Ideas: the latest economic currency needed to survive and thrive during these challenging times and beyond.  Where do ideas come from? How exactly do you get that light bulb above your head to turn on, stay on, and translate into action? On June 1, 2009 at the Spark! Networking Conference, Innovation Philadelphia engaged attendees in an interactive exercise, simply posing the question, “What sparks your creativity?”  

The host organization of Spark!, IdeaBlob (www.ideablob.com), provides a community forum for people to share ideas, give feedback, and ultimately improve their business.  Innovation Philadelphia participated in Spark! by asking the question, “How do you spark creativity?” in our exhibit area.  The diversity of responses showed that creative ideas can come anywhere at anytime.  Showcasing different approaches to idea generation not only helps initiate discussion of idea methodology among the entrepreneurial community, but also breaks down formal networking barriers, one of the Spark! Conference’s main objectives.  Most importantly, seeing other idea generation methods helps to qualify an often intangible concept.  Trying a new method of sparking creativity may help when faced with writer’s block.  Some of the jump-starting idea activities included: take an odd class every season, sleep on it, or don’t sleep (because creativity comes at 2am), go for a long drive, surf the web, meditate, run, drink coffee, dance, listen to music, or network until you drop. And because ideas are best massaged with cheeky stunts, participants were “forced” to pose with Innovation Philadelphia’s giant light bulb as a congratulatory gesture, something each and every participant should be most proud of.   See the photos on Innovation Philadelphia’s Facebook fan page.

Along with presenting idea sparking methods, Kelly Lee, President and CEO of Innovation Philadelphia moderated the interactive Networking 201 panel.  Panelists including Gloria Bell, owner of Red Stapler Consulting, Lauren Albert, Co-Leader of Ladies Who Launch Philadelphia, and Sulaiman W. Rahmaan, CEO and Founder of UrbanPhilly.com.  The panelists discussed numerous networking tips, touching on social etiquette both online and off-line, with particular emphasis on gender differences, reading social signals, and asking thought-provoking questions.

While Spark! provided an excellent opportunity to explore idea generation starting points, what do we do with the ideas afterwards?  How do we capitalize on the energy and ideas created?  Based on the diversity of responses to the question, “How do you spark creativity?” Innovation Philadelphia picked what we thought was the most universal idea sparker: meditation.  Submitted by John Xu, Business Development Specialist with the Small Business Administration, Mr. Xu will receive complimentary registration to the Global Creative Economy Convergence Summit in October.  For more information about the Summit and to register, visit www.GCECS2009.com.