with as many people as possible.  But it appeared slightly out of hand as the motley crowd loitered in one of LA's more premium neighbourhoods. I was almost expecting for Clooney to meander out in his dressing gown and set the hounds onto us all. It wouldn't be long until the cops showed up surely!

Some big security guard that looked like Drake stood up (maybe it was?) and said in his best Samuel Jackson voice 'Yo! Everybody! You better move the fck out of this house NOW! If you don’t move your mutha fckn a$$ out of this mutha fckn party, I know some bad ass mutha fckers that will move it for you'!'

That was enough to get people moving and soon the crowd soon dispersed.  The party thinned to left a few key friends to fight over the remaining drops of vodka before we all called it a night. Well some of us anyway.

Just another day at the office for the boys who have a busy scheduled ahead.  They are residents at the new 'Light' club in Las Vegas which opened over Memorial weekend, and are playing both club shows and pool parties.

Also with the LA connection they will continue to play Lure in Hollywood and also XIV – two of the hottest clubs in town.‘XIV is insane because it starts at 5pm on a Sunday and finishes at 10pm and in those 5 hours there is more madness than anywhere' Matt told me.  'You will never see more champagne being sprayed anywhere else'. I'll be sure to keep the next few Sunday's free....

 ‘The thing for us is we are traveling all over America and getting to see a lot of these places for the first time, so its a great experience everywhere we are going.’ By the look of some of the Snapchats I am receiving from the guys they know how to have a good time.  And good on them! It was inspiring to see the kiwis guys making a name for themselves in the competitive market that is the USA.  

Hopefully we get to host them back here sooner rather than later!

Sabbatical. Part 1

Sabbatical or a sabbatical (from Latin sabbaticus, from Greek sabbatikos, from Hebrew shabbat, i.e., Sabbath, literally a "ceasing") is a rest from work, or a break, often lasting from two months to a year. The concept of sabbatical has a source in shmita, described several places in the Bible (Leviticus 25, for example, where there is a commandment to desist from working the fields in the seventh year). In the strict sense, therefore, a sabbatical lasts a year

I'm having a sabbatical this year. After 5+ solid years of building a business and all the stresses, sleepless nights and sacrafices that come with it. Not that I haven't enjoyed the ride or been thoroughly fulfilled in many areas. It is just nice to have some time out to work where I want to go next, along with doing some personal development and of course travelling and meeting new inspiring people. Someone sent me this TED talk which talks a little bit about the positives of time off.

Stefan Sagmeister - The Power of Time off

I left NZ two months ago it is time to reflect, and work out what I really want to achieve this year. The first month was spent a mixture of work, travel and holiday. I had a week in Austin and a week in Miami at different music conferences, networking and learning what the current state of my industry was doing and where it is going. Then a couple of weeks holiday in Carribean chilling out and winding down from a busy summer in NZ, preparing for a new life in California and beyond.

For the last month I have been settled here in Huntington Beach, Los Angeles and trying a few things to see what I want to achieve. It has been great spending time with my girlfriend Kim and room mate Katie, meeting new people and getting to know the city. The simple new experiences like shrimp tacos, daily Starbucks routines and opening weekend of blockbuster movies like 'Iron Man 3' are sometimes the most memorable.

I have definitely been trying my fair share of new things, along with chipping away at my tried and tested hobbies and routines. I have been keeping my running up every few days down along Huntington Beach, playing guitar with Katie and reading whatever newspaper, magazine or streetrag I can get my hands on.

But yes definitely trying my hand at some some new things which include acting classes, yoga, vegan food, Bible studies and posting videos of myself on youtube playing Ed Sheeran songs.  Nothing ventured, nothing won right? Who knows we might even get spotted by Scooter Braun looking for his next internet sensation.

Small Bump (cover) by Katie and Hamish

However I think its time to try and put some goals down on paper that I can work on, so I can look back at the end of the year and feel like I have achieved something during this time off. Here are 8 goals!

-         Complete 30 original songs. (Currently at around 20).  Katie has a good routine of listing all her songs and has a visual list to be consistently working on. I have the lyrics typed out or in books but might be worth being a bit more organized with trying to categorize each one.  Then when I am in a position to record them they are ready to go. Lyrics, lead break, formats, chorus, and key changes.

-         Learn Spanish – I have bought the complete set of 1-5 Rosetta Stone. Will try and get some basics down before I hit Europe. Southern California is actually a great place to start with its Mexican hombres and food references popping up in day to day life. Just need to get the ball rolling so I can chip away when I actually arrive in Spain. My main aim is when I hit South America, when ever that may be, I am competent speaker to get the most out of the experience.  And ideally a good base in another language is the key to adding more to the repertoire (ooh a little bit of french there, you like that?)

-          Be fit and healthy, shredded for R&V and capable of running half marathons. This looks like three goals but it is really just to achieve and maintain fitness.  Last year I completed one road half marathon, 3 trail half marathons, and a monster 36k trail run.  This was all on the back of some pretty ordinary and inconsistant training (with a holiday in Ibiza thrown in the middle of it).  I'm currently on a 21 day boot camp so with my running and good eating will start to hit my straps. Maintaining this while travelling will be the challenge.  I have recently purchased the Nike Plus watch I have been very inspired seeing all the miles add up.  The real test will be once I am on the road. Im convincing myself it will be a great chance to check out cities I am in, but might be if I have been out the night before experiencing them through food and drink!

-         Writing a book – I have been wanting to put my thoughts and relections down on paper for a while now. Have started some chapters on key topics already, along with excerts from this blog and notes from a number of speechs.   I understand the key to writing a book is just keeping your output regular and building content in any form which can later be edited and hacked up. I feel my content, creativity and has improved over these past few months, so if I can keep it up I'll be halfway there.

-         Blogging, diary and photos up to date. I have done a good job so far of keeping up to date with my travels. Have been filling out a written journal with more creative throughts and reflections, plus a blow by blow encounter of people I’m meeting and adventures that ensue. It has been an epic 2 months already and I'm sure this will be a memorable time in my life, I want to be able to look back on and reflect in years to come.

-          Reading – I have recently finished Bear Grylls autobiography along with Michael Caine’s book on acting. Half way through the Walt Disney autobiography I bought at Disneyland, plus have the Clive Davis autobiography (who I saw speak at SXSW) to read.  I prefer the hard copy books to a Kindel as I have quite a collection now. But to be fair I've never used a kindle. Just want to be able to sit back in years to come and look at a full bookshelf of inspiration and wisdom I have consumed.  Also a number of magazines – Time, Inc, Rolling Stone, Billboard and Conde Naste Traveller.  As you can see my main interests include entrepreneurship, music, entertainment industry and travel.

-         Keep on top of my Rhythm and Vines work. I have taken a big step back this year but am still involved in some key areas of the business. This is proving to be busy at the moment while we align our program for the coming summer season.  I want to support our new management team without being to overbearing. But at the end of the day I want to ensure continued success and feel I can add good value in some key areas I am still passionate about.  A bit of trial and error to find the right balance but either way I still need to put some time towards being across my core business.

      New ideas/concepts - Being away from my core business is a great chance to explore some new ideas and think outside the square.  I am definitely meeting lots of people who are doing different things - from scriptwriting to documentary making to music production and merchandising. This coupled with my reading means I want to set aside some time to think through new start up ideas and also way to improve my current business.

Right that should be enough to get the ball rolling.  As a result I’m going to try and keep a record of hours put in, maybe try for up to 4 hours a day out of my 8 goals.  That should leave some time for relaxing and enjoying time living in the present. I will report back in a few weeks and see how I am getting on!

Hamish