Author Sally Hogshead presents at OTA Sessions 2012.
Hugh Weber created OTA Sessions based on a simple belief. “People of this region are just as creative, innovative and entrepreneurial as New York City or Silicon Valley,” Weber said. “However, we face challenges of disconnection from each other and from the rest of the world’s thought leaders.
On Friday, Weber his team are set to hold the fourth annual OTA Sessions in Sioux Falls, S.D.
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Named to represent the “ota” states of South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota, the OTA Sessions take place at the Edith Mortenson Center Theatre on the campus of Augustana College. Over four years the event has evolved and even changed locations, but it has continued to bring in notable creatives to the eastern plains of South Dakota.
Weber feels the evolution is for the best. “I think OTA has always had a culture of iteration and grace. We tried new things every year and where we’ve faltered, our community has seen the intent and allowed us to try again,” Weber said. “The biggest changes this year are the investments in production and the event around the event. I think OTA reflects the unique commitment to experience and hospitality that this region does on a family level.”
OTA 2013 appears ready to deliver both in production and speaker lineup. With creatives from tech all-stars like Foursquare and Pinterest to content producing giants National Geographic and 20th Century Fox, Weber (below) is excited for this year’s slate of speakers.
“I’ll play PT Barnum for a second and say, I think this is the greatest collection of talent ever to grace a South Dakota stage,” he said. “More exciting than that, this year the audience may be even more talented than the speakers. I’m overwhelmed by the excitement coming from our speaker line-up. OTA has developed a reputation that they’re excited to be a part of.”
The OTA Sessions offers an opportunity for the region’s creatives to gather and see an even brighter future.
“(In five years) I think we will have built an ecosystem of expectations, engagements and experiences. I think we’ll see a dramatic growth in regional social entrepreneurial engagements. We have the talent and much of our region has real need, and I see deep connections happening between the two,” Weber stated.
With the event just days away, around a dozen tickets remain for purchase at ota2013.eventbrite.com.
Credits: OTA photo from OTA Sessions on Facebook. Hugh Weber photo from twitter.com.
