Paula Goldman, reflecting on the aftermath of Momentum. From Skoll's Social Edge forum.

"I would never say that."  This was the response of Drummond Pike, CEO and Founder of Tides, when I asked him if he saw the Momentum Conference becoming an institution like the TED conference.  It was my last question of our interview.  He smiled wryly and was rushed off to his next appointment.

Fair response, of course, but also a fair question.  In fact one could see the influence of the TED aesthetic at play at the Momentum conference-- especially in the theatrical staging of presentations, and the relatively sophisticated use of multimedia enhancements... and indeed, even in the clean visual branding of the conference itself.

But this was no cheap TED imitation.

Read more at http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/the-edge/archive/2009/09/10/notes-on-how-to-design-a-conference