This week, through interactive conversations, panels and break-out discussions, The Meeting—now in its thirteenth year—dove deep into the realms of content creation, marketing, social media, data analysis and technology.
Bringing together notable keynote speakers and panel-members from GoPro, Coca-Cola, the United States Olympic Committee, The Enthusiast Network, Red Bull Media House and members of creative and tech companies from across the country, the three-day event was a prime-time opportunity to network and rub elbows with a horde of industry professionals and storytellers while also exploring the mountains and living it up in one of the world’s finest mountain towns, Aspen Snowmass.
Below, you’ll find FREESKIER’s top takeaways from the #THEMEETING13. By sharing these ideas, taken straight from the horse’s mouth, we hope to inspire you as much as we were over the past couple days by encouraging collaboration, disrupting the “norm” and continuing to tell the stories that get all of us inspired to head into the mountains.
“Know where you come from, know yourself.” — Matt Renner, National Geographic
Without understanding your own background, interests and reflecting on personal experience, it’s difficult to communicate with people from different parts of the world, explained Renner. Take time to reflect on your own circumstances—it will only help you connect with others along the way.
“What’s the role of a pro?” — Stephen Fox, Drink Water
Fox, co-founder of Drink Water, touched on the idea that athletes have a unique opportunity to influence those watching them, especially younger generations. “Being a pro is aspirational,” he noted, “and you have to think about which products you want to promote to your audience.”
“There’s an equivalent of 300-feet of scrolling per person, per day.” — Andy McKeon, Facebook
Yep, you heard that correctly. That’s equal to the height of the Statue of Liberty. The takeaway: Stop aimlessly scrolling through your feed and get outside!
“Big ideas happen naturally. Twist something familiar.” — John Lee, Twitter
The posts and stories that go viral are most often inspired by natural human behaviors. Lee suggested being extremely observant to find these trends, and to then twist them—or think about them in a new, creative way—in order to catch the attention of your audience.
“What does your brand stand for? How do you tell stories about this? — Scott Bradfield, Red Bull Media House
Bradfield, producer for some of Red Bull Media House’s most successful projects, including The Art of Flight and Blood Road, encouraged attendees to think hard about what each person’s respective brand stands for, and to keep those ideas at the forefront of our thoughts when creating new projects. “How do you tell stories that stick to these core ideas?” he posed to the audience.
“Synthesize the past with the present moment.” — Geoffrey Colon, Microsoft
In today’s age, where media is ever-present and always refreshing itself, we can often neglect to, simply, look back. In Colon’s presentation, which closed out #THEMEETING13, he urged everyone to peek into the past to find inspiration. His ending point was that we should look everywhere for inspiration and connect the things that weren’t already.
