This is Meaning 2013
This is the story of Meaning
2013, where 250 like-minded
people gathered in Brighton on
8th November to meet, learn,
share and take inspiration.
meaningconference.co.uk
@meaningconf

We are NixonMcInnes
and we believe in the
need to re-design
business for the 21st
century.
We work with big brands
and large not-for-profits
to help them reconnect to
their purpose and thrive
in a digitally disrupted
world.
We created Meaning
Conference to gather
together, connect and
inspire the community of
people who also believe
in better business.
Will McInnes introduces the day

Business is
about building
freedom, not
destroying
opportunities.
Tom Nixon sets the tone

Want to build a world
beating movement?
Make your goals
tangible, credible,
inclusive – and epic.!
“An entrepreneur’s role is
to make money within
constraints, not
dismantle civil liberties”
Build your organisation
based on speed, trust
and scalability.
The Pirate Party became
Sweden’s largest party for
under 30’s in less than a
year and with only 1% of
other parties’ budgets.
Rick Falkvinge!
founder of the Swedish Pirate Party

What question is your life
calling for right now? What
story are you living into?
Eldership has nothing to do
with age, what is it that you
are carrying on behalf of the
whole?
Are you prepared to really
listen to me and learn about
me, in order to let me live
rather than exist?
Tell the world how to use
you well.
Consider - what
is mine to do?
Mary Alice Arthur!
intentional nomad & storyteller

The purpose of a
business is to serve
all constituents of
the business:
customers,
shareholders,
employees.
The stronger the culture the
less rules you need.
Shared values breed good
decision-making.
It is collective intelligence
which solves big problems.
Anne Marie Huby!
Co-founder of JustGiving

120 interdependent
cooperatives, with
80,000 workers in
which capital is in
service of labour.
4 key values:
cooperation,
participation, social
responsibility &
innovation.
Mikel Lezamiz!
Director of Cooperative Dissemination
MONDRAGON Cooperative Group
Spain’s 7th largest
company, max. pay ratio of
6:1 and 0% staff turnover.

Our lack of
understanding of
new technologies
leads to a loss of
agency.
Artists are providing us
with knowledge and
understanding in the
post-prism landscape.
Digital artists are the
lightning in the age of
cloud computing.
Honor Harger!
Curator & artist

Curry for lunch!
and a chance to discuss the morning

Our beer is a punk
rebellion against
bland, faceless
corporate beers
brewed by men in
suits.
‘Equity for punks’ business
model – fan investors fund,
feedback and fuel the
organisation.
Honesty, openness and
transparency can beat
massive marketing budgets
James Watt!
Co-founder of BrewDog

In the future world
identity is the new
money, the critical
resource.
Money is a hack, a
replacement for trust in
trading. Trust is not scalable
so money became the
intermediary.
Mobile Phones change
everything.
Technology & communication
means there will be no single
currency and anyone can start
their own.
Dave Birch!
thought leader: digital identity & money

We need to empower
folks to use tech:
driving innovation for
individuals, then
businesses then the
UK economy.
Mums are the lynchpins in
terms of influence in the
home. If we educate mums
we educate the whole
family.
Savvify teaches tech
benefits to mums for free,
starting with email &
ending with python on
raspberry pi.
Dr Sue Black!
Founder, Savvify & #techmums

Income will not rise high enough
during our life time for the
average global citizen to have a
shot at happiness.
Our current institutions are
unable to lift us to the threshold
for happiness.
The world is not creating and
distributing wellbeing broadly
enough across the globe. We
are in a dangerous decade - a
Dark Age - a time when the
inner light switches off and
human lives are ruined.
Our challenge is to be rebels
against the system to help
turn the light on in people and
avoid the Dark Age.!
Umair Haque!
Rogue economist

Is business only about capital
accumulation?
Very old, successful firms rarely
had one-dimensional aims.
Finance was once a service to
business, but now owns it.
The dream of every tech
company is to IPO. But IPO
doesn't add value to anyone but
founders.
Creating wealth is not the same
as extracting money.
Lee Bryant!
thought leader: social technology
We need more innovation in
org design, a focus on
leadership over management
to design the old businesses
of the future.

The centre is tired. !
Explorers who go to
the edge find the
interesting stuff.
Don’t be afraid – the
world is not flat.

And then we relaxed!!
Will McInnes and Paul Hutchings

If Meaning left you with great ideas that you're
wondering how to implement then NixonMcInnes
can help:
• Inspire and engage your colleagues with
bespoke mini-Meaning events
• (Re)discover your purpose with our Very
Clear Ideas vision workshops
• Co-design your structure, strategy, culture
to build your 'old firm of the future’
nixonmcinnes.co.uk
@nixonmcinnes