Hanna Chos' notes from Laurent and Jaewoong Joint Kickoff Talk:
LH - in 2007, Jaewoong was invited as a speaker, and simply put, he said 'we need this in asia'.

Today, there are 1 billion users of internet. your grandma uses the internet. But there is a clear overload of information. This has a number of consequences. For example, once you have a website, you are suddenly 'global'. the medium is not the message. a few years ago, people would go to your website for the sake of it simply being there. Now, we are back to a resource based hierarchy. a few years ago, amateurs were the trend. Now, it's different. for example, big brands are dominating. ie. Youtube. Amateurs have lost some of their edge. Casual everything is the consquence of this information overload. The web is increasingly complex.

Jaewoong - I was surprised to hear Laurent say that the web is a mature market. But then again, the web IS a market. Before, our main goal was building a good interface between people and the internet. More and more, we now see innovation between persons and the environment. For example, geolocational info, sensors, identification, and lots of other new technologies that make people come OUT of the computer and talk to their environment. Also, we find that computers are talking to other computers...robots are one example. Green technologies are another way of interacting with the environment; this shows that the frontiers between online/offline are being blurred; hence it's a very important time to think about 'beyond the browser'.

LH - This LIFT edition is about the changes in the next 5 years.

JW - more incremental innovations will embed the web, not just into computers, but also into the everyday environment. virtual money is important. currency is becoming digital. this enables new business models, but also engenders new security concerns etc.

LH - sustainable development is key. Networked city -more than 50% of the world lives in cities. They are also becoming centres of innovatino and political change. sometimes even more powerful than countries.

JW - Aiming for a better society is an important theme. Technology is helping to flatten society. Before, tech was about improving personal lives, but now, it's time to think about how to use ICT to improve social life. Also we will talk about the future of social networks and the social world. As you know SNS' are everywhere - not jsut on the web, but also mobile and games etc. it's a new dynamic and we want to discuss and predict the future. Finally there is a thing called techno-nomadic life; because of technology, we can have a technonomadic life but work and life get blurred, etc. new forms of collaboration enabled by tech - not just local, but also globally.

LH - finally robots to networked objects. I remember reading an article about korean gov't policy around the code of conduct for robots. This means this has come to maturity as a reality.

JW - Finally - this conference is not simply where you listen and leave; it's for everyone to listen, learn, discuss, in this short time, and everyone network. don't talk to people you already know; turn off your handphones; pay attention to people and check your email later!

People interested in more visual representation of LIFT Asia talks should have a glance at Rachel Hinman's Flickr stream.

See for example her notes from Bruce Sterling's presentation yesterday:

LIFT Asia 2008 started yesterday in full swing. Laurent Haug gave the welcome address by stating how LIFT is about turning change into opportunity, telling us the story of why LIFT Asia went to Korea and we want to do here.

From Laurent's word: "What is a better word than Change? None - Change is change. Change can create mess in your business model, so one needs to understand and anticipate change. Inspiration is another key. Listening to people outside of your field; journalists, entrepreneurs, adventurers - they all help us think beyond.

To enjoy the conference be curious. Speakers are only allowed to speak about ideas; no commercial pitches. The open program is the exception. But the main stage is meant for ideas only. Participants, be participative! Think of it like a wiki, if something is broken, fix it!"

He was followed by Joo Bog-Won, who talked on behalf of Kim Taehwan, Governor of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province:"Welcome to beautiful Jeju, and ICC, Korea's most exciting convention centre. Thank you to Laurent Haug, Lee JaeHoon of Daum, and Art Nabi Centre. And of course, a very important thank you toward the sponsors. Frankly, I originally understood that Life, Idea, Future was the main idea behind LIFT But as Laurent just explained, the values, openness, etc. is just as important. So now, I understand the purpose of the event better, and hope that you do too. As an international conference, I see LIFT is an important force, and I'm happy to host it here in Jeju. Like Davos, I hope that LIFT Asia will grow to be an internationally significant event that gathers thinkers from all over the world. Especially here in Jeju, where we believe that we are world class, and have globally unique goals, such as to be carbon free in 20 years."

And finally, Seo-Young Roh from director of art center nabi gave us some insights about the relationships between his art institution and LIFT: "When I found out that LIFT Asia was going to be in Jeju, I thought, why Jeju? But now that time has passed, and I'm here in Jeju, it seems so natural. LIFT begain in Switzerland, and it's aim is to stir new ideas and conversations. This also fits Jeju, which is also a place known for its independence and isolation. Just as Switzerland is known for being neutral in its region, its beautiful environs, and a progressive ethos which embraces new ideas and openness. All of these things are characteristics that could also describe Jeju. art center nabi has created a network that thinks about new media, culture, and connections. We've been doing this for the last 10 years, and at LIFT Asia, we've endeavored to present a showcase that continues to conceptualize these relationships. Especially, how the young artists in our exhibit think about bonding connections in our new networked world. I won't bore you with the descriptions or pictures of the works, and instead hope that you'll experience it for yourself during this event."

Now that we had close to 200 registrations in the past three days I start to understand why my Korean friends told me a month ago that I "should not worry, people will register. Just a little bit late..."

Tonight we have 413 registered participants. That's slightly more than we wanted originally, but our room can go up to 450 so we still have 37 tickets on sale at the price of 850$ as the early bird period is now over.

Every year some people who want to come to Lift and thought "I have time to register" are left out. I hope it won't be you, and that by the time you read this message you will still be able to register!

Let's take a break from Lift Asia for a second for a quick info: I am honored to have been invited by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) to present at their annual gathering on the topic of 21st Century Events. Lift is getting increasingly recognized among conference professionals as an innovative and original event. Our unique mix of community, technology and art is getting more attention and that is certainly a positive sign.

See you in Canada in November maybe?

We are busy finalizing the event and here are the latest news:

- the program is now final. We have one of the coolest schedule we have ever created. Cool in two ways: we managed to invite amazing speakers, but we also managed to have a good rhythm with enough time to take questions, long breaks for networking, etc...

- we are nearing 300 participants and received 80 (!) registrations today. We would love to have 350, just like at the first ever lift. Monday should be a busy day. Welcome to Korea, where there seems to be a different sense of what "last minute" means ;) And if you check the participants roster you will notice it does not show 300 persons because we had some users to edit and re-add in a batch that will run Monday morning, when our ticketing partner Amiando reopens.

- the weather is really nice these days, and the forecasts for next week are ok. Expect temperatures around 25 degrees (yes, it's summer in Jeju :) and a dry weather. Knock on wood!

- the media coverage starts and we will have 2 TV stations, 5 of Korea's top bloggers, and around 10 journalists covering the event. That's great for a first year. If you look back at the press coverage we got since 2005 you will notice that the first European Lift was not covered by that many people.

- we are enjoying Korea, trying great food, visiting amazing places, taking millions of pictures... Great time :) We can't wait to welcome you here!

We have an influx of Tedsters showing up on this site thanks to Sugata Mitra's legendary speech on the "hole in the wall" project being featured on ted.com.

Welcome to all :) It is great to see both the Lift and Ted communities starting to exchange ideas more and more!

Korean media are starting to cover Lift Asia, and I was the happy guest of Talk2man on monday morning (two hours after I landed from a 15 hours trip, I'm still awake it's not too bad ;). Check the video below.

Today we had coverage on 매일경제 (don't ask me to translate ;) and I hear the Korean blogosphere is buzzing with stories about Lift!

PS: and thanks to gut4u who blogged me and a hamburger tonight ;)

The partnership with Présence Suisse we announced earlier this month will have one very happy consequence: Friday's lunch will be made of Swiss food under the supervision of chef Roland Hinni. Here is the menu:

Fondue Sampling Stations
Swiss Cheese Fondue (Gruyere and Emmental) with Large Diced of Banquette Bread, Cornichons Pickles and Cocktail Onions

Hot Food Presentations
Jeju Black Pork “Zuerichoise” (Thinly Sliced Pork Loin Sautéed with Cream of Mushroom Sauce topped with Freshly Chopped Parsley) presented with Berner Roesti (One Day Old Cooked Potatoes, Peeled, Grated and Fried with Butter)

Baguette Sandwich Stations (Make yourself)
Sliced Assorted salami, Honey Cured ham, Gruyere and Brie cheese
Air Dried Beef
Freshly Cut Banquette Bread for Sandwich
Butter-Dijon Mustard Spread, Mayonnaise

^{Lift's board member and friend (at least until I published this picture) Julian Bleecker enjoying the giant fondue diner at Lift Geneva 08.}

Salad Buffet
Wedged Lettuce Salad with Gorgonzola Dressing
Swiss Style Potato Salad with and Chives
Cucumber Salad with Yogurt Dill
Sliced Tomato with Red Onions Vinaigrette
Sausages and Cheese with Pickles
Same Home-made Pickles

Dessert Stations
Basic Muesli with Milk Brown Sugar and Whipped Cream with Toppings
Small Sliced Peaches, Plums, Green Apples, Banana in Lemon Juice
Assortments of Coarsely Chopped Nuts (Like Walnuts, Hazelnut, Almond)
Honey
Dried Fruits (Like Blueberry, Raisins, Apricots)
Plain Yogurt
White Chocolate Mousse with Raspberry Coulis
Whole Fruit Display

Looking at the Pacific while eating Fondue, isn't that the ultimate definition of luxury? And Swiss ambassador in Korea Christian Hauswirth will honor us with his presence!

I arrived in Jeju yesterday, the temperature is perfect and the view is, as usual, breathtaking. Here is what you will get if you stay at our partner hotel - the Hyatt Regency Jeju - that you can book at a discounted price through the Jungtour reservation system. All the information is on the practical page.

^{The view from Hyatt's room 1106. Click on the picture to enlarge it}