Anyone who couldn't afford the $6,000 price tag to attend the Technology, Entertainment and Design conference this year (aka TED), can still hobnob with entrepreneurs and geniuses at the younger, rowdier BIL conference, being held in Long Beach following the end of TED.
Launched last year as the "unconference" alternative to TED, BIL organizers piggybacked on the TED concept of gathering smart people from any discipline to share big ideas. But unlike TED, there's no fee to attend and anyone can give a presentation, as long as the audience wants to hear it. The conference even attracts TED speakers and attendees.
The conference has grown measurably since its first informal gathering in Monterey, California, last year when 200 people registered and 400 showed up, according to conference organizers. This year more than 1,000 people have registered in advance, and conference organizers are expecting at least another 500 will just show up. The conference moved down to Long Beach with TED this year and will begin today and run through Sunday. It's being held at the Cal State Long Beach Student Union. For more information, you can check out the conference web site.
Photo: Quinn Norton/Wired
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