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If there was a seminal moment when the principles of the consumer-focused, crowdsourced Web 2.0 all came together, it was probably the publication of a book called The Cluetrain Manifesto in 2000. One of the book’s co-authors was David Weinberger, a senior researcher with the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard and a visionary thinker about the web and how it is changing our lives. We’re really pleased to have him as a keynote speaker at mesh 2012.

In addition to co-writing The Cluetrain Manifesto, David has also written several other books about the impact of the web and digital networks, including Everything Is Miscellaneous and Small Pieces, Loosely Joined. His latest book, Too Big To Know, is a thoughtful examination of how human knowledge is being fundamentally altered by the web — mostly for the better.

One interesting footnote: while he may be attached to Harvard now, David also has some strong ties to Toronto — it’s where he got his doctorate in philosophy, from the University of Toronto (his dissertation was on Heidegger, in case you were wondering) And we are delighted to welcome him back to the city to join us in a discussion of open science and the future of human knowledge at mesh 2012.

Tickets for mesh, which happens on May 23 and 24 at the Allstream Centre, can be purchased here – regular tickets are $679, while student tickets are $99.

If you’re going to align your brand with a conference, the content had better be amazing! And mesh certainly fits the bill — the time and effort that all of the mesh founders put into selecting their speakers would blow you away. I’ve sat in on a few of those meetings and witnessed some of the most candid — and raw — conversations and debates you could imagine. The mesh founders aren’t in it to please one another, but to put the best, most thought-provoking people on that stage for the benefit of the attendees. They push, argue and champion their uniquely individual views, and only after that process is exhausted do they finally piece together the unique line up of content that makes mesh what it is.

mesh isn’t a traditional exhibitor or tradeshow-style conference — but that doesn’t mean we won’t work with you as hard as we can to create a unique sponsorship space that offers a whole lot more then simple logo exposure. We will, because we want to ensure you are making real connections with your community — and we have done some pretty unique things. We want your brand to tell its story and to immerse you in the sophisticated audience that is mesh.

With our move last year to the Allstream Centre, we were able to create an even larger and more interactive space for our sponsors to engage with attendees — something we called our “mesh village”. When not in the main hall learning from amazing thought leaders, the attendees were able to lounge, connect with friends, grab a coffee (or even a beer), check out new products, consult with peers, recharge their toys, eat yummy snacks and most importantly mesh with each other and with sponsors!

mesh has a goal to explore how the Web is evolving, to discuss the emergence of new trends and to really talk about what’s happening next in this space. mesh attendees are people who are passionate about how the Web is changing the world around us.  Sponsorship at mesh is an opportunity to connect, prospect and network with key decision makers in this space and to place your brand at the leading edge of technology, trends and big ideas!

Oh yes — and mesh is also one heck of a party. It goes for two days and doesn’t stop with the end of the conversation on the main stage. We are pretty sure that you will walk away feeling a bit smarter and with a few new friends to boot. Your support means so much to our conference and we truly see our sponsors as being more like partners, and we want to work with people who are like minded and want to do something big. So email me and I’d be happy to discuss how we can help each other do something amazing for mesh12!