How Vox’s first conference will be different

When Vox set out to design its first conference, taking place September 21 and 22, we wanted to do something different. So we’ve combined the best attributes of conferences and un-conferences into something that we hope will allow real conversations about the ideas that should shape our future.

The concept of this conference is to get a diverse group of 150 people into a room and then let the conversations follow their own momentum. Any participant can put any topic on the agenda at any time. We want to hear your points of view.

What if instead of talking about next year’s appropriations, we talked about a universal basic income? What if instead of relitigating Obamacare, we asked what the government could actually do to make people live longer? And what if rather than bemoaning the state of politics today, we started from scratch on the question of what changes are needed to make our government work in this age of polarization?

Or maybe we should be talking about something else altogether.

To that end, we’re gathering a broad range of thinkers from a variety of backgrounds. To apply for an invitation, use the form below:

Some featured participants will also give short talks to set the stage, including:

For more information, or to share the event with colleagues and friends, please go to the Vox Conversations site. We look forward to hearing from you.