Jolie and I went down to the Portland Art Museum for a meeting with the Events Planner last week.
We looked around at rooms that seated 350+ people. We talked about projectors and coat rooms and WiFi and catering—and everything else you could think of related to holding a major event.
“Look,” I said as we walked past a wide corridor. “That looks like a nice place for the bloggers’ lounge.” The corridor in question also contained a large statue of a naked man, but hey, it’s an art museum.
“We don’t allow red wine in this room,” the planner told me as we walked by another room with 500-year-old paintings. “But white wine? As much as you want!”
Normally I’d be taking notes on all these things—we looked at ten different rooms, all with different seating capacities and red wine vs. white wine specifications. But I didn’t take any notes at all, because I was simultaneously thrilled and terrified, caught up in the Big Idea of what this was all about.
“What do you think?” the cheery Events Planner asked as she walked us out.
I looked up at the impressive building, pictured above and over here. “I’ll take it,” I said. “Let’s do it.”
And thus began the planning…
The Unconventional Book Tour kicks off in just eight days, with my goal of meeting every person who reads AONC in the U.S. and Canada. But as much fun as it will be going from Kansas to Nebraska to meet with 63 small groups, I also thought:
What if we could also bring everyone together in one place? That would be even more epic than me going around from city to city.
So that’s what this is about, and I knew that the “one place” had to be Portland (PDX), World Domination HQ and my hometown of choice. We’ve been scouting event spaces for weeks, trying to find the best location to host an amazing group of people. A place like the Marriott isn’t the right fit, but the smaller hotels were, well, too small.
So I made a big financial commitment to rent the Portland Art Museum, and everything that goes with it—A/V, permits from the city, insurance to make sure no one breaks the naked man statue, and so on. As I suspected, renting out the Portland Art Museum for an entire weekend isn’t cheap. I’m taking a big risk in committing ten months in advance, but nothing worth doing is ever easy.
So, friends: here’s the proposal.
Next June, I propose we take over Portland, Oregon with our first annual World Domination Summit, and I’d love for you to be a part of it.
The summit will be a gathering of remarkable people from all over the world. Other authors, bloggers, and interesting people will be speaking from the main stage, a 376-seat theater where we’ll meet for about a third of the time.
The second part of our time will be in small groups, where we talk about travel hacking, microbusinesses, how to do what you love while changing the world, and all kinds of other important topics. (You’ll sign up for the groups you want, and there will also be a voting system to nominate your own group.)
The final third of the time will be all about community. We’re working with the Mayor’s Office to put together tours of Portland. You can visit the city’s famous food carts, check out the vegan tattoo parlor, head back to the theater for a special Charity: Water screening we’re putting together, or whatever you want.
And mostly, you can hang out with people who see the world in the same way. It will be insanely epic, and I’d love for you to be there.
So here’s the second part of the deal.
The summit will have a cost associated with it, but I’m spending my time thinking about how it can be amazing instead of how it can make money. (“Not many people can guarantee awesomeness, but we’re stepping up” as I say in the Unconventional Guides business.)
It will probably cost about $300 a person or so for the whole thing—much cheaper than SXSW, BlogWorld, or any other major conference that doesn’t have a ton of advertisers. We’re also working with hotels to offer a discounted group rate, talking to both hostels in town to completely book them out, and planning to coordinate some kind of couchsurfing option for people who prefer that.
I’m not 100% sure how everything will work yet, but I have a team of advisers here in Portland helping me to make this much more awesome than I could do on my own. And if you come, you’ll be a big part of making it even more awesome.
The goal is to publish the registration site in mid-September—live from the road as I’m touring America. But before then, I wanted you to be the first to know.
Will you save the date, and set aside June 3-5th 2011? I hope you can make it.
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August 30, 2010
j.
PDX is tempting enough with the vegan barbecue food cart (made *for*, not *of*). Depending on cashflow, my location, tickets, and this not selling out before I know if it works or not, I’ll “pencil” it in.
Besides, I *like* nekkid man statues.
August 30, 2010
Monica
99.9999999999% YES! Freak accidents are the .00000000001% “No.”
August 30, 2010
Nick
Hey Chris,
Sounds Awesome!
If logistics are friendly, I’ll be there!
N
August 30, 2010
April
I’ll be there too! Hey–looks like your event is nearly sold out!
August 30, 2010
Jessica
This sounds great! So excited for it and happy to see your success
August 31, 2010
Simone
Even if it rains in Portland in June, I’ll still be there!
August 31, 2010
Javier Munoz
My mind-body-soul and all other yet unrealized dimensions of my being are there already in Portland. Is that enough of a commitment?
August 31, 2010
Susannah
oh my god, YES, count me in
August 31, 2010
Elizabeth Potts Weinstein
It’s on my calendar. That is all.
August 31, 2010
Scott
Really happy that this is the week before TBEX11 in Vancouver, definitely planning on going to both!
Chris do you plan on running the registration through Eventbright or do it in house like the book tour?
August 31, 2010
Lynne Sullivan
Looking forward to the details. Sounds like a great idea!
August 31, 2010
Marguerite Hummel
I can hear myself singing “Happy Birthday to Me!” all the way! My birthday is that month and I think it’s a great birthday present for me!
August 31, 2010
Matt Stewart
Date set aside, see you there!
August 31, 2010
Jason Gill
I will be there! Perhaps Christina will also. (I mean it would be ridiculous to miss it since I’m five minutes away from it!
P.S. I found a place in Portland!
August 31, 2010
Christina
Thanks, Chris, for letting us know the date and an approximation of the cost this far in advance. Luckily, I live in PDX (and really had a great time at the last meet-up!) so I don’t have to factor in travel, room, and board costs. I’ve set up a goal on Mint, and I’ll be putting $30 per month into a special savings account just for this. When do you think you’ll be opening registration?
August 31, 2010
Michael
You had me at “tattoo”
August 31, 2010
Jenny
I think I’ll be in the area around this time… so I will totally hit it up! Stoked on how everything seems to be falling into place for me.
August 31, 2010
Katana
Squee! Squee!
So excited!!!
If I haven’t moved to Costa Rica I WILL SO BE THERE!!! HAHA
August 31, 2010
rianna
Count me in!
August 31, 2010
Wyman
Plan to be there to talk with other Internet business startups.
September 1, 2010
Cheryl in Europe
Great news ! Especially as it coincides with a rare visit to San Francisco the week before. Count me in…
September 1, 2010
Timothy Morris
I love the idea. I need to start saving miles and cash for the trip now. Once the dates are solid I will be looking to attend. This sounds like the best thing in the world. I love this kind of stuff.
September 1, 2010
Olga
Thanks for the heads up. Unfortunately I have another conference to attend during that week. I can’t wait to be involved in the next one!
Cheers ninjas!
September 1, 2010
Chris
Would have loved to come, this really got me excited!
I just need a way to sneak out the university I’m beginning af in 3 weeks..
September 1, 2010
Corey White
If I’m not in Argentina next June then I will be there!
September 1, 2010
Craig Ernst
Sounds awesome! I decided to keep an eye out since hearing you mention it in your interview with Andrew Warner at Mixergy.com.
September 2, 2010
Beth Jennings
oooh! sounds awesome!! Good luck, I’d say you’ll have a huge turnout by the time it comes around.
September 2, 2010
Sietse
I’ve enjoyed your blog and ebooks so much, so I’d love to somehow contribute to the event, despite my limited time! If you need help with anything, drop me a line and maybe I can do something. Good luck Chris!
September 3, 2010
sarah
I am so freaking excited about this. Definitely want to attend and think 300 dollars for a weekend of activities and workshops is a great deal.
September 3, 2010
Amy Yu
I’ll see you June 3rd, +1 guest.
September 4, 2010
Monique Rubens Krohn
Count me in! Great reason to get to the West Coast and discover Portland Glad to see I won’t be the only Baby Boomer wise woman there!
September 4, 2010
Robbie Mackay
Awesome. This will be so much fun.
I’m just trying to think how I can get to the US from the UK without flying (and within my budget). Any readers with yachts who’d like some crew?
September 4, 2010
Charles
Hi Chris, got to know about you and your world domination concept a couple of days ago. You are the the kind of guy I’d love to meet. I’ve saved the date. My travel hacking has just begun. See you then!
September 5, 2010
viqueen
ALL weekend I’ve been thinking, why haven’t I been to Portland? It’s one of the few US cities I’ve always wanted to uncover. I don’t know anyone there, and when I bring it up, everyone, I mean, everyone says eeeeeeuuuuwww… it’s so rainy.
Then today, never had been to AONC, but a lucky link brought me here, and like something magical, I found a purpose, a reason to take me to Portland, with a purpose I can get behind.
Oh yeah, I’ll be there!
September 5, 2010
Hannah
Sounds wonderful. I lived in Pdx for 9 years before heading to Seattle (and now Minneapolis.) I need to go back and visit friends, so why not make it a triple-header? Yay!
September 6, 2010
Alvin Harrison
Chris,
I think what you are doing is absolutely wonderful!!! I will certainly be on a flight from NYC to join you guys.
Best of Luck to you,
Alvin Harrison
September 7, 2010
Donovan (THE Boot Camp Godfather)
I’ll be there and bring some friends.
October 5, 2010
Shannon
Yes, I am looking forward to meeting everyone there! It will be awesome!
October 20, 2010
Valerie
There!