Uploading...The Future of Work

The Uploading...The Future of Work social conference will take place on 3 April 2007 in London at the Design Museum.

This will be the first event in the Policy Unplugged's Uploading...Series exploring the impact of the growth of social networks, collective intelligence and participatory culture generated by the Web on a specific societal theme.

See here for a background on Policy Unplugged's Uploading...Series.

The Context of the Conference

Over the course of the last ten years, organisations have been learning to harness the power of the Web to improve their competitiveness, productivity and innovation. Different ways of working have been emerging, facilitating individuals to gain more satisfaction and fulfilment from their work. Recruitment has taken off with the advent of online recruitment. We are giving birth to new types of organisations. Globalisation and outsourcing are radically changing the work that is available. Groups, social enterprises, charities are being created with increasing frequency to address both national and local work issues that previously took a back seat.

The Opportunity

This event will provide the opportunity for early adopters to share their stories about how the new social collaboration can be harnessed, as well as exploring how the technologies have already impacted the area of work and how they can be used to enable the work change makers to make change happen faster.

The Uploading...The Future of Work event will create an environment where as wide a range of people as possible who are passionate about the future of work are made welcome and are able to make a contribution to the format of the conference. We think it is time to drop the ‘e' prefix from these types of events and conversations and make them available to all who are passionate about enabling change in the area of work.

The event will focus on innovation and improvements in work in a world with Web in it; not innovations delivered exclusively through the web. We want those who have made a pioneering use of the Web to be there but also those who just want to make work a more exciting and satisfying place to be for everyone.

Who Should Attend?

• Anyone who is interested in the future of work and new ideas
• Early adopters to want to share and collaborate with others
• Organisations who want to explore how they could improve their competitiveness, innovation and productivity in creative ways
• Individuals, groups and organisations who are interested in new ways of working
• Anyone interested in innovative ways that the web can be used for recruitment
• Individuals, groups and organisations who are passionate about addressing more quickly the national and local work issues that they are facing
• Think tanks, universities, journalists, activists, social entrepreneurs
• Support organisations and consultancies who help the facilitation of change
• Anyone who wants to explore the emerging impact of the Web on the way that we work
• Anyone who wants to experience a new type of conference experience
• Anyone who wants to make new connections and have great conversations
• People who live by Alan Kay's maxim ‘the best way to create the future is to invent it'

Uploading...The Social Conference

Uploading... The Future of Work will be unlike any conference you have been to before. It will operate as a SOCIAL conference. It will embody the same characteristics as the Web itself. It will be formed around conversations not communications, the content will be generated by the participants not the convenors or the sponsors. It will draw on the collective intelligence of all who participate rather than the single voice on a platform. It will be as emergent in its development as the Web is...

You can come and listen, you can speak, try out new technologies, attend a training session, initiate, join and move between conversations and yes you can pitch an idea - it is OK!

There will be presentations, but the decisions about who speaks will be in your hands not ours or those of sponsors. These presentations will be augmented by facilitated conversations (on things you want to talk about) and networking, demos, workshops and a chance to relax over coffee or something stronger.

It is your Web and this will be your conference. Be a part of the ongoing Future of Work community that will develop from the conference...be a part of conversations that go on and on...

How Does it Work?

Register - If you want to participate in the event itself, please book a place by clicking the registration? link below.

Profile - When you have done this you will be invited to post a photo and profile and be given an opportunity to blog and upload video or audio content on this ‘Uploading...The Future of Work' website

Create - We will also ask you what you want to do at the conference. Do you want to speak? Host a conversation? Meet someone? Share content? We also ask you to pass on invites to friends, colleagues or peers? Tell us who should speak? What you want to learn?

Come along - We will build the agenda based on what you tell us you want from the conference. From the blog posts and the video and audio content you upload. We will arrange keynotes, talks, facilitated conversations, speed networking, demos and workshops. Oh and the party too!

Can't attend but want to participate in the discussion? Take part in the online Uploading...The Future of Work Community Group website. First create a new account on this website using the Log In? / Register section in the left sidebar and then contact us to upgrade your site membership so that you can start to make contributions to the Future of Work community group.

To Register for Uploading...The Future of Work...Click here and follow the instructions.

Need to Know More?

Call Hina Patel if you need to know more on 0771 713 2026 or email hina.patel@policyunplugged.org