These cards are starting to surface in Sault Ste. Marie. First round is by invite only, since the first event will be a small, intimate gathering and we want to ensure a diverse group of inspired thinkers.

There are easier ways to get an invite:

1. BEST. Submit a presentation, odds are it will be accepted (we’re not expected a flood of proposals, though that would be nice).
2. BETTER. Wine and dine Lou or I for an evening and tell us what you are passionate about.
3. TAKE YER CHANCE. Add your name to the mailing list and we’ll do a random draw close to the event for any available tickets. No guarantee there will be any, but hey if you like lotteries, this is for you.

Help us to create a diverse crowd by suggesting a name and what about them inspires you and if there is room, we’ll invite them too! Just add a comment to this post with your suggestion.

Good times and inspiring ideas will be on the menu @ Ignite Sault 1

The place is booked, the web site is ready, the invitations are going out. The dream Lou Derrer and I have had for years is taking shape, and yeah we’re excited! We believe there are a lot of creative, talented people in our city, people who have ideas and passions deserving an audience. Our goal is to bring some of these spirited individuals together for an evening of fun, and to make it easy for just about anyone to share their ideas.

We believe that by bringing people together to talk about their passions, Ignite can indeed spark some new opportunities for positive change, and connect people who might not otherwise meet.

Thus, Ignite Sault was born. Ignite was started in Seattle in 2006 by Brady Forrest and Bre Pettis. Since then 100s of 5 minute talks have been given across the world. There are thriving Ignite communities in Seattle, Portland, Paris, and NYC. The Sault is one of the first Ignite spots in Canada – yeah we’re leading the way north.

The first Ignite will be in the upper room at Dock’s, which has a room capacity of 50. The room is cozy and intimate. There is a pool table and all the drinks you can buy. There is time to mix and mingle before the presentations begin, and we’re working on a few other surprises. The main attraction are the 5 min talks of course. We hope we’ll have a good dozen for our first night, time will tell.

If you want to come, and I hope you do, your best chance is to propose a talk. Each talk is 5 minutes, 20 slides, 15 seconds a slide. 5 minutes isn’t very long, so it doesn’t take a lot of preparation, but it does challenge you to get to the point. Include some humour and you’ll do just fine.