The PIVOT Symposium is set to take place at the Cotton Factory on November 17, 2022
PIVOT is an inclusive initiative spearheaded by the Cotton Factory and focused on creating community through technology and the arts.
The PIVOT Symposium will provide a unique opportunity for people from a range of fields to come together to share experiences, learn, and acquire skills in creative problem-solving.
The daylong, in-person event will take place at the Cotton Factory, a hub for creative industries.
The program will focus on three big challenges facing Hamilton and similar midsize cities worldwide, and identified through discussions with community stakeholders:
- Shelter: Unleashing New Technologies in Sustainable Housing
- Mobility: Accelerating Smart Mobility Infrastructure in Communities
- Culture: Using Digital Technology to Widen Access to Cultural Experiences
Examples include the use of digital technologies to enhance the enjoyment of art exhibitions and the built environment, innovations in the design and construction of affordable housing, and embedding art and new technology into the public realm.
Sample featured content providers include:
- David Adames, CEO, Niagara Parks Commission
- Carrie Brooks-Joiner, Director, Tourism and Culture, City of Hamilton
- Dr. Robert Fleisig, PEng., Professor of Engineering Design, McMaster University
- Gail Lord, President, Lord Cultural Resources
- Ryan Moran, Entrepreneur and Creative Brand Specialist
- Sean Nix, Associate Dean of Technology, Mohawk College
- “Parkside” Mike Renaud, Creative Director, Hidden Pony Records
- Jim Ruxton, Electronics Engineer and Media Arts
- David Bobier, Founder, Director and Curator of Vibra Fusion Lab
- Mark John Stewart, Managing Director, Wentworth Strategy Group
“The goal is to promote new ways of creating desirable communities for the 21st century,” said Rob Zeidler, Managing Partner of the Cotton Factory. “That means combining the best in technology, creativity, and artistic expression.”
This symposium will be of particular interest to leaders, practitioners, and scholars in the fields of technology, engineering, science, arts and entertainment, design, and community-building.
The program will be delivered by experts with experience in collaborative projects that have had a positive impact in Hamilton and beyond.
Program highlights include an exercise in the use of design thinking in the creative process, a talk on the role of technology in developing bonds of human belonging, stories from changemakers at the forefront community-building, and a luncheon address on the topic of strategic management applied to success across societies.
PIVOT is designed and delivered in partnership with McMaster University, Mohawk College, City of Hamilton, and McMaster Innovation Park.
A G E N D A
7:30 am Registration
8:00 am Welcome
Changemakers Madi Fuller and Khadija Hamidu, co-hosts for the inaugural PIVOT Symposium, will welcome attendees, provide background and context, and share an outline of the event program
8:15 am Search for Models in Creativity
Ryan Moran, Manager of Programs and Partnerships at Innovation Factory, will open the day with a reflection on the meaning of creativity and the challenge of making it come alive in organizations large and small
8:30 am Creative Problem-Solving Through Design Thinking
Dr. Robert Fleisig, PEng., Lead for the Master of Engineering Design Program at McMaster University’s W Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology
Dr. Fleisig will facilitate an interactive segment focused on models to help change-makers tackle complex challenges facing communities worldwide. He will be joined by Design Fellows from McMaster University. He will be joined by Design Thinking Fellows, Avani K. Mehta,
10:00 am BREAK — Networking in PIVOT Exhibit Space
10:15 am Story Spotlight: Jim Ruxton, Electronics Engineer and Media Artist and David Bobier, Founder, Director and Curator of Vibra Fusion Lab in London, Ontario
Using digital technologies to connect and empower vulnerable communities.
10:30 am Quest for Belonging in a Digital World
Team Members from the McMaster Institute for Research on Aging and special guests will lead a presentation and panel discussion devoted to understanding the human need for belonging and ways that technology and the arts inspired by creativity can build communities that are more inclusive and resilient.
11:15: The Art of Creation
Deborah M. Sloboda PHD, Professor and Associate Chair Research, Dept of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University
11:30 am Shelter Challenge: Unleashing New Technologies in Sustainable Housing
Sean Nix, M. Eng., RPP, FITE, Associate Dean, School of Engineering Technology and Aviation
Mohawk College will lead an interdisciplinary segment on creative solutions to sustainable housing that are affordable, just, and climate-resilient.
12:30 pm LUNCH
1:00 pm Luncheon Talk:
The Big Picture: how principles of strategic management can be adapted to empower individuals and organizations to shape success across our societies
Mark John Stewart, Managing Director, Wentworth Strategy Group
1:30 pm Mobility Challenge: Accelerating Smart Mobility Infrastructure in Communities
2:30 pm BREAK — Networking in PIVOT Exhibit Space
2:45 PM Story Spotlight with “Parkside” Mike Renaud Executive Creative Director at Hidden Pony Records and Management,
“Using blockchain technologies, NFTs, and artificial intelligence to raise awareness and funds for charitable causes in developing economies.”
3:00 pm Culture Challenge:Using Digital Technology to Widen Access to Cultural Experiences
Opening Segment and Panel Discussion Presented by: Carrie Brooks-Joiner, Director, Tourism and Culture, City of Hamilton
David Adames, Chief Executive Officer of Niagara Parks Commission, will present examples of technologies applied to cultural destinations in the Niagara Region. He will be joined by Gail Lord, President and Co-Founder of Lord Cultural Resources. Lord is the global practice leader in cultural sector planning. Lord Cultural Resources helped to create, plan, and operate cultural spaces and places in more than 460 cities, in 57 countries and six continents.
4:30 pm Wrap Up and Closing Remarks
5:00 pm – 5:30 pm Join us for a End of Day Reception and Networking Event
PIVOT is an interdisciplinary experience intended for community-minded change makers from a range of sectors, including:
- Research and Development
- Education and Training
- Business and Industry
- Technology
- Arts and Culture
- NGOs
- Government
If you require additional information or to be put on our mailing list email: annette@pivottech.ca
Special thanks to our programming partners:
