At the TED2009 conference today, Bill Gates shocked attendees by releasing a jar of malaria-free mosquitoes into the audience, announcing, "Not only poor people should experience this."
The ‘this’ to which Gates referred is malaria. It’s a cause he and his wife have fought against through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. And apparently, Gates didn’t feel the audience took malaria seriously enough.
Now there’s an attention-grabbing icebreaker to wake up attendees who have been live-blogging TED2009 all afternoon! Valleywag was alerted to the bug infestation through a tweet from Facebook manager Dave Morin. Stay tuned for video of Bill Gates’ dramatic mosquito release.
Viral Ice-Breakers
Bill Gates Releases Mosquitoes at Ted2009 to Make the Rich Care About Malaria
Trend Themes
1. Malaria Awareness - Disruptive innovation opportunities exist in raising awareness about malaria and its impact on both rich and poor populations through attention-grabbing tactics.
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Industry Implications
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3. Event Planning - Disruptive innovation opportunities exist for event planning companies to incorporate attention-grabbing elements, like Bill Gates' mosquito release, to engage audiences and create memorable experiences.