It also differs from other conferences because all of the weekend lining our stomachs with a midnight feast of happenings involve the attendees themselves — it’s not treats cooked by fellow Streamers before getting our party "death by PowerPoint". There are the discussion groups on until the wee hours. where anyone is encouraged to run a session on whatever So, as you can probably tell, I’m a fan. What made it so inspires them — and attendees choose to go to the ones special? Sure, it was nice to be in the autumn sunshine they want to. These ranged from "how to create social masticating on love, life and the universe. But it is the change in an hour" to "what would happen if the world fascinating people with intriguing stories whom you are in was a little less straight?". The intimate workshops saw the sunshine with that make it magic. us debating topics, sharing wisdom and divulging some deeply personal stories. It’s lucky "Chatham House rules" And it’s how Stream manages to get everyone to applied. leave their egos at the door, be open, embrace their On the first night were the Ignite talks, at which I was fortunate enough to have been given a slot to introduce best selves and not take themselves too seriously myself. Here, in Pecha Kucha style, speakers have 15 that is its ultimate win. slides that automatically forward every 15 seconds, creating compelling and dynamic narratives about Somehow, despite being a well-oiled and professionally fascinating topics from the speakers’ lives. The slides keep run event, it manages to feel like the least corporate, most rolling, no matter what… even if one were to practically fall off-guard environment, which allows its attendees to truly off the stage ;). And then there is the Saturday night talent let go and connect with each other and the world around show where we laughed until we cried. Each evening, as them. the sun went down, we were illuminated by "Luminaries" All I can say is that whatever the magic formula, Stream’s talks that warmed the cockles. We got the skinny on got it just about perfect. I couldn’t have hoped for a more the summer’s biggest phenomenon, "Love Island", saw wonder-filled few days. And now I’ve just got to cross my Wallace & Gromit’s take on puppetry and gazed in wonder fingers that my emerging "old-timer" invite’s in the post as a real life "Iron Man" suit flew over the swimming pool. for next year. Not to mention an "up close and personal" Q&A with WPP’s CEO, Mark Read. And in case we hadn’t feasted enough on all this enlightening fodder, we finished the 3