Advertisers, Marketers, and the Portland “Tech” Scene

Via the Silicon Florist, I see the latest iteration of Portland’s Lunch 2.0 events will be held at the end of the month at Wieden+Kennedy. Unlike previous Lunch 2.0 events, which have been fairly informal and open events, this one sounds quite structured, with attendees being required to pick up a “ticket package” in person during a three-hour period two weeks prior to the event. Huh? Even Ticketmaster has more flexibility, and I see that at least one commenter over on the Silicon Florist post is noting things seem amiss.

Have we strayed from this being an open, informal tech event? I have no stake in Lunch 2.0 other than as an observer and participant, but as I noted last month, it seems there’s a huge influx of marketers, advertisers, PR personnel, and other non-tech types into the Portland “tech” scene lately. It’s not inherently a bad thing… but with the influx of non-tech folks into the formerly-technical events, is the tech community going to be restricted to language-specific user groups?

Heck, even Ignite Portland 3, organized by the Legion of Tech, is almost entirely devoid of technical content. It’s great there’s a creative scene… but what happened to the tech scene?

Tagged as: portland, lunch2.0, wieden+kennedy

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Posted on:: Monday, June 9th, 2008 20:08

Category:: Events, Portland/Vancouver

Comments2008-06-10+04%3A08%3A40Aaron+B.+Hockley

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http://jeffthegreat.blogspot.com/ Monday, June 9th, 2008 / 20:21

I am fine a diverse group that includes the creative and PR folks of our world. In fact, many startups would go nowhere without them.

However, the events being planned by W+K are telling me this is getting a little too commercialized.

I worked at Nike for 6+ years, I’ve had enough of the super-exclusive-we-are-too-cool-for-you corporate party scene.

What a shame…

Josh Bancroft Monday, June 9th, 2008 / 21:23

On The Creative – Tech Divide « Link En Fuego Monday, June 9th, 2008 / 21:29

[...] June 9, 2008 NOTE: This post was originally made to reply to my friend Aaron Hockley’s Advertisers, Marketers, and the Portland “Tech” Scene, but contains a thought that I’ve been wanting to write for some time. Aaron’s post provided a [...]

Gerry Van Zandt Monday, June 9th, 2008 / 21:38

Unfortunately, and perhaps sadly (to some), your observation is the byproduct of a maturing scene. Many of the new folks sense more of a money-making opportunity than making any lasting contribution.

That’s capitalism. We’ve got our own mini-Web 2.0 startup gold rush here in PDX. Portland hasn’t had this vibrant of a tech scene since the late 1980s/early 1990s…

Jmartens Monday, June 9th, 2008 / 21:44

eagerly wanting to know what Josh’s comment says!

Aaron B. Hockley Monday, June 9th, 2008 / 22:07

I don’t know what’s going on. Josh’s comment shows up blank, and when I copy/paste it into a comment from me it also fails. I’m troubleshooting.

David Frey Monday, June 9th, 2008 / 22:38

I couldn’t agree with you more regarding Ignite. I’m still excited to go, but it seems the outlets for some of us tech-focused people who are just excited by innovation are getting crowded out. For good or bad it leaves me wanting.. or perhaps people like me just aren’t vocal enough to keep the momentum going?

Josh Pyles Monday, June 9th, 2008 / 23:18

I don’t think the point of Ignite is to be about technology. It *never* was! (at least in the Portland version).

That said, I don’t think it’s cool that W+K is making the event into something more than it is. A “Ticket Package” ? Why on earth would I want/need that? I doubt I can make it out to come pick up some ticket. If it’s for RSVPing i’d understand, but this sounds differently entirely.

Then again, when dealing with larger companies, many times there are underlying motives. I don’t know the situation with W+K, but in general, it’s against a company’s nature to give something for free.

As for the marketers and advertisers, and PR people… I think some may be tech enthusiasts. Others may be looking to make business connections. There’s been a lot of buzz about how the web is the future, and as our events become more popular we’ll see more people trying to see what all of this is about.

I happen to be in a more creative field, but my reasons for coming are more about meeting cool people, and talking tech which happens to be something i’m very interested in. We should welcome those who want to learn, and make sure everyone has the right idea about what are events are for.

Last note: There is plenty tech scene, and currently hardly any creative scene here in PDX. Bram and I are working to getting things together, but that’s probably another reason for the overflow.

Portland Lunch 2.0 SP4: Code name “Wieden + Kennedy” » Silicon Florist Monday, June 9th, 2008 / 23:47

[...] This format for Portland Lunch 2.0 has sparked some interesting discussion, starting with Aaron Hockley and continuing with Bram [...]

Jason Grigsby Tuesday, June 10th, 2008 / 06:31

I think people are reading too much into the change of structure. I talked to Gaia on Friday at Beer and Blog briefly about Lunch 2.0.

The impression I got from Gaia was that she was trying to plan something fun and different for everyone. Basically, she was very excited about having the opportunity to host the event and wanted to make it fun for everyone.

I’d like to point out that while Wieden and Kennedy is not a technology company, the event is getting organized by someone who is involved in the Twitter community and attends a lot of the events.

I often grouse when I receive a party invitation that requires a costume. I dislike the additional effort. My wife on the other hand often gets very excited about hosting the event and often suggests themes for parties.

This Lunch 2.0 feels much more to me like the times that a friend decides to have party with a theme than an divide between cultures or an attempt to make money as someone suggested.

Do I understand what Gaia is trying to do? Yes.
Do I think she is trying to make the event exclusive? No.
Do I think the change in the event is simply a manifestation of the enthusiasm for the event? Yes.
Do I like the new format for Lunch 2.0? No.
Will I be attending? No.

I think we need to keep Occam’s razor in mind. We don’t need to attribute the motivations to large companies or marketers generally. The simpler explanation is that we have an enthusiastic host who decided to try something different and is probably now trying to reconcile their enthusiasm with the push back from the community.

I would argue that it is sufficient to express our dislike of the change in format without speculating wildly about why they made the change or attributing nefarious intent to the changes without any evidence to support the charges.

In the end, Wieden and Kennedy and Gaia in particular will need to explain what they have planned. I strongly suspect that they will astonished that the activities that they hoped would be fun for everyone met such resistance.

Once they’ve heard the feedback, then they’ll have a chance to reconsider and react. How they respond to the feedback will be the true test.

Josh Bancroft Tuesday, June 10th, 2008 / 07:41

Wow, my mystery comment was so powerful, that it can’t be displayed, no matter what!

I don’t like the invasion of marketing people. But it happens everywhere. It’s inevitable. And as marketing people go, the folks at W+K are pretty awesome.

Regarding Ignite Portland not being techy enough, we never specifically said it was to be techy. We figured it would, but when I wrote the Ignite Portland Constitution, our main criteria was (and still is) “Interesting Uber Alles”.

What about BarCamp? I didn’t get to go this year, but I always imagine a super techy crowd there.

Aaron B. Hockley Tuesday, June 10th, 2008 / 09:42

I don’t think anyone has any evil or subversive motives. I’m sure W+K thinks they can improve the Lunch 2.0 experience. But if better means a formal ticketing process and the host putting on a bunch of activities, I don’t think I want the “new/improved” version.

BarCamp was a mix of tech and non-tech folks… who (from my observation) mostly kept within their own circles.

I’d like more tech at Ignite. Given some of the other criteria that go into selecting presentations (that aren’t about quality), I don’t think that including tech content would be a stretch.

If W+K wants to do their own thing, that’s cool. But what they’re doing isn’t really Lunch 2.0, at least not as it’s traditionally been done.

Jake Tuesday, June 10th, 2008 / 12:06

Wow.

As the organizer of Portland’s Lunch 2.0, I think I’m qualified to chime in here.

Because Lunch 2.0 is a free lunch, paid for by the host, it’s at the mercy of what the host wants to do. That said, you can always elect to skip the free lunch.

The PDX chapter is still in its infancy, so I’m a bit short on willing hosts right now.

Gaia had two main criteria in mind: 1) having fun and 2) engaging her colleagues into the tech/Twitter scene. Nothing wrong with either of those.

In true 2.0 fashion, everyone can and should voice opinions on blogs. But please be kind to Gaia because her motives weren’t corporately evil as some may think.

Keep in mind this is also an ongoing event, and we’ll be returning to the previous format at souk on July 16.

Questions? Find me on Twitter (jkuramot).

Aaron B. Hockley Tuesday, June 10th, 2008 / 12:51

Thanks for your comment Jake. What you’ve said makes sense but there’s a problem with W+K’s logic. You said “engaging her colleagues into the tech/Twitter scene”. Over on Bram’s blog, Gaia made a simliar statement, saying it’s “Our [W+K's] chance to have a conversation outside of the [advertising] bubble.”

The problem is, if you hold a “blind date meets grade school birthday party” (description from the Upcoming page) you’re not engaging Portland’s tech community. You’re holding a staged event totally within the advertising bubble. At lunch today, Paul Bingham offered up an analogy:

“Let’s understand Polynesian culture by wearing hawaiian shirts and eating pineapple pizza.”

gaeyia Tuesday, June 10th, 2008 / 13:05

Thanks Jake/Grigs.

I thought I’d already posted a comment but internet == FAIL here and I guess it never went through… Anyhow, I appreciate all of your comments/concerns and I hope to clear the air:

The reason this format was chosen was not to EXCLUDE, but rather to INCLUDE. The tech crowd is a tight-knit group of people and so is the ad crowd. I have been an active member of both communities for a few months now and I think that we could all benefit from a better understanding of each other. It has been difficult for me to find the places/events in which W+K should participate. We have a large family and I often refrain from telling them about local tech events because we have potential to over-run the event. Lunch 2.0v4 was designed to expose our family to the great group of people that surrounds us. This is our chance to meet you. Our chance to have a conversation outside of the bubble.

Likewise, this is your chance to meet us. Your chance to ask us what we do and what it is that we want to know/learn/understand. It is your chance to identify innovative partnerships and possibilities that could develop.

W+K has physical space, interest in our community, and a legitimate desire to be involved in tech. Please remember, we were approached with a request host Lunch 2.0 and as a host, we are given the opportunity to tell you a little bit about ourselves and what we do. We didn’t want to give you slides and a spiel, we wanted to mix it up, engage you in a conversation with a twist and have a really good time.

Apologies to those who may have felt offended, put-off, or excluded. That was ever the intention. We just want to give Lunch 2.0 a bit of quirky W+K flavor.

That said, I do see your point and the format of this event has been revised. No tickets necessary now, everyone welcome. Please see http://is.gd/tI9 for updated info.

Thank you again for speaking up. I hope you decide to stop by and enjoy our company on the 30th.

g

Jake Tuesday, June 10th, 2008 / 13:26

@Aaron: You guys are overthinking this. No one’s attempting to learn all there is to know about the PDX tech scene in two hours.

It’s informal conversation, not marketing or PR. I see nothing wrong with introducing people over lunch. This was an easy way to get W+K people to attend w/o overrunning another host’s lunch.

Nothing more, nothing less. Obviously though, it’s difficult to explain.

Aaron B. Hockley Tuesday, June 10th, 2008 / 18:59

As Gaia noted above, she’s revised the plans for the event to no longer require the in-person advance tickets. If folks thought this was cool except for the ticketing, that issue has been resolved.

I still have the same overall issues/concerns with the influx of advertising/PR/marketing folks into tech events, but will post some followup thoughts on that in the next couple of days.

Betsy Richter Tuesday, June 10th, 2008 / 20:33

I don’t quite understand why there’s this perception that Portland geeks are getting forced out of ‘their’ event by a bunch of marketers who are (gasp - wait for it) actually offering to buy them lunch.

To make it worse, it sounds as if these evil marketing types want to actually engage these geeks in conversation - you know, as if they’re interesting to talk to or something.

Oh, the horrors!

Seriously - IDG the indignation. But maybe that’s because I’ve been an evil marketer before. I’ve sold advertising back in the day. I’ve worked for a PR agency running their interactive division.

Hell, I have a Rupert Murdoch operation on my resume.

But I’ve always been a geek.

Might it be possible that I’m not the only one who wears (or has worn) multiple hats? That we might have something to learn from each other?

Or that having a more diverse crowd doesn’t invalidate or marginalize the original intent or event?

Finally, I’d add this last note - if you want an event or group or organization to stay true to their original intent, that means you ought to stay in there and keep singing that song.

Opting out only reinforces the idea that the event is ripe for co-opting, no?

thiskat Tuesday, June 10th, 2008 / 21:21

As one who doesn’t always land firmly in either tech or creative but rather brings them together, I really appreciate what Gaeyia is doing with this event. Every Lunch 2.0 can have its own flavor and that will keep it interesting and not just another meeting of the usual suspects. I also appreciate W&K is opening up a little. Even when I was on the board of the PAF I had very little contact with anyone there and never felt they were really part of the local community. I’m sure there are plenty of individuals who do want to connect locally and I’m excited to meet them.

Any finally, thank you, Gaeyia, thank you for revising the ticketing situation. As a parent of small children, any errand after 4 PM (when the nanny leaves) involves dragging cranky, hungry kids and a stroller and I was not looking forward to that. Now my husband can pick up our tickets in one trip on his way home (and I do want to get tickets because I’m cool with playing along with your game!). I really appreciate you making that change.

Jason Wednesday, June 11th, 2008 / 14:29

I am excited about the change in format and look forward to attending the W+K event.

Jmartens Wednesday, June 11th, 2008 / 20:46

Gaeyia/Jake-

I’ve been critical of this event but I will be the first to say congrats to W+K for being creative and trying to mix things up a bit. I wouldn’t expect anything less from such a great company!

My issue was the ticketing….I just thought it sent the wrong message. However, I am glad to see a quick reaction by Gaeyia and am very appreciative of it.

I think this is all good conversation and we are learning a lot about each other. I personally don’t think anyone has intended to attack Gaeyia or W+K. Just open, honest conversation.

Thanks to all…you have my respect.

Bram Pitoyo Wednesday, June 11th, 2008 / 21:45

Yes for more openness. Hopefully this will lead to more conversation between disciplines (or between people who wear multiple hats. Amen, Betsy.)

Gary Walter Thursday, June 12th, 2008 / 10:11

As most of you know, I’m neither tech nor a marketer; but I am on the creative side of things.

As one who is continually seeking to build community, I was immediately struck by the creativity that Gaeyia brought to the Lunch2.0 table (pun intended). While I often get a lot of eye-rolling over “stupid little games” (like the M&M game I imposed on a board meeting Monday night), I’ve often found these icebreaker activities break down barriers through laughter, shared activities, and creative opportunities. But, with that said, many people (introverted me in particular), avoid these ice breakers as if we’d ask them to share their “feelings.”

I totally understand that, being an introverted man myself; but I’ve found such great benefits to the building of community that I ignore my discomfort and allow myself to “go with the flow.”

As for Ignite Portland, I’m surprised to hear that this is supposed to be a tech event. I saw none of that at IP2. In fact, I found it to be such a common ground for connecting creative thinkers, that I’m constantly evangelizing the event to non-tech, non-marketing friends. Next week, I’m bringing a friend who is a prominent fire district chief on the local, regional, and national level.

Those with the gift of IDEATION, myself included, love the interaction with people from other disciplines, career fields, and cultures - it’s what turns the creative wheels. (I can even find ideas in RedBook while waiting for my wife at the doc’s office)

So, while this event may be too much werk fer thos of uz in da sticks, I say, go Gaeyia, go Ignite Portland team, go PDX!!

Bob Uva Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008 / 20:44

I’ve met technical, business and creative people at Lunch 2.0. Gaeyia paired many attendees with a W&K creative person. I loved it! It gave us a chance to talk about creative projects which I like to do in addition to my technical programming work. The more openness and creativity brought to Pdx events the better I say!

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