Flying Car Launches Today

Flying Car Launches Today

The Flying Car conference, called a “conference of  tomorrow,” opens today. Yet another tech-bent gabfest aiming to replicate Austin’s South by Southwest, this conference features marketing jargon prominently as well as a few tech-related speakers. The topic? It’s a little unclear. Its mission statement seems to zero in on “new ideas” as a general goal (“[new ideas] don’t start with technology and money. They start with the imagination and determination of people, so let’s celebrate them!”), but it’s unclear just who will be the spring from which these ideas flow. Or if the purpose of the conference is simply to…

The Flying Car conference, called a “conference of  tomorrow,” opens today. Yet another tech-bent gabfest aiming to replicate Austin’s South by Southwest, this conference features marketing jargon prominently as well as a few tech-related speakers. The topic? It’s a little unclear.

Its mission statement seems to zero in on “new ideas” as a general goal (“[new ideas] don’t start with technology and money. They start with the imagination and determination of people, so let’s celebrate them!”), but it’s unclear just who will be the spring from which these ideas flow. Or if the purpose of the conference is simply to celebrate.

Steve Wozniak, former “Dancing with the Stars” cast member and co-founder of Apple, is the top-billed speaker, along with Allen “Bud” Selig. Many of the other speakers hail from the sponsoring institutions like Briggs and Stratton, GE Healthcare, and Johnson Controls, but there are other “thought leaders” peppered in to presumably celebrate some of their new ideas.

Today’s lineup is solely “partner” events, and Girls in Tech presents SOLVE looks to be the most promising. The event is billed as “showcasing and celebrating” female tech leaders, but also on that list is the Girls Scout’s Robotics Team, which will be hosting demonstrations. This alone might be worth the fee.

Tickets start at $150 and the conference runs through Friday.

Claire Hanan worked at the magazine as an editor from 2012-2017. She edited the Culture section and wrote stories about all sorts of topics, including the arts, fashion, politics and more. In 2016, she was a finalist for best profile writing at the City and Regional Magazine Awards for her story "In A Flash." In 2014, she won the the Milwaukee Press gold award for best public service story for editing "Handle With Care," a service package about aging in Milwaukee. Before all this, she attended the University of Missouri's School of Journalism and New York University's Summer Publishing Institute.