Let’s Think like LexThink!

Since we’ve been talking about travel, and about forward-thinking lawyers, I’ve been thinking: Where will you be on November 11 and 12? If it’s anywhere near Chicago, putting Matt Homann’s BlawgThink 2005 on your calendar would be a very good idea indeed. How can you resist an invitation like this?

Join leading legal bloggers in Chicago on November 11 and 12 for BlawgThink 2005: a bold new approach to learning about legal blogging. This first of its kind two-day event brings together the largest group of legal bloggers ever assembled for two days of education, innovation, fellowship and fun.

You bring your ideas, enthusiasm, and creative energy and we’ll all come up with cool ideas to improve your blog, increase your blogging "ROI" and change the legal blogging landscape.

Sounds like BlawgThink 2005 would be a terrific place to practice one of Sally Hogshead’s Radical Careering strategies, “Aspire to be the dumbest person in the room” so you could soak up the goodies shared by all the legal eagles and smart people Matt’s lined up as his speakers.

The very first time I visited Matt’s LexThink! website I was so intrigued by his concept of The Conference Re-imagined, “No Power Point. No Agenda. No Kidding.” As his site explains, LexThink! facilitators use collaborative brainstorming techniques to stimulate small group participation while keeping discussions anchored to a central theme. Their conferences are designed as mixers:

“At a LexThink! event, big-thinkers from small business, law, technology, advertising, accounting, consulting and marketing come together to discuss future-changing ideas.  Instead of being lectured to, LexThink! attendees engage with one another in an energized and dynamic process that allows all participants to discuss those ideas they find most compelling.”

Wish I could be there in November. If you want an invitation, visit Matt or let me know.

Dennis Kennedy, Matt’s co-conspirator in BlawgThink wrote a post for the [non]billable hour in which he outlines his encouragement for the event. It’s called Why is BlawgThink Important? and it’s worth the read even if you can’t make the conference. We talk about blogs and new media, and our tremendous capacity as managers all the time, and Dennis asks these questions:

If blogging is a world-changing technology, when and how do we start to change the world? Is it the technology or is it the bloggers? And, what happens if we bring bloggers together, turn them loose, and see what projects and collaborations grow out of that combination? … we have talked about the potential value of getting a group of legal bloggers together, in person and face-to-face. I can tell you that I've been part of email lists, wikis, collaboration software groups, IM sessions and conference calls, but there's nothing like being together in person if you want to have collaboration happen.
Dennis Kennedy, Why is BlawgThink Important?

I applaud Matt and Dennis for honoring their own passion and ideas and investing in them. If there was any way I could be there at BlawgThink 2005 on November 11th and 12th you could bet on seeing me there. As Dennis says, “there’s nothing like being together in person if you want to have collaboration happen.” Consider taking my place, and then let me know all about it!