TEDxTokyo 2014

Burning Man CEO Marian Goodell just gave a presentation at TEDxTokyo, on her way to Midburn in Israel.

Some noteworthy highlights from the 10 12 minute talk:

– she confirms our estimate that Burning Man is now a $30 million a year business

– the Burning Man Project board now has no less than 19 directors. The public web site lists 17. Who are the other two? Perhaps John Perry Barlow and Peter Hirshberg, who crossed the country for “The Founders Speak” Burning Man lecture, but have no “official” history as BMOrg Founders.

– She claims that they orient the city to the East. It is actually oriented 45 degrees clockwise from North – that is, North-East.

– Other claims: cellphones do not work (no longer true). Internet is intermittent (available in many places including Center Camp; at least 4 Wi-Fi networks were available around First Camp in 2012; in 2013 they upgraded their dedicated Internet link to 45 Mb/s). Money is essentially useless, you can only buy coffee and ice (not true).

“Burning Man is more than just an event – it’s a way of looking at the world. A practice field for how the joy and happiness of Burning Man can be tended to when you get home…It’s an experience of living you can bring to your everyday life…it gives people an opportunity to look at themselves differently and more authentically

…they might take on a personality or a character
…they might find themselves amongst others taking on the same character
…they might find themselves connected to a group
…in the course of doing that, they might find themselves part of a greater whole”

 

Maid Marian wasn’t the only BMOrg staffer presenting to the Japanese. Social Alchemist Bear Kittay also gave a presentation, in which he announced “I am a robot”. The singularity is coming, and Burning Man is its church.