Revolutionizing the Conference Experience: TDC's Impact on Personal and Professional Growth | Ep 162

Support our Sponsors: Purchase packaging for established brands direct from the factory that makes them at IDP Direct Get a handle on all of your packaging specifications with SpecRight About the Guest(s): Matthew Haynes is the visionary behind The Design Conference (TDC) based in Brisbane, Australia. As a former professional baseball player for the Cleveland Indians, Matthew transitioned into the world of design with a passion for fostering community and nurturing creativity. His focus on personal growth, spirituality, and the power of a supportive creative collective has allowed him to create a unique event that resonates deeply with the design community. With his experience, drive, and first-hand knowledge of the transformative power of positive networking, Matthew aims to reshape the traditional design conference into an empowering and life-changing experience.

Episode Summary: In this engaging episode, Evelio and Matthew Haynes dive deep into the transformative world of design conferences, exploring how these creative gatherings can extend far beyond the exchange of industry knowledge. Kicking things off with an outlook on the upcoming TDC event in Brisbane, the conversation quickly escalates to cover a wide array of thought-provoking topics. Matthew shares his approach to shaking up the traditional conference design by introducing inclusive nomination processes and fostering genuine connections among attendees. Reminiscent of a spiritual journey, the discussion traverses the intimate relationship between personal growth and design prowess. Matthew's commitment to serving the design community shines through as he unveils plans to develop a digital platform aimed at revolutionizing how creatives connect and collaborate.

Key Takeaways: The Design Conference focuses on community, personal growth, and authenticity, going beyond conventional conference formats by incorporating spirituality into the design discourse. Free-flowing nominations and reverse engineering costs are part of making TDC a more inclusive and valuable experience for attendees.

A deep connection to personal experiences and overcoming adversity fuels Matthew's philosophy on leadership and the intrinsic value of helping others.

Simplifying the complexity of personal and professional growth into daily acts of passion and dedication is key to propelling forward in life and one's career.

Matthew teases an exciting digital platform project intended to amplify the possibilities for creatives worldwide to fulfill their ambitions.

Notable Quotes: "At the heart of a really great designer is a really great person. I truly believe that." "And if someone hopped up on stage at TDC and didn't talk about design at all… talking about an anecdote of a twelve month period in their life where they used to do this and then they made this shift, that's what TDC is about." "The conference for me is about owning your mind and owning your life and taking charge of what you want to achieve while you're here." "The first rule of curating a great experience is changing it every year… predictability is the killer of a conference." "I just think a lot of people just got a lot of shit going on, man. They don't know how to process it and deal with it, and they've never had anyone truly go, hey, dude, it's okay." Resources: The Design Conference Instagram: @thedesignconference The Design Careers Instagram: @thedesigncareers Mention of the song "Sit Around the Fire" by John Hopkins as an inspirational piece Dive into the full episode to absorb the uplifting tales and insightful thoughts Matthew Haynes shares on design, life, and the unwavering spirit of community growth. Keep an ear out for more episodes that promise to illuminate and captivate minds within the creative industry and beyond.