RT5 has come and gone. Many, many thanks to all who attended and helped out. There has been a lot of praise coming our way and some constructive criticism also. But the most important comments / questions / critiques come from living breathing attendees of this year's conference and years past.
We also want to get more people on board for next year's planning committee. So contact the committee if you want to help plan next year's Conference.
Open comments thread below for attendees to tell us what you thought of this Rising Tide 5. Don't be bashful yall.
The Rising Tide Conference is an annual gathering for all who wish to learn more and do more to assist New Orleans' recovery. Leveraging the power of bloggers and new media, the conference is a launch pad for organization and action. Our day-long program of speakers and presentations is tailored to inform, entertain, enrage and inspire.
Best Panels: The Keynote and the Politics Panel.
ReplyDeleteBoring Panel: The Treme Panel, no offense to those involved in the panel.
Best Moment: DuBos implying that maybe the DC Madam might have been knocked off.
Worse Moment: Trying to figure out where the after part was going to be.
What can be improved for next year:
More couches. More controversial panels. More challenges to panelists and the audience, less of echo-chamber. More Science!
Loki is loud. Confiscate his mike...
ReplyDeleteAfter party fiasco seems to be something we endure every year. This year it was particularly bad I know. We will overcome this next year I promise.
ReplyDeleteI, too, thought the Treme panel was a bit subdued and I was moderator! The problem is the name recognition of these panelists attracted audience members to the panel, but there is no way to get the panelists to say something controversial about their own show. Also, I was not about to get busy people graciously providing their time up there only to provoke any one of them. The jazz historian and Mardi Gras Indian whom I invited to critique the show and provide counterpoints did not accept, while everyone associated with the show did. So it goes.
ReplyDeleteMac rocks - I officially bought her first drink on Friday night!
I enjoyed all the panels. My faves were the Treme panel (great job Maitri!) and the politics panel. I thought the politics moderator talked too much. It was great to have a conservative on the panel to add spice and, oddly enough, point out areas of agreement.
ReplyDeleteI thought Maitri's questions for the Treme panel were wonderful and the audience questions were even better.
I found the public safety panel a bit frustrating. Serpas seemed to say the "right" words but I just didn't feel it. Even when confronted with disapproval over "police cars rolling slow with lights on" through neighborhoods, he basically blew it off. I don't know ANYONE that doesn't react a little viscerally to flashing cop car lights. The feeling it generates in me is that things are unsafe and there's been a crime committed, not "we're here keeping you safe."
Mac McClelland was the highlight of the day. She'll be hard to top. Cocktails should definitely be on the menu for any future keynoter.
The venue was fantastic. Lunch was great and fast for such a big crowd.
I learned a lot from Tim Ruppert's talk. It wasn't the most exciting, but it was very educational. I will feel a lot more confident discussing the levees and the real meaning of "100 year" protection.
Kudos to the RT5 team for an impressive and well-run conference. I can't wait for next year!
WAIT! Amend the last post. So sorry Adrastos. It was Peter Scharf, the public safety moderator, that I thought talked too much, NOT politics moderator. Can anyone fix that? I can't edit my post. Adrastos, you were great.
ReplyDeleteThis was my fourth RT and I loved the new location though the biggest disappointment of the day was the food -- it's been a lot better in the past. If that's my biggest complaint then y'all did a great job.
ReplyDeleteI was happy to see Ruppert back this year. He's a wealth of information.
I didn't appreciate the name calling (Mac and Morial). It just seemed childish without something backing it up but that's not the organizer's faults.
The politics panel was good as always and I appreciated seeing a conservative on board.
Because it's an issue dear to my household, when I hear the DA's office get slammed on the public safety panels over the years, I always wonder why there's not an ADA or THE DA up there. I was happy that Serpas came.
Great job all around and please put me on the list to help out next year with the planning and/or execution. I'm really good at lifting heavy objects.