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Sunday, October 2

UNUSUAL INTERSECTIONS | 2016

By Unusual, Inc.

Date and time

Sunday, October 2, 2016 · 11am - 6pm EDT

Location

The Barns at Wolf Trap

1635 Trap Rd Vienna, VA 22182

Refund Policy

Contact the organizer to request a refund.

Description

A 1 day gathering of unlikely minds to break down silos and inspire innovative problem solving across diverse industries.

AN UNUSUAL EVENT EXPERIENCE

Last year, for the first time, we launched the inaugural Unusual Intersections to re-imagine how business leaders break down silos by cross-pollinating ideas to solve common problems. With success beyond any measure, we are back by popular demand with an even greater experience than the first go-round.

Welcome to Unusual Intersections 2016. A private, invitation-only gathering where business leaders and ideas from divergent industries collide, mix, and come together to create new blueprints that solve real business problems.

Applying a green-room-like experience, leaders from diverse industries learn from one another to solve common problems. Join 100+ thought leaders represented across 15+ industries to share their personal stories, perspectives, and best practices.

Join us as we embark on a wondrous journey into the intellectual wilderness that will stir up creative and innovative ideas to address your core business needs in ways never before imagined.

FAQs

WHAT IS THE THEME?

CONNECTING THE DOTS

Re-imagining the future will require an understanding of how disparate industries converge…how the dots between different ideas and perspectives connect. Understanding how the dots connect is the difference between those who consume the future vs those who create the future. Unusual Intersections provides its festival goers with a front row seat amongst those who are shaping our world’s future. What are the cultural drivers that will shape the experiences of tomorrow? We believe the intersection of these ideas will create a re-imagined future that will help define our lives.

On Originality & Creativity
On Transformation
On Authenticity
On Movements & Virality
On Purpose & Social Responsibility
On Grit & Hustle
On Resilience
On Humor & Delight
On Curiosity & Learning
On Loyalty & Engagement
On Impossible

WHO IS THE AUDIENCE?

Are you a leader seeking creative approaches to innovation for your organization? Are you tired of hearing the same old messages at stuffy events where you get little interaction with the key experts and thought leaders? Does the following statement describe you? If so, then you are invited!

The age of average is over. Applying the usual ‘go-with-the-flow’ approaches to innovation is suicidal for any business. For an organization to thrive over the next decade, it will require an unusual ability to create transformational innovations that stand out and sustain. We must ‘think unusual’ and challenge the status quo. We call these backyard innovators ‘unusual suspects’ because they embody the courage to do what’s right irrespective of the uncertainty that lays ahead. While most may only see them as the crazy ones, they unquestionably possess the ability to see what others do not. They go against the grain, have disdain for the ordinary, and are fearless in challenging the status quo. Their unusual perspectives help us open our eyes to what’s possible, and make us continuously ask “what if?”

WHO IS *NOT* COMING?

Moochers, business card pushers, event voyeurs, assholes, and people without a unique perspective. Please, don't bother.

This event is 100% participatory. We invite only those who embody our mission and values...and quite frankly, those whom we would personally welcome into our homes for a delightful and intriguing conversation over dinner.

IS MY REGISTRATION/TICKET TRANSFERABLE?

Sorry, No! Only those who directly register are permitted access to the event.

IS THERE A DRESS CODE?

We believe the best ideas surface when you are most comfortable. So you do you! Just be yourself. Don't come shabby, but dress to be casually professional. Jeans are fine.

WHICH INDUSTRIES WILL BE REPRESENTED?

The event is designed to cross-pollinate ideas from divergent industries to solve common problems. That said, we have carefully curated our speaker and attendee list to represent a comprehensive cross-section of a variety of industries, including, but not limited to:

Don't see your industry represented? Fret not. We are open to having folks from any and all industries with ideas to share.

WHAT MAKES THIS EVENT UNIQUE?

We believe most leaders of organizations fail to recognize their full innovative potential. This is oftentimes a factor of groupthink where we are silo'd in our thinking and only surround ourselves with people and ideas that are most familiar.

Unusual Intersections is designed to challenge that preconception by creating an intimate and productive gathering that gets us out of our comfort zone. In our experience as innovators, leaders, and entrepreneurs we know that some of the best ideas come from exploring the unknown intersections between divergent industries.

What most fail to realize, is that although you think your business problem or challenge is unique, odds are there is some other person in some seemingly random industry that has tackled that similar issue successfully - or at least in a creative way that can help spark new ideas.

As far as we know, there is no other event that addresses this core innovative challenge. And so we set out to create one for you. We hope you enjoy it and would love your input.

WHAT IS THE UNUSUAL MANIFESTO?

The age of average is over. We believe the future belongs to those with grit. To those willing to step out of their shell and experience something different, something unusual. We believe the unusual inspires a sense of wonder and new perspectives. We believe that within the unusual, we find extraordinary thinking powered by curious people. We believe in the power of these people to change the world.

We are Unusual.

WHO IS HOSTING THIS EVENT?

Dr. Gautam Gulati is a globetrotting expert on innovation. While on paper he is typically defined by the two letters that proceed his name "Dr", he is most valued for his diverse (and seemingly random) collage of experiences, interests, and skills spanning across a wide range of industries that have come to represent his signature trademark as being simply 'unusual'.

For decades - whether it be in the form of delivering keynote talks, conceiving innovative products, advising client strategies, or throwing dance parties - Gautam has been at the forefront of delivering memorable experiences. Along this journey, he has become unusually obsessed with the power of perspective to help reimagine a world of innovative possibilities.

To achieve this lofty goal, he founded Unusual Inc., a storytelling media expedition celebrating human ingenuity, diversity, and imagination. With a simple mission to help bold change-makers curate and create moments of serendipity using the power of unusual perspectives, Gautam has launched an event series called Unusual Intersections to help leaders of all industries break free from silo'd thinking and collaborate across organizational lines.

WHAT IS THE SPEAKER LINEUP? (NOTE: Speakers are continuously being updated. Please check the website for new additions.)