If I
tell you that Frontiers of Interaction is a two-day conference about
technology, you might stop reading now. Luckily, it’s a whole lot more than
that. Yes, there are speakers, but, as a past attendee of a Frontiers
conference, I can guarantee that the speakers are of a world-class caliber and
what they present is truly captivating. The talks, in English and in a similar
format to TED talks, are about the real impact of technology on our lives, the
concrete applications of cutting-edge science. All this is bundled as a
beautifully orchestrated event that leaves you energized and convinced that you
are so cool just for having attended.
When
I heard that Frontiers would be held in Florence this year, I wanted to be sure
that The Florentine would be part of it.
As an official media partner of the event, TF readers get access to interviews
with some of the fascinating speakers, as well an exclusive discount for the
conference. To start, I asked the founders of Frontiers, Leandro Agrò and
Matteo Penzo, to tell us more about what we can expect from Frontiers of
Interaction in Florence, held on June 20 and 21, 2011.
Pick
one word that encapsulates Frontiers.
Energy
and inspiration. Oh … is that two words? In our seventh year, the event now
takes up two full days. With modern technology, there is no real reason to
physically attend a conference, if not for the energy you feel while actually
being there … It’s a rush! Seeing it in streaming on your couch is cool, but
being there means living in this exciting moment.
And
inspiration … For us, organizing Frontiers means living on the edge for six
months of the year: looking for a top-notch venue, traveling around the world
to recruit the best speakers, providing our attendees with a great conference
experience. But then the big day comes and it’s all worth it when we look at
the crowd staring raptly at the speaker on the stage, furiously taking notes
and drinking in the whole experience. Through the conference and the excellent
networking that is part of the event, ideas are born and develop … we’re
contributing to the future of innovation in Italy.
What
is the one thing we’re going to hear about this year at Frontiers that will hit
specialized publications next year and the mainstream press in 2013?
E-health
will be the next big thing, so we’ve dedicated a big part of the workshops to
this topic. We have also invited important speakers in this field, amongst them
Arna Ionescu, director of User Experience Product Development at Proteus
Biomedical, whose intelligent medical products based on ingestible technology
are at the forefront of this field.
Why
did you choose the ‘Renaissance city’ for your very contemporary conference?
Florence
is experiencing a new creative renaissance, but it’s the historic Renaissance
that attracts tourists … and this makes it a perfect location for an
international conference. Last year, in Rome, 15 percent of attendees were from
abroad; this year we hope to increase this percentage. The contrast between the
Renaissance city and this cutting-edge conference is nice, but we do have very
practical reasons for choosing Florence. For international visitors-and for the
important thinkers and decision makers who make up our speakers and
attendees-Florence is the most desirable destination in Italy. It’s also well
connected to Rome and Milan via high-speed trains, its international airport
has direct connections to the rest of Europe, it houses an important university
and it’s close to Pisa, one of Italy’s most prestigious high-tech research
centers.
