VIDEO ARCHIVE
Saturday
Sunday
WHAT IS BIL?
BIL is an ad-hoc conference for people looking to change the world in big ways. It’s a place for passionate people to come together to energize, brainstorm, and take action. BIL brings together inspiring talks, world-changing people, and amazing ideas.
Yes, the naming & unconference spirit was a play off of the formal and elite approach that TED employed to create access to the excellent adventure of life through building a shared community since 2008. Los Angeles is thriving with artists, technologists, makers and doers of all sorts. BIL brings them together for an inspiring weekend of creativity, innovation, new relationships and opportunities.
This fully participant-run (that means you!), all-volunteer event will host one main stage (fully recocorded) of 15 min talks. This will be an unconference stage that will not be curated. You can announce your talk to the community by signing up online here, though there will still be whiteboards to sign up for your time slot on the day of the event, beginning at 9am, Saturday and Sunday.
We will showcase themes of Technology and Humanities. We will lock-in a few high profile speakers, but our goal is to have our unconference EMERGE through the participation of our community.
You will also be able to sign up to host “interactive experiences” to share with the crowd. Some ideas might be: teach lockpicking and skills, serve tea, be citizen scientists, play games, etc. Bring fun art and furnishings, and bring new interesting people to share with others. We will feature exciting interactive experiences, expert panelists, breakout sessions and round-table discussions. All participants contribute to this potluck conference.
The concept of BIL, a potluck style unconference where each participant BILds the experience, would not be the thriving community that it is without the founder of Burning Man, Larry Harvey. Many of our BIL participants learn what a gifting economy can accomplish through their experiences with the 10 Principles of BM. We will honor his memory and participate in the #thankslarry Global celebration. We invite you to express yourself through clothing, build art, share, teach, emerge and explore.
SPECIAL FEATURE!
BIL L.A. 2018 is proud to present a special digital theatrical presentation of:
Humanity Needs Dreamers: A Visit With Marie Curie Film
Saturday, June 24th from 8 – 9pm. Film screening starts at 8:15
…………………
“Everything a science film should be.” – Lisa Randall, Harvard University
Two-time Nobel Prize winner Marie Skłodowska Curie is best known for pioneering the field of radioactivity — but few understand the obstacles she faced just to enter the laboratory.
What if she could tell her story?
This acclaimed & intimate portrayal of one of the most famous names in science was the 2017 Raw Science Film Festival’s winner of the professional dramatic category. The film is produced by STEM on Stage and directed by Jen Myronuk, a member & past attendee of the BIL community, and is written & performed by Susan Marie Frontczak, a former engineer & science scholar. humanityneedsdreamers.org
Entertaining, engaging and informative – take part in this unique & scholarly time travel experience. Seating is limited.
We welcome you to join us for BIL LA 2018!
Extremely important information: Your ticket price is a donation! You can fill in any amount you wish! Our ‘suggested donation’ is to make sure we cover the costs, however our goal is to have participants! Giving what you can will help us cover costs, especially if you invite a friend! Thank you for spreading this amazing opportunity! Giving the suggested amount or more makes us breathe a bit easier. Thank you to those that can!
The ticket tiers are as follows:
$500.00 Sponsor
$250.00 Philanthropist
$100.00 BILder
$50.00 SUGGESTED PRICE
$25.00 Students and Starving Artists
An extra note:
We want you to come at any amount. There is no top down structure, we are all equal volunteers. It is vital that each person understands that this is an “unconference” with full ownership of BIL. Collaboration and creativity makes BIL come alive! The pre-org team works very hard to keep costs down by depending on many people to donate their useful items, time, and talent. This page is about direct financial donation. Money gives us unencumbered freedom to work on BIL’s behalf. Make no mistake, an artist, speaker, active listener, interested curious mind, maker or game facilitator that gives far less money, but far more personal touch is vitally important. Direct financial contribution is a necessity, as some items simply cost.
On behalf of the pre- org team as well as BIL Collaborative, thank you! Give what you can!!
BIL Conference is an all-volunteer donation-run event. We thank you for your tax-deductible contribution!
Thank you to the organizations that are providing support!
At Brookfield Properties DTLA, we’re not just a skyline, we’re a community—a community of shapers, innovators, and doers. Operating more than 8.6 million square feet of modern office space and the game-changing shopping and dining destination FIGat7th, Brookfield Properties DTLA is the premier commercial property owner in Los Angeles. With a deep understanding of what 21st century businesses need to thrive, we specialize in providing an array of flexible, amenity-rich work environments that inspire collaboration, spark innovation, and pulse with the burgeoning energy and rhythm of downtown. Brookfield Properties DTLA assets include everything today’s companies crave, from unparalleled customer service to world-class amenities, including high-end conferencing, fitness, and dining spaces by Convene. With DesignHive, our visionary, next-generation spec suite, and Arts Brookfield’s one-of-a-kind cultural experiences, we bring workspace and public space to life.
A few of the roles we are looking to fill:
Pre-Planning Committee: Be involved from the ground up! WE have monthly, and eventually weekly calls discussing the progress of BIL.
Sponsorhip Coordination: Find sponsors for BIL! Be the point person for Sponsor Relations and follow up. Do you know people who’d be interested in supporting an unconference?
Auction Curator: help garner items for the auction and create description cards for the MC’s on the day of the event. Help keep the auction items organized and collect donor and winner information for follow up.
Speaker Wrangler: These people work in conjunction with the MC’s to find speakers, make sure they’ve submitted their materials to AV and that they are on deck on time. It is a bustling conference, and this is an important job to keep things running smoothly!
Social Media Team: Do you love posting on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Periscope? Do you have website building experience and want to help maintain our information flow? Join our Social Media Team and help us get the word out about BIL!
Registration Maven: These people reign over the registration table; checking people in, handling money, answering questions, guarding equipment, and being the first point of contact for all BILders! We can’t run without them!
Time Lord: If the talks are your favorite part of BIL, this job is for you! Watch the talks, and let speakers know when their time is up. Another important job to help things keep on track.
MC: We have several stages and need MC’s to help keep them organized and moving along.
Videographer: Help us document BIL and create content for our YouTube page!
General Volunteer: Things always need to be moved around, found, handed off, gotten, organized and done. Help us do the things!
Photographer: We always have a host of talented photographers attend BIL every year. Join the team!
Host an Activity: We’ve had speed friending, The College of Lockpicking, Raw Science and robots and kettle ball instruction! Got an idea for an interactive activity? Go for it.
VIP Coordinator: Sometimes people will donate generously to BIL, money or products. Or we may have high profile guests or speakers. Work alongside the Sponsorship Coordinator to make our VIP’s know how grateful we are!
Please go to the link above to insert your name, talk, bio and picture to our wiki to submit for a talk!
As we have interactives sign up, we will post them here.
If you have an interactive experience that you would like to host, please sign up on the wiki with the button below!
BIL LA 2018 FAQ
WHAT IS BIL?
WHAT DOES BIL STAND FOR?
WHERE CAN I WATCH BIL TALKS
WHEN IS BIL LA 2018?
WHERE IS BIL LA 2018?
WHO IS IN CHARGE OF BIL LA?
WHAT HAPPENS AT BIL LA?
IS BIL LA KID FRIENDLY?
WHO IS BIL?
HOW MUCH IS BIL?
WHO SPEAKS AT BIL?
DO SPEAKERS HAVE TO BUY A TICKET?
SPEAKING AT BIL
BIL 2018 AV Presentation Guidelines
Day of Event Guidelines for Speakers
SPONSORING BIL
SOCIAL MEDIA
THANK YOU!
WHAT IS BIL?
BIL is an ad-hoc conference for people looking to change the world in big ways. It’s a place for passionate people to come together to energize, brainstorm, and take action. BIL brings together inspiring talks, world-changing people, amazing ideas. Yes, the naming & unconference spirit was a play off of the formal & elite approach that TED employed to share ideas. BIL was born out of a play off of TED in an Excellent Adventure sort of way.
WHAT DOES BIL STAND FOR?
BIL doesn’t necessarily stand for anything. BIL is purposefully not a fixed acronym, because BIL creates the open space, like a blank canvas, for you to have a say in what goes on and what gets talked about. Instead of one small group deciding what’s important, BIL creates your space to take charge of the future that is unfolding right now!
There are many that feel like they can’t make a difference on there own, but at BIL we can truly be more than the sum of our parts. It is often said that the magic of BIL is found in the conversations, new friendships, and world-changing collaborations.
Do you want it to stand for something? Create the BIL you want to see! There are infinite possibilities…
Beautiful. Intellectuals. Learning.
Brilliant. Ideas. Lurking.
What’s your definition?
B______. I______. L________
WHERE CAN I WATCH BIL TALKS?
On our Youtube Page!
You can also find talks here on our website. Browse the events and you can find that event’s speakers and talks!
WHEN IS BIL LA 2018?
Friday, June 22
Friday Set-Up Volunteers will help set up the venue during the day. To be part of the team, sign up here!
Friday Night Meet & Greet
Harold and Belle’s (New Orleans style)
2920 West Jefferson Blvd
Los Angeles, CA. 90018
*Street parking available in the neighborhood. Don’t block driveway’s even a little, the residents will call to tow.
**We recommend paying $5 for Valet at Harold and Belle’s. If you take that option, it closes at 11pm Saturday night. We hope to eat there when we can to show gratitude for the service, they know not all will.
Ride Sharing, Uber, Lyft, or using the Metro are also great options.
We like to welcome those from out of town, reacquaint with old friends and introduce new BILders to each other.
Saturday, June 23
Volunteers are up early in the morning, doors open at 9am on Saturday, and then we unconference until 5pm.
After unconferencing, people then have the opportunity to eat, rest and put on something swanky for our Saturday Night Party. Or stay after the talks and help transform the Chicken Coup for the party! The evening starts around 8pm and we’ll be partying until midnight or so. If you’d like to be involved with the Saturday Night Party Planning, sign up here and let us know your ideas!
SPECIAL FEATURE!
BIL L.A. 2018 is proud to present a special digital theatrical presentation of:
Humanity Needs Dreamers: A Visit With Marie Curie Film
Saturday, June 24th from 8 – 9pm. Film screening starts at 8:15
…………………
“Everything a science film should be.” – Lisa Randall, Harvard University
Two-time Nobel Prize winner Marie Skłodowska Curie is best known for pioneering the field of radioactivity — but few understand the obstacles she faced just to enter the laboratory.
What if she could tell her story?
This acclaimed & intimate portrayal of one of the most famous names in science was the 2017 Raw Science Film Festival’s winner of the professional dramatic category. The film is produced by STEM on Stage and directed by Jen Myronuk, a member & past attendee of the BIL community, and is written & performed by Susan Marie Frontczak, a former engineer & science scholar. humanityneedsdreamers.org
Entertaining, engaging and informative – take part in this unique & scholarly time travel experience. Seating is limited.
Sunday, June 24
Doors open at 10:00 AM. Unconferencing from 11-5. Everyone is welcome to help us break down. We’d like to be out of the venue by 7pm so we can all go eat!
WHO IS IN CHARGE OF BIL LA?
There are a few dedicated uber volunteers that could loosely be described as being in charge. (And we’re all grateful for their hard work.) But everyone coming is expected to chip in in whatever way they see fit. If you see something that you think ought to be done, do it. Part of the magic, and what people come to love about BIL, is in the active participation. Draw a sign, move a chair, take out the trash, give a talk or become a Speaker Wrangler! Participation is the experience. Kinda like life, BIL happens because you make it happen.
If you have questions, get in touch!
Speaker questions: dune@bilconference.com
General BIL LA Q’s: fedje@bilconference.com / christy@bilconference.com
WHAT HAPPENS AT BIL LA?
In addition to talks, there will also be Interactive happenings, live painting, parties, dances, or any other social activities that you choose to make happen. People who have something to share give talks. Different communities mash-up and find new perspectives.
IS BIL LA KID FRIENDLY?
Yes! BIL is kid friendly.
Its probably not the best place for a newborn as they’ll never get to take a nap, but if you have anyone from 5 up you’re probably in the clear. We are still looking for a BIL Youth coordinator this year! if you have ideas or would like to lead, fill out our volunteer form and let us know!
Please remember kids are ticketed, as BIL is all donation run. We have a capacity limit and all ticket donations contribute to paying for the conference. You may pay the lower ticket price from “Students and Starving Artists” for children if you prefer.
We do want to warn you however, that some talks can be of adult nature at BIL. If a particular talk is offensive to you or your children, we provide many alternatives within the venue during the short talks for you to find something else to do!
WHO IS BIL?
BIL is YOU! BIL is a participant-powered counterpart to the TED conference. (Insert BIL & TED quotes & dialogue here.) The talks are really secondary to the people. Tons of incredibly interesting and brilliant people attend BIL, and most of them are open to chatting with any other BIL attendee about any topic that suits their fancy. You will probably spend much more time in conversations with fascinating people than you will listening to talks. BIL is run by its attendees so as you register, don’t forget to volunteer.
Volunteer Sign up: Volunteer!
HOW MUCH IS BIL?
Fun fact. Each year BIL on average takes about the same value as 1-2 TED tickets to run the event properly. Take that in for just a second. One single attendee at TED could possibly pay for most of our entire event with his or her single ticket value.
The BIL community crowdsources organizers and then entrusts its pre-event organizers to assess the financial cost of the event. We then ask for a suggested donation from each participant (volunteers, speakers, listeners, artists, performers) so that we can pay for this year as well as support the sustainability and growth of BIL.
You are not buying a normal ticket. Your donation pays for the venue, some structure, and a few services. Some participants can give more of their talent, some can give more of their time, and some can give more money. We are all valuable.
A ticket to BIL can run as low as $25 for starving artists and students. The suggested ticket/donation price is $50.
We always appreciate those who sponsor BIL with buying a larger ‘ticket’ donation. It subsidizes those who have financial constraints and allows us to create an inclusive event.
Buying your ticket now helps organizers start paying for things! We thank you!
WHO SPEAKS AT BIL?
You should! Seriously, if you’re not ready to formally submit a talk ahead of time, sign up for an open slot while you are there. Like TED, our speakers spread interesting, useful, and cutting edge ideas. But at BIL, anyone and everyone is welcome to speak. There will be several stages and speakers talking simultaneously, plus other activities going on throughout the weekend. Main Stage Speakers will be selected from the list of those that apply on our website. You can find pervious BIL Talks here!
DO SPEAKERS HAVE TO BUY A TICKET?
Yes. BIL is an all volunteer and donation run non-profit conference. All participants pitch in to share the cost of putting on the event. Anyone can attend and anyone can be a speaker. BIL only happens because you make it happen.
SPEAKING AT BIL
BIL 2018 AV Presentation Guidelines
Submit Your Presentation, this is all about how we (Team BIL) get your presentation’s files prior to the event so AV goes smoothly!
For ALL speakers, please submit your presentation (powerpoint, PDF, Slideshare, etc) to Dune Harman at dune@bilconference.com
- Ensure presentation is in one of the following formats: Microsoft Powerpoint PDF (Non-interactive, Text/Images Only) Slideshare or similar
- Commit your first slide as the Title to include the following information:
- The TITLE of your Talk
- The Subtitle or Description of your talk (Optional)
- Your Name
- Your Title (Optional)
- Your Company or Employer (Optional)
- Your Contact Information (Optional, but ensure that BIL has it!)
- Leave a 5% margin around the edge of your slides – some projectors can cut the edges off!
- If you wish to present your slides from your own device: Ensure you bring the appropriate display adaptors: Most projectors have HDMI and VGA inputs
- If you are not presenting your slides on your own laptop, you will be relying on a VOLUNTEER AV OPERATOR who will advance slides at your cue. If this makes you uncomfortable, see Section 4 above and bring your own device to present on!
**Considerations: Do not expect or rely on BIL Volunteers to install software to accommodate your presentation! We do our best, but hiccups happen. Follow the guidelines above and your presentation will be a success!
**SLIDESHARE / INTERNET PRESENTATION SOFTWARE USERS: Have an alternate form of your presentation available: In the event of internet problems, make sure your talk still happens!
Day of Event Guidelines for Speakers
- Be prepared to meet with AV 45 minutes before your talk to make sure your presentation is set to go. This gives the team time to problem solve if there are any kinks.
- Please be 15 minutes early to your scheduled talk to go over your bio with the MC and ensure your talk starts on time.
- A “time lord” will give 10, 5, and 2 minute warnings and alert the audience when to clap.
- Q&A after your talk may be permissible if we are running on time. As a courtesy to the other speakers, please keep your presentations within the 15 minute allotted time slot.
- Please see our Consent Release Form below to be filled out the day of the event.
If you are going to talk, here are some recommendations:
Garr Reynolds talk on giving good talks.
10 minute talk by Garr Reynolds, author of Presentation Zen
Nancy Duarte, author of Slide:ology, has some good tips in the video here.
You don’t have to follow everything they say, but they provide some good ideas . . . like do not bombard your audience with too many words on your slide. If they can read your slide, why do they need you?
VOLUNTEERING
BIL happens because BILders make it happen. Every single BIL has been run solely by volunteers. We need your help, because you make BIL go. Every year we need people to help with A/V, speaker wrangling (Ie, once the schedule is set, we need someone to cue up the speakers and help them with the technology to make their slides go), live-streaming/video, information spreading, and anything else you like to see at a conference – you want morning coffee? Arrange it! We believe in you.
For example, if you are the type that likes pretty name tags at a conference, you make it happen by taking the attendee list and combining it with your favorite way to make names, with some blanks for the many people that show up the day of.
Think of something we haven’t added? Add it. Additionally if you want to help with media or sponsorship pre-conference contact Fedje (fedje@bilconference.com) and she’ll direct you to the people who can help you help BIL.
SPONSORING BIL
This is probably one of the most important tasks at BIL. In addition to the fact that no one is paid for putting over 500 hours of time, it is what keeps BIL affordable.
Without sponsors, you are on your own for things like coffee, lunch, snacks etc. Here is a break down of what the money is for:
Tangible Items –
Venue ($2,000)
Tables ($250 for 12-20 tables)
Chairs ($350 for chairs plus delivery)
A/V equipment ($$$)
Food – (IF YOU DON’T SPONSOR IT, IT WON’T HAPPEN)
Hosted Drinks for BIL Organizers and Volunteers on Friday Night ($1500) (no sponsorship, everyone buys their own drinks)
Lunch for Saturday ($1000)
Lunch for Sunday ($1000)
Sponsoring a Food Truck to come out either day ($1500 Deposit)
Saturday 2 hour open Bar Party ($1500)
SOCIAL MEDIA
BIL has historically used Twitter as a communication channel during the conference, sometimes we luck out and someone donates the use of walkie talkies for the weekend. For many people that like to live blog or tweet, this year’s hashtag is #billa2018.
For a look at Flickr photos from past BILs, you can search under “bilconference” or bil**, or bil20** where ** represents the last 2 digits of the year the photo was taken.
You can do the same thing with youtube or vimeo videos.
THANK YOU!
Your commitment to helping our community is sincerely appreciated. We would like to thank the many individuals that make BIL possible.