O3 World is throwing a one-time innovation conference next week at the Barnes

Digital product agency O3 World, the minds behind the design-oriented ForgeConf, has returned this fall with another conference — this one focused on innovation projects.

The event, dubbed 1682: The Business of Innovation Conference, will be a daylong gathering at the Barnes Foundation Oct. 1, with a curated list of speakers, panel moderators and attendees to talk about how leaders are executing innovation projects in their companies.

O3 World Partner and CEO Keith Scandone told Technical.ly that attendees will likely be C-suite-level employees or company leaders, and that until this week, the conference was open on an invite-only basis. Tickets to the general public just opened, and there are 30 or so left.

The companies talking about their infinitives range from small teams like REC Philly, to larger, public-sector teams like the City of Philadelphia. There’s also a pitch competition during which three Philly startups will compete for $5,000.

“There are a lot of innovation conferences these days,” Scandone said. “But this will be kind of a behind-the-scenes look, to be able to look at the concept from these [different] angles, and see the challenges that other companies face.”

Curious about why we chose the name "1682" for our latest conference? Time for a quick history lesson…📕🤓 https://t.co/IPLPP5Rzoq

— O3 (@o3world) September 5, 2019

Unlike O3 World’s previous ForgeConf, which ran for three years, Scandone said he believes this conference will be a one-and-done. Forge brought in pros from across the country to talk UX and design, but this conference will focus on local leaders and their projects and solutions.

“‘Innovation’ has become a buzzword, largely drained of its substance, because conversations about innovation typically skirt one critical question: What does risk and return look like when managing innovation initiatives?” the conference site reads. “We often hear about the concept as something ground-breaking and exciting, but rarely hear about what went wrong, off-course, or failed to meet financial objectives.”

Because the Barnes is closed to the public on Tuesdays, 1682 conference attendees will also have access to the museum’s collection. Tickets cost $650.