n event called the World Domination Sum- mit might call to mind a gathering of des- pots creating sinister plots, or perhaps an
image of Dr. Evil from the “Austin Powers” trilogy. In reality, the World Domination Summit (WDS), held for the second year this past July 5–7 in Port- land, Ore., is a gathering of artists and entrepre- neurs, students and retirees, stay-at-home moms and travelers, bloggers and lawyers. “Most of our attendees seem to be self-driven
and looking for a way to live on their own terms,” said J.D. Roth, a WDS organizer and founder of the personal finance blog getrichslowly.org. “I think the common thread is that each of these folks is seeking to find meaning or purpose outside of the
‘American Dream.’ They want to pursue their own dreams on their own terms.” So what exactly does a summit that encourages attendees to pursue their own dreams look like?
“At many conferences, the content and structure is dictated to the attendees,” Roth said. “They’re not active participants. … With WDS, our goal is to have the attendees actively participate in the cre- ation of the conference, which gives them a sense of ownership.”
Action Team WDS staff is made up solely of volunteers
— from the planning committee to the event crew.
THE HEART OF EVERY STORY To that end, WDS organizers ask participants what sort of content they’d like to see and hear — with the results this year ranging from workshops on
topics such as how to get a book deal and becoming a better photographer in 60 minutes, to keynote- style speakers like Quiet: The Power of Introverts author Susan Cain (watch a snippet of Convene’s interview with Cain at convn.org/susan-cain) and new-media expert Chris Brogan. And attendees don’t just sit through sessions, which this year took place at the 2,276-seat Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall (aka “the Schnitz”) in downtown Portland and various venues nearby. WDS 2012 participants also built a house, jumped off a bridge, swam across the Willamette River, and headed out on a number of self-guided walking tours of the city with other attendees. When first conceiving WDS two years ago,
founder Chris Guillebeau set out to create an event that would be focused around a central question: How do we live a remarkable life in a conventional world? It may seem odd that his method for answering that question — convening a meeting — is in fact rather conventional. But Guil- lebeau, whose “Art of Nonconformity” (AONC) project at chrisguillebeau.com chronicles his writing on “how to change the world by achieving significant, personal goals while helping others at the same time,” hoped to draw remarkable people who would focus on the values of community, adventure, and service. And while WDS is partially traditional, with general sessions and breakout-style workshops,