At Friday’s Coffee with Likemind, we had a rather big announcement:

The New Communicators

New Communicators are compelled to engage in conversation. They stand taller and stride farther when traversing the current media landscape. They are a mixture of digital and analog. Their message is everything interactive. Everything transmissive. Communicating is a give-and-take, speaking-and-listening, and New Communicators utilize a mixture of new and traditional tools to share their point-of-view with the world. Evolving conversation, they share their ideas, their truths, their lives.

So what is this New Communicators Convergence all about?

This gathering is about the evolution of conversation: exploring the pathways through which an originator interacts with a receiver. These connections can be fulfilling and triumphant; the failures potentially tragic and illuminating. Regardless of the outcome, these experiences are relevant, useful and inspirational. They should be open, discussed and analyzed in the interest of understanding what it means to be a New Communicator.

From Wednesday, October 28th to Friday, October 30th, you’re invited to hold an event around the theme of Evolving Conversation and explore what it means to be a New Communicator. The intent is to curate events for specific time slots in the mornings (8am to 10am), afternoons (4pm to 6pm) and evenings (7pm to 9pm) across the city. However, if those time slots become filled and you still want to hold an event, we got you covered. Any individual, group or company who wants to be a part of the convergence is welcome to do so and we will promote your events on our web site. Although, get those ideas in early if you want top billing and mentions in press content.

Exactly how to interpret the theme, Evolving Conversation, is up to you. No one will tell you you’re doing it wrong. For those 3 days, we want the city will be alive with conversation. This is a movement to share, educate and inspire those who communicate for a living, for fun, and those who can’t keep the conversation inside.

Should you participate?

If you disseminate your point-of-view through your craft to an audience via digital channels or otherwise, you should participate.

If you are a individual, group or company with a unique perspective on the current state of human interaction, you should participate.

If you provide goods or services and have discovered inventive ways to sell and promote your wares, you should participate.

If you are an organization who already holds regular meetings and want to share in the evolution of conversation, hold a meeting this week.

Host a coffee chat.

Host an open house.

Assemble a panel discussion.

Start a happening.

Have a conversation.

How can you participate?

First, come by Substance (1551 SE Poplar / Portland, OR) on Tuesday, September 1 2009 at 6pm to discuss the Evolving Conversation Convergence, get ideas on how to participate, or to just figure what the hell we’re talking about.

Then, if you’re inspired to participate, we welcome you to submit your event on the web site. Submission opens September 8th, 2009. If your event is selected, a team member will contact you to figure out the details.

The rest it’s up to you. Don’t worry, we’ll help figure out how to get the word out there. But you’re a New Communicator. You have your own ideas as well. Remember, this is your voice, your truth. You are responsible for making your event great.

And if you don’t feel ready to put on an event or participate by organizing a happening, don’t worry. We need people to participate by attending what we imagine will be a great week of conversing content. So rest up and be ready for a great week.

Why are we doing this?

Excellent question. Besides putting ourselves in the uncomfortable yet exhilarating position of trying new concepts, we’ve been putting our words into action for our clients and ourselves for almost 3 years, and nothing inspires us more than a great conversation (in fact, that’s why our company is built around the concept of continual conversations by working around the long table). We also are never ones to sit idly by when we can do something we believe in. This is one of those things.

But we’re also not doing this alone. We’re working with an amazing group of people from Pinch, Fight, Thoughts & Deeds. and the Nosey Awards to start the ball rolling. But we need you to keep it moving forward. If you want to be involved, please email us at
iwannahelp@thenewcommunicators.com

Still Don’t Get it?

That’s ok, it’s new to us too. If you like what you’re reading and you want to learn more, when you come by Substance at 1551 SE Poplar on September 1st and ask for Erin Kurtz (@erinkurtz), Stephen Landau (@stlandau), Eric Hillerns (@hillerns), Stacy Westbrook (@swestbrook) Dave Allen (@pampelmoose), Liza Wolfe (@lizawolfe) or Justin Spohn (@adognamedpants) and one of them will answer your question or find someone who will. After the event we will be providing an email address specifically for info request and Q&A.

You can also follow the New Communicators on Twitter, if you’re in to that kind of thing: http://twitter.com/thenewcom