Scheduled to take place in Austin in March 2013, the SXSW Visioning Assembly will be a collective dialogue with a large sample of SXSWi participants. Based on the Agora Process, developed by the Icelandic startup and political grassroots communities and used successfully in two National Assemblies, the Visioning Assembly combines elements of crowdsourcing and brainstorming on a large face-to-face scale with realtime collective feedback. Previous participants have characterized an event as one of the most beautiful, empowering, and fun events they have ever experienced.

In this session we will explain what the Visioning Assembly process is, share the interesting history of its development, and discuss why it is a perfect match for SXSWi -- audience participation will be expected!

Why should SXSW Interactive host a Visioning Assembly? SXSW Interactive brings together the most interesting people in the world of interactive media. Across dozens of stages, fascinating people address the most important (and most fun) topics in this wide-ranging field. A great session often has the feel of a great concert, with huge (or occasionally intimate) audiences sharing passion, energy, and new perspectives. Some of this audience interaction is captured in whispered discussion and via backchannel hashtags. The Visioning Assembly will allow this collective intellect, knowledge, and energy to be captured and directed towards a common good.