The Pop!Tech conference, held annually in Camden, Maine, is rapidly expanding beyond a “big think” gathering of academics, journalists, scientists, and innovation gurus. It’s becoming a magnet for corporate executives, too, who are trying to answer questions such as those posed by Pop!Tech’s curator, Andrew Zolli, in his opening remarks: “Is reinvention possible? Can technology save us? What is the next social contract?”
Even in the downturn, when corporations are curbing travel budgets to trade shows, employees from such diverse companies as Genentech, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Nike, Microsoft, and AT&T were in attendance. There were more corporate sponsors than ever this year, including Nike and Microsoft, who were new to sponsorship this year.
Attendees listened to acoustic guitar and soulful songs sung by Malaysian musician Zee Avi, and watched while artist Chris Jordan showed disturbing photos of dead baby albatrosses whose corpses revealed stomachs full of plastic bottle caps—intended to motivate people to understand the consequences of pollution and garbage.
Michael Pollan who has fundamentally changed the way many of us understand what we eat, how it’s made, and how it gets to us, spoke on whether a vegan in a Hummer has a lighter carbon footprint than a beef eater in a Prius – it was fascinating.
Speaking of food, the preparation for the conference attendees was intense and interesting. If you didn’t attend this year’s conference, you can get the flavor of the conference and the food preparation by viewing the short video below.
Oysters, best known for their reputed aphrodisiac powers, have been a favorite of food lovers throughout the centuries, beginning with the Roman emperors who paid for them by their weight in gold.
Oysters have always been linked with love. When Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, sprang forth from the sea on an oyster shell and promptly gave birth to Eros, the word “aphrodisiac” was born. The dashing lover Casanova used to start a meal by eating a dozen or more oysters.
The Damariscotta River’s Pemaquid oyster beds are farm raised and produce what are considered some of the best tasting oysters in the world. To celebrate our valuable crop and to benefit the Edward A. Myers Marine Conservation Fund and Maine’s working waterfront, the community throws an annual fundraising event that shouldn’t be missed.
At the Pemaquid Oyster Festival visitors can enjoy food, music, historical displays, educational exhibits, and boat rides out to the oyster beds. If you’ve never been to the Oyster Festival and would like to get a feel for this annual event, just view the short video below.
To see the recent New York Times slide show entitled, “Maine on the Half Shell” click here.
To see the related NY Times article entitled, “Where Maine Comes Out of Its Other Shell” click here.
Camden rocks! Sailing off the western coastline of Penobscot Bay, partying on the harbor, strolling through the wide variety of boutiques and shops, enjoying great food, and watching the fireworks during the Camden Windjammer Festival offers visitors the chance to do Camden and sail all in one fun-filled weekend. This year’s festival was blessed with spectacular weather and a full moon.
The festival is a celebration of Camden’s maritime heritage, and attracts visitors from all over the U.S. and Europe. It’s a chance to climb aboard some of the fabulous schooners from the golden age of sail when many of these same schooners were launched into Camden Harbor – by the mid-19th century, Camden was home to six shipyards and launched more than 10 vessels each year. It’s also an opportunity to learn some of the salty arts and skills, swap stories of the sea, and see talent shows and concerts that appeal to swabbies and landlubbers alike.
If you missed the festival this year, you can still view some of the highlights in the six-minute video below.
See you next year at the Camden Windjammer Festival.
Where: Camden Harbor When: Every Labor Day Weekend
The Maine Lobster Festival (MLF) is held in late July each year in Maine’s mid-coast region along the western side of Penobscot Bay. The area is one of the centers of Maine’s lobster industry, and stretches along the coast from Belfast in the north to Owl’s Head near Thomaston in the south. The region includes and showcases the communities of Camden and Rockland (where the festival is actually held in Harbor Park).
I’ve lived in the state (off and on) for a combined total of 26 years, but have never been to the Lobster Festival, and this year marks the 62nd year of the gala event. There were a number of good reasons to go this year to witness the festival, not the least of which is the fact that we have two Resort/Inn properties in the Camden area. Also, Lobsters and Tourism are big industries in Maine, and here was a chance to experience an event intended to highlight their intersection. To be honest though, I had recently finished reading the late David Foster Wallace’s account of the festival in his essay entitled, “Consider the Lobster” which you can find in Wallace’s hilarious book of essays by the same title.
Foster Wallace also wrote a book of short stories entitled, “A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again”. I considered borrowing that title for this particular blog, but thought better of it. By viewing the attached video account of the MLF, you can actually do a virtual visit in less then nine minutes, and get a feel for the extravaganza.