We are very lucky to have Imran Ali joining us as a regular blogger and crystal ball gazer here at The Culture Vulture. So we thought we would ask him a little bit about himself…
So Imran, you seem to have your fingers in so many different pies, what exactly is it that you do?
Hmm, there’s no soundbite answer for that, what I ‘do’ is a bunch of stuff in the internet industry – from sitting on the advisory boards of a couple of startups, running an innovation & ‘futures’ consultancy, writing for a few industry blogs, running events & conferences as well as cooking up a few startup ideas…
Anything you don’t do?
I can’t ride a bike (true!).
So for the purpose of the general public who may never have heard of such things as GeekUp, Barcamp and the like, what is this conference stuff in May all about?
May will see the second year of the Leeds Web Festival – colloquially known as ‘LSx‘. LSx brings together a number of conferences, networking events, evening talks, workshops and a weekend-long ‘unconference’. LSx is a celebration of digital culture and Leeds’ contribution to the web’s past and future.
Do you have to be techie or geeky to get much out of it?
We try to have a mix of content that’ll appeal to people curious about the internet industry – like beginner’s workshops and social events – and other events for those who’re industry professionals and want to learn something new or meet their peers.
What would you highlight for the first timer to come try out?
The Innovation North Showcase at Leeds Met, the Girl Geek Dinner and BarCamp Leeds are great ways to dip your toe in the water – as well as make new friends!
On another note, if you were in the business of crystal ball gazing, what’s going to be the next big thing the general public will cotton on to?
Hah! I am in the business of crystal ball gazing! My approach to what’s ‘next’ is less about the next big thing, but trying to articulate thought provoking questions that allow us to explore the future and think about new ideas. For example, ‘how does our relationship with a city centre change when everyone has an iPhone’ or ‘how could local government and democracy’ be enhanced with the web? Formulating good questions is generally more revealing than seeking answers about the future…