Pecha Kucha 12: Building Edmonton’s Creative Landscape

by Krissy Schmidt in DONOVAN WORLD

9

Feb
2012

FILED UNDER

Edmonton’s NextGen hosted the sold out Pecha Kucha Night 12 last Thursday, February 2, at the Metro Cinema in the Garneau Theatre. The 10-presentation lineup was touted by many as one of the best Pecha Kucha Nights (PKN) held in Edmonton yet.

As a member of the PKN Working Group, I take particular interest in obtaining feedback from as many people as possible and determining which presentation is the favourite of the evening.

(Photo credit belongs to Jeff Nelson.)

The most popular presentation of the night is usually the one people find the most entertaining. But, as I spoke with members of PKN 12′s audience that evening, I was fascinated to uncover the wide range of opinion on what makes a great pitch. The virtues, passions and personalities that people find inspiring and entertaining have never been more varied.

While some may find talking government and politics boring, Sue Huff’s “Creative Politics” did not go unnoticed. Many valued this presentation for its chivalrous character, and those who marked it at the top of their list were undoubtedly politically active citizens.

People who ranked Ben Henderson’s “Winter City” presentation as their favourite said it was inspiring. He drew parallels between Canadian and Scandinavian cities (relating our similar winter climates) and argued that Edmonton has a lot to learn about embracing our winter months. Speaking further, I realized that the individuals who were inspired by this presentation are all passionate about Edmonton and are activists for building a better city – year round. You can read more about Edmonton’s winter city strategies here.

Chris Falconer and Owen Peterson (the owner of Prairie Mill Bakery) delivered a surprisingly hilarious pitch on the beauty of bread. The pair was hugely animated and delivered a personal appeal for Edmontonians and Albertans to forget about the no-carb diet, and discover the wonders of good bread. Individuals who avidly promote and support Edmonton’s local food scene showed some huge appreciation for this presentation.

Although Pecha Kucha Night 12 was a great opportunity for speakers from around Edmonton to present their unique perspective on our city, there was only one real winner. Edmonton’s creative community.

Through events such as Pecha Kucha Night, Edmonton’s NextGen is devoted to creating a city that attracts and gives voice to the next generation of Edmontonians and is helping to pave the way for a bright creative economy. Pecha Kucha Night 12 built excitement around new ideas, it created enthusiasm to try new things, and it encouraged people to get involved.

It’s easy to say that Edmonton is a city filled with new opportunities, as if all the potential for new business and commerce just appeared out of nowhere, but the reality is that Edmonton is a city that MAKES opportunity. We have the right ingredients for a booming economy and we’re making the most of it. DONOVAN is proud to support creative efforts in our city such as Pecha Kucha Night and other Edmonton’s NextGen events.

Read more about Pecha Kucha Nights here. And find out more about Edmonton’s NextGen here.

Krissy Schmidt is an Account Executive at DONOVAN. Comments on this post or suggestions for future topics are welcome.