First and foremost, we wanted to showcase Portland and folks that champion Portlandy ideals. I’m lucky that, for the most part, I get to sit back and watch all of the amazing stuff that happens in Portland. And I consistently revel in the awesomeness that people here are building. With PDX, we wanted to showcase that almost frenetic variety of creativity in our town. But we also wanted to bring in folks who subscribed to common ideals. That’s why, in addition to some amazing Portland people, you’ll find folks like Tumblr and Flipboard on the docket.

Second, we wanted this to be a true creative festival atmosphere. One of things we wanted most was to make this a festival of creativity, with some of that being creative applications of technology and some of that being the creative spirit of the music industry. That’s why MFNW and PDX are inextricably linked. And it’s also why we’ve got speakers with a foot in music and a foot in tech, like Spotify, Shazam, CASH Music, and Tender Loving Empire.

Third, we wanted to create something intimate, inspiring, and invigorating. Many of us remember the serendipitous experiences of conferences like SXSW and Big Omaha. We wanted to capture that same kind of experience, bring interesting speakers, and get interesting folks in town for the event. Our goal is to have you sitting next to someone you never imagined having the opportunity to meet. Or getting the chance to chat with an amazing panelist at one of the concerts. Or simply running into someone on the street at the food carts. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll get to spend a little more time chatting with awesome Portland people whom you never get to see.

Last but not least, we wanted PDX to provide a good excuse for people to visit Portland. Especially for those folks who are actively considering Portland for the next phase of their business or career. You see, sometimes we forget how lucky we are to live where we do. And to work here. But rest assured, there are any number of people and companies outside looking in. And this is a great opportunity to showcase what we’ve got here.

http://siliconflorist.com/2012/08/14/experience-portland-thinking-musicfestnw-tech-conference-pdx/