SLUSH "Must Attend" Digital Media/Tech Conference in Helsinki -- It's Coming!

SLUSH - which has emerged as one of Europe's leading tech conferences - is coming (sooner than you think - so plan accordingly now).  SLUSH is held in Helsinki, Finland and falls on November 11th and 12th this year.  I attended my first last year (here is my review and some highlights), and it is now one of my few "must attend" events this year.  And, this year I plan to give a keynote about the state of the MCN (er ... I mean, MPD) world from a much-needed global perspective -- and will augment that with a fireside chat with leaders in that space representing both Euro and U.S. perspectives.

I recently sat down with both Petri Vilen, SLUSH's Chief Curator (top left), and Pauli Kopu, SLUSH's creative czar (lower left) at SXSW and we spoke at length about the event's origins, ambitions and future.  They are nothing if not ambitious -- and it is that ambition, together with talent, innovation and dedication -- that have catapulted SLUSH to the forefront of the tech event world in just a short few years.  SLUSH's vision is to be the Davos for tech startups and investors.  But, SLUSH's definition of tech has expanded (as it should) into digital media as well in a big way.  Last year 14,000 attended (including 750 investors representing 140 venture capital funds and 100 senior M&A execs) -- the majority of whom hail from Northern Europe for sure, but are increasingly global -- with the next most significant attending delegations being from Russia, the U.K., Germany, China, Japan, and the U.S.

Why such an international flair?  Just think about Helsinki, Finland's geography.  The city sits at the perfect juncture where the East meets the West (or, vice-versa) -- and with inclusive, worldly sensibilities as a result.

Hey Hollywood, Silicon Valley and Madison Avenue!  SLUSH should be on your list.  Yes, you know about Rovio and Supercell.  But, Finland is not just about gaming anymore.  Massive tech innovation is abounding all around in the that great white north -- where innovative minds buzz with their coffee 24/7 amidst the increasing darkness (and, well, slush) of the later months.

And it is a worthy goal in and of itself to get outside your comfort zones and travel beyond your borders (both mentally and physically) to hear and truly internalize non-U.S. perspectives.