The first Detroit A-Ha!!! Conference is scheduled to begin September 15, 2018 – with events to take place at venues across the city. The organizers had hoped for a July date, but couldn’t agree on how many exclamation points to put after “A-Ha.”
Named after “A-Ha! Moments” – which can range from transformational revelations that change the course of humankind, to snapping one’s fingers and saying, “A-Ha!” – the week-long conference is targeted at thinkers, doers, and those who wear knit caps year-round.
“Everyone attending will be required to have at least one A-Ha moment,” says co-organizer Sally Whitney, founder of Musty, which makes artisan bracelets from 1950s issues of Life magazine. She’s hoping to break the current world record for the most simultaneous A-Ha! moments, which currently stands at three.
The other two organizers are Buff Perrell, developer of the Newton iPhone app that analyzes vitamin content in 28 varietes of apples, and Chet Sillings, proprietor of the ultra swank Plogg in Corktown, where diners are not allowed to look directly at their servers.
While still in early planning stages, Whitney says that three of the hoped-for 200 speakers have already been lined up:
- Jeremy Fillmore – Innovator, pro-formatter, and author of the best-selling Becoming the You You Can’t Be! Fillmore is known for his work in the field of rational dis-commitment (formerly known as “copping out”).
- Sally Lotson – one of the USA’s leading proponents of change. She became involved in the change movement 15 years ago, when it was still just a cause, and is credited with helping put the movement on the map when she said, “We can make change happen only if we talk about making change happen.” The quote has become an anthem in the movement, and was even made into a song in 2014 when a group of change agents in Chicago protested the repeal of checking account fees at the First Trust Bank.
- Gina Tansey, who started Joggling with a $121.5 million loan from her investor father. In just six years the company – which makes poly-plastic balls for those who want to juggle while jogging – has grown to three employees and is generating $14,000 in annual revenue.
More details on the Ah-Ha!!! Conference will be provided as additional speakers and venues are lined up.
