Save the date of May 18, folks, and make your plans to be in New York City, because this year the fourth annual Personal Democracy Forum is going to be our biggest and best conference yet. The theme this year is "The Flattening of Politics"--how the distance is rapidly disappearing between the people at the top and bottom of campaigns, political media and voter activism.

Through the course of a day of keynote speeches and conversations, demos, panels and workshops, we'll tackle these questions:

*How is voter-generated content changing election campaigns?
*Why should advocacy groups adapt to the connected age?
*What new technology tools and practices are on the horizon?
*How are new technologies democratizing the political process?
*Which political leaders "get it"?

Yes, we're borrowing a tad from Thomas Friedman's bestselling book The World is Flat, which explores how new technology is leveling the international economic playing field, and we're pleased that Friedman will be joining us for a keynote conversation.

The forces flattening politics include user-generated media like Wikipedia, the encyclopedia that anyone can edit, and Craigslist, the free classified ads site where anyone can post for any need, and naturally we're happy that Jimmy Wales and Craig Newmark, the respective founders of those sites, will be joining us as well. The man who has written THE book on peer production and the new social economy, Yochai Benkler, will also be joining us to add theory to practice.

No discussion of how politics is being changed by technology would be complete without a close look at how blogs and the "net-roots" are rising in power and influence. Hence we're thrilled to have Arianna Huffington, founder of the Huffington Post (the #1 most linked-to political blog in the world), Josh Marshall, whose TalkingPointsMemo is one of the most-read political blogs in America, and Matt Stoller, lead blogger for MyDD.com, coming to lead what I'm sure will be an illustrious gang of bloggers for the day.

We are also pulling together a terrific array of experts on political advocacy in the connected age, starting with Seth Godin, one of the most-sought-after speakers on the circuit, who will talk about who gets it (and who doesn't); Gina Glantz, who helps steward the SEIU, the largest union in America, as it ventures online; and Mike Turk, former e-campaign director for the RNC and the Bush-Cheney campaign, who is now a vice president at the National Cable and Telecom Association.

We're also going to feature leaders from the political arena who are venturing into the new conversation, starting with Steve Urquhart, Republican chairman of the Utah House of Representatives Rules Committee, who today just announced the first legislative wiki ever created by any sitting politician, Politicopia, which he says is "going to cut the middlemen out of politics."

That's just a taste of what will be a packed day, including demos of the most innovative new sites and tools, and hands-on workshops on everything from the basics of good online communications to the latest in mobile and video. Plus a great party to top it all off!

A few facts:

WHEN: Friday May 18 2007, 8:30am-6:00pm

WHERE: Pace University, Schimmel Hall, Spruce Street between Nassau and Gold Streets, New York NY

REGISTRATION

Early Bird registration is now open. Follow the link at the bottom of this page to secure your PDF 2007 ticket for $245, that's a $50 savings on our regular price.

SPONSORSHIP

There are many great opportunities for your business to participate in this years conference. Email sponsorship@personaldemocracy.com for details.

WE WANT YOUR IDEAS

Got a workshop you want to lead or a new tool you want to pitch? Send your proposals to pdf@personaldemocracy.com with the word "conference" in the subject line.

Technorati Tags: Arianna Huffington, Craig Newmark, Craigslist, Gina Glantz, Huffington Post, Jimmy Wales, Josh Marshall, Matt Stoller, Mike Turk, MyDD.com, Steve Urquhart, Politicopia, SEIU, Seth Godin, Talking Points Memo, Thomas Friedman, web 2.0, Wikipedia, Yochai Benkler

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