The New Communicators is a three-day series of events intended to inspire and educate on new ways of communicating with people. These events can be created by anyone interested in sharing their lessons, wisdom and advice on these new ways of communicating to anyone interested in attending. Are you interested in learning more?

About the New Communicators

The New Communicators is a series of events created to share experiences and inspire discussion about how we communicate with others using both online and offline media. It is for anyone interested in exploring new ways of creating conversations in our personal lives, within our communities or in business. It is a chance to share ideas, experiences and lessons learned.

This is not a traditional sort of conference. In fact, you might not even call it a conference at all. Anyone can attend and anyone can organize an event. Whether you are a individual, an existing organization who already holds regular events or a business, you can organize a New Communicators event. There is no formal submission or approval process. If you have an event idea, are willing to organize it and can find a venue to house it, you are welcome to post your event on the event schedule.

For the time being, the New Communicators series of events spans three days in October 2009: Wednesday the 28th, Thursday the 29th and Friday 30th. Why do it for three days and why those three days? Why not? It had to start somewhere.

The Team

Dave Allen

Dave recently started Fight, a Portland-based digital brand consultancy, with ex-Nemo comrade Justin Spohn. You may also know Dave from Pampelmoose among other things.

Eric Hillerns

The Creative Director at Verse Digital Design Group prior to forming Collective Incorporated in 1997, he later evolved that concern to become Pinch. A Design Office. with Adam McIsaac. Hillerns studied journalism at Blair Academy and Princeton University and architecture at The University of Idaho at Moscow. His experience in working with startups to Fortune 100 firms has defined his counsel in approaching business issues through the considered development of brand identity, information systems, exhibit design, and social media. He currently serves on the executive board of directors for AIGA Portland and is the chapter’s representative to AIGA’s Center for Sustainable Design. An advocate for regional design, he created Designspeaks, a small-talks series dedicated to advancing the conversation about design in the Pacific Northwest. Hillerns writes extensively about design as a process and contributes to juried exhibitions and panel discussions on the subject of speculative work. He teaches digital media at Portland State University, and is a member of ICOGRADA and Type Directors Club. And while he’d much prefer being on the river to writing about it, Hillerns is the Conservation Editor for Westfly, an online journal serving the western fly fishing community. He lives on the property adjoining Pinch House with his wife, Lisa, and their three sprouts.

Erin Kurtz

Erin began his career in communication as a designer and art director in 1996. He has worked for numerous Portland advertising agencies starting with JohnsonSheen, an early incarnation of North, and more recently enjoyed 5 years with Leopold Ketel and Partners. In 2001, he became inspired by the possibilities of online engagement for its rich experiences and seemingly endless potential of audience connectivity. Erin shifted his full-time focus to online communication in 2005 and joined the team at Substance in the Summer of 2008, where he was assigned the title Art Director and Minister of Culture. When he asked what “Minister of Culture” meant the answer was, “What ever you want it to mean.” Erin now spends his days exploring what he wants it to mean. In his in-between time, Erin enjoys making a lot of distorted noise and collaborating with the lady he loves on hand-crafted useful accessories and playful objects.

Stephen Landau

Stephen is the co-founder and Creative Director of Substance, which was started almost three years ago with the goal of creating interactive experiences for brands that make meaning. With over a dozen years of experience concepting interactive solutions for companies like the Portland Trail Blazers, Travel Oregon, the Oregon Coast Visitors Association, and Nike, Stephen uses the idea of “brand” as a guide for both creative execution and interactive implementation. The belief that brand is the way people feel about a company is paramount in the creative process where interactivity, functionality and design all work together to create a positive brand relationship. Stephen acts as a passionate voice for the possibilities of interactive brand beyond Substance in the interactive community through writings, judging interactive competitions, and presentations.

David Lowe-Rogstad

David is the co-founder and chief evangelism officer of Substance. David brings over thirteen years of creative leadership to Substance, having done some pretty nice work for the likes of Levi Strauss & Co., Williams-Sonoma, Adobe, Cisco, and Target. David is also a passionate believer in sharing his vision and experience with the community at large, lecturing and teaching locally, as well as speaking at conferences on a national level. Since early 2007, David has been focused on building Substance and being a passionate voice for innovation and brand leadership.

Justin Spohn

Justin recently started Fight, a Portland-based digital brand consultancy, with ex-Nemo comrade Dave Allen. You can read his thoughts on the wonderful, and powerful ways the web and technology has disrupted society, and the new and bizarre world this creates for brands and the agencies that work for them.

Stacy Westbrook

Stacy Westbrook is an interactive designer with over a decade of experience in planning, creating, and developing online experiences. Along with a Certificate in Graphic Design from the Pacific Northwest College of Art, Stacy holds a degree in English literature from Reed College. Her liberal arts education strongly influences her no-nonsense design style and ability to synthesize branding, technology, and communication into successful websites, e-learning courses, demos, animations, and more. Her job is to make complex concepts make sense, and get sh*t done. Stacy’s enthusiasm for digital media and sharing her ideas with others has lead her to teach an introductory Flash course at the PNCA and a 400-level Interactive Teams course at Portland State University. She runs Thoughts & Deeds, an interactive ideas and design shop.

Liza Wolfe

Liza is a creative strategist and cultural analyst globally engaged in the rapidly changing landscape of communication and popular culture. She is currently working on changing minds and hearts at Adidas USA. She is a graduate of Parsons School of Design

Supporters

We couldn’t have generated momentum for this project without a little help from our friends. From very early on in the process many people in the community have graciously shared their talents, such as Cory Duncan UI Developer Extraordinaire at Substance. Others have used their digital platform to spread the word, people like Tyesha Snow, Amber Case, Bram Pitoyo and so many others. We received early venue support from Tim DuRoche of Portland Center Stage, Dan Chapman and Tafflyn Williams-Thomas of the Art Institute of Portland. We want to thank everyone who believes in The New Communicators and has participated in the conversation by attending our events from the start. We know who you are, and we greatly appreciate your support.