We’re sorry

There were a few presentations at Ignite 19 that many of you (and us) felt came across as pitches. We are truly sorry about this, and promise to do everything we can to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Why it happened:

• Our previous leaders Andrew and Ef were very good at being strict with speakers about no pitching. We had not had any issues in recent Ignites, and it was not something we focused on as organizers for Ignite 19.
• We have a practice night before each Ignite and the presentations were entirely free of pitches.
• During practice night, I (Ryan Wanger) told one of the speakers it would be okay to mention the name of their app during their talk. This was a mistake as it sent a message to the speakers that we were not maintaining our previously strict “no pitching” policy.

How we’ll be avoiding pitches in the future:

• Be explicit and strict about our no-pitching policy at during practice night.
• Any speaker who pitches will be cut off mid-presentation.
• We always review the final slides before the show, but this time one of our organizers will be explicitly tasked with removing any suspicious slides.

Thanks to all who attended Ignite 19, and especially those who filled out the survey and/or brought this issue up with the organizers in person.

~Ryan (and the Ignite Organizers)

Ignite Boulder 19 FAQ

Ignite Boulder 19 is Wednesday, December 5th at the glorious Boulder Theater! An important thing to note: Unfortunately our interpreters could not make it for this event.

Here is everything else you need to know:

What should I wear?

This is black tie optional. Wear your favorite dress, tux, or a t-shirt & sneakers. Or all of the above.

Are tickets on sale?

SOLD OUT! Very sorry.

Do I really need to print out my ticket?

No. Just bring an ID! (Eventbrite automatically puts that language on some of the tickets – ignore it.)

I suddenly can’t make it. How can I transfer my ticket to a friend of mine?

No sweat. Have them check in under your name.

Will there be any surprises?

A photobooth. Sorry for spoiling the surprise.

What time do things really get started?

Doors open at 6pm. The show starts at 7pm. Try to be on time. We’re usually done at 9pm or so.

Can I stream the event from home?

Hopefully. We’re scrambling to make this happen. If you can help us, get in touch (igniteboulder at gmail). If so, we’ll be streaming at http://igniteboulder.com/live.

I’m not 21 years old. Can I come?

No. This event is 21+.

Is there a band?

Not this time. We recommend using intermission as a chance to meet folks, drink drinks, get your photo taken, and wear silly mustaches (or real ones, which are not silly).

What’s the hashtag?

Please use #igniteboulder.

Am I allowed to heckle?

We’ve discovered that most people aren’t very good at heckling. Be attentive, be open-minded, be the very best you can be. Weirdo.

Is there an afterparty?

Yep! Shine (exactly one block west of the theater) will be hosting an after party immediately after the show. Don’t dilly dally, there will be a finite amount of free drinks for all.

Who is sponsoring?

The following, lovely companies: imulus, QuickLeft, Kurtz Fargo, Sticker Giant, Technical Integrity, KKO, and SendGrid. Many, many thanks for helping us host Ignite!

Tickets on Sale & Speakers Announce

Get ‘em while they’re hot. Tickets on sale now.

Like last December, this is going to be an optional black tie event. Dress up and be festive – or just roll in a t-shirt and jeans and tell everyone you “didn’t know”.

Speakers:

1. Derek Olson on the jaws of life
2. Rick Polito on storytelling
3. Lynn Brewer: How would literary figures have tweeted
4. Sheila Paxton: Finding Old-Fashioned Love in a Digital World
5. Reed Pankratz: Language of online teenagers
6. Aaron Lea: Designing the Bible Belt
7. Sara E Smith: Debunking the Data Deluge
8. Tim Davids: I’m still fat, but I lost a whole bunch of weight
9. Omar Postigo-Martell: Birth – the best and worst day of my life
10. Matt Deragisch: Which comic book is right for you?
11. Richard Welch: Life with an extrovert
12. Mike Kleinberg: The Year of Banking Dangerously
13. Charles Jones: Rediscovering our Adaptive Potential
14. Stacy McKenzie: The Zen of Raising Backyard Chickens

Ignite Boulder 19: December 5th

We’re so excited to announce Ignite Boulder 19. Wednesday December 5th, 7pm at the Boulder Theater! Doors open at 6pm. This is a 21+ show.

The timeline is available below for your perusal:

• Ignite 19: 7pm Wed, Dec 5th (doors at 6pm)
• Tickets on sale & speakers announced: Wed, Oct 31st
• Speaker submissions close: Mon, Oct 22nd at noon
• Speaker submissions open: Mon Oct 15th at 9am

Ignite Boulder 18 – Photos

Ignite Boulder 18 was an incredible night. If you were there, thank you so much making the time for us. If you weren’t able to make it, we’re sure we’ll see you at the next one (which hasn’t been scheduled yet). It was an emotional night for many different reasons, but it encapsulated the diverse interests and passions of the Boulder community perfectly.

We have collected links to photos from the night so that you can sift through them and tag yourself, share them or print them out and scribble mustaches on people you dislike. Either way, Ignite Boulder is awesome, you are awesome, awesome is awesome. Enjoy!

Flickr set from Yann Ropars

Facebook set from Andrew Hyde

Photos and selected audience tweets from Tekhne

Ignite Boulder 18 FAQ

Ignite Boulder 18 is Wednesday, May 16 at the glorious Boulder Theater! Here is everything you need to know:

What should I wear?

Dress normally. We only do our dress-up events in December. (Tuxedo enemies, you’re off the hook this time.)

Are tickets on sale?

SOLD OUT! Very sorry.

Are there any at the door?

Nope.

Do I really need to print out my ticket?

No. Just bring an ID! (Eventbrite automatically puts that language on each ticket – ignore it.)

I suddenly can’t make it. How can I transfer my ticket to a friend of mine?

No sweat. Have them check in under your name.

Will there be any surprises?

Yes. Wait, have we lost the element of surprise? Then, no. Er, who’s asking?

What time do things really get started?

Doors open at 6pm. The show starts at 7pm. Try to be on time. We’re usually done at 9pm or so.

Your events always sell out, but I’ll probably wait until the last minute to buy a ticket and be out of luck. You’ll let me in, right?

No chance. Buy a ticket sooner next time. SMILEY FACE!

Jerks! Can I at least stream the event from home?

Yep. We’ll be streaming at http://igniteboulder.com/live.

I’m not 21 years old. Can I come?

No. This event is 21+.

Is there a band?

Not this time. We recommend using intermission as a chance to meet folks, drink drinks, get your photo taken and give Ef a goodbye hug.

I’d love to come, but I’m hearing impaired.

Come sit right in the front…we’ll have ASL interpreters live on stage!

What’s the hashtag?

Please use #igniteboulder and #bsw12. Use the tag to meet folks who are also at the event and to tell the world how marvelous Boulder is — especially during Boulder Startup Week.

Am I allowed to heckle?

We’ve discovered that most people aren’t very good at heckling. Be attentive, be open-minded, be the very best you can be. Weirdo.

Is there an afterparty?

Yep! Head to Centro after 9pm.

I want more information!

You totally deserve more information. Email our head organizer, Ef Rodriguez. He’s highly responsive: pugofwar [at] gmail [dotcom].

Tickets are sold out!

If you bought tickets – we love you!

If you didn’t buy tickets – we still love you, but wish you hadn’t waited so long!

Ignite 18 Speakers Announced

Tickets are on sale! And the speakers for May 16th’s Ignite Boulder are…drumroll please…

• Fake it in Five Minutes: Woo and Wow With Basic Partner Dancing (by Solveig Haugland)
• Will drinking Mad Men-quantities of alcohol make you funnier? (by Peter McGraw)
• The Future of Regulatory Compliance. Beyond Robocop? (by Dean Calhoun)
• Silver, It Could Be as Hot as Pink (by Diana Hoguet)
• RFID = Really F***ing IncreDible (by Carrie Requist)
• Digital Craftsmanship – Make it real, fast (by Charles Overy)
• Expect This to Suck (by Beth Rotach)
• C-level shakeup: Why Journalistic minds will soon find themselves in the boardroom of today’s major companies (by Tim Shisler)
• Air Travel: There is (Sometimes) a Method Behind the Madness (by Diana Pfeil)
• The People’s Lobbyist (by Jason Gelender)
• The Socialution of The At-Home Dad (by Elisa Guerrero)
• Arranged Marriage Vs. “Love” Marriage (by Anand Sharma)
• From 56 Hours to 56 Years, Lessons of Sticking Together (by Gillian Pierce)
• Cholesterol is Good! (by Michael Gaeta)
• Opera is a fish oil supplement (by Tierney Bamrick)
• Confessions of a Hypnotist – Don’t Look Into My Eyes (by Wendi Friesen)

Friends don’t let friends wait until the last minute to buy Ignite Boulder tickets. Did we mention tickets are on sale?

Want to Speak at Ignite Boulder 18?

Ignite Boulder is nothing without its speakers — and we’d love for you to be one of them. Here’s your chance.

Go here to submit your topic idea. We’re doing things a little differently this time. We want you to fully explain your subject – approximately 300 words’ worth of detail. So if your topic is pretty flimsy (and you were hoping to get by on charm alone), you should probably leave that at home.

Here are some speaking tips, and here are the rules. Please read both. They’re not long, and they’re totally delicious.

We’ll stop taking submissions on April 9 at noon. You’ve got time, but if you miss the deadline – better luck next time. The Ignite Boulder team will then review the submissions and select 15 speakers that will be announced on April 16.

Good luck! (Shoot any questions to Ef. His email is pugofwar at gmail.)

Ignite Boulder 18

Ignite Boulder returns for its 18th event, kicking off Boulder Startup Week on May 16 at the Boulder Theater!

Speaker submissions will open on Monday, March 26. We’re doing it a little differently this time. Stay tuned for the submission form and ticket availability. This event will definitely, definitely, definitely sell out.