Tuesday, September 1

Greenbelt '09 - It's the people stupid

Well.. it was another fantastic Greenbelt. For me, perhaps, the best ever.


It's a very personal thing, but there was a combination of factors which made it special.

1. People
2. An agreed time management process
3. The usual combination of great talks, music and arts stuff

1. People - We were blessed enough to be the people responsible for agreeing, finding then communicating the spot for a gang of 23. This was a mixed group of mainly hOME folk, but also old friends of 20+ years. Everyone got on well, and fist fights were kept to a minimum.

2. Mary and I developed and agreed a very simple but structured time managment system for the weekend which comprised of three elements. Ask me on the comments if you really want to know what it was.

3. Really, really enjoyed almost all of the stuff I saw. Rob Bell, Alex Horne, Douglas Alexander, HFASS... Also really enjoyed Matthew Bishops talk, and it was a real joy and privilage to introduce him; great questions from the crowd.

But overall... it was the people who made it. See everyone at Breakfast in our little camp bit, and hanging around until things kicked off, was just fantastic. It was a great place to question and reflect on what each of us had seen and experienced... in the end I concluded it's the people who make Greenbelt what it is, corporately and individually....

PS. I regret not taking my camera this year... doh. The picture above was taken in the Beer Tent in 2006

2 comments:

Wulf said...

I am interested to know what system you worked out.

Jim said...

Thankfully very, very few people read this blog, so I can disclose the strategy in full... it works as follows...

1. Pick one thing you REALLY want to see each morning, afternoon and evening, then be prepared to queue.

2. Leave your tent in the morning and don't go back until supper. take everything you need with you.

3. Don't go to the service on the Sunday Morning,... get a shower and have breakfast with the gang you camp with. It's just gives a nice break in the middle of a busy weekend.