How To Participate In Aspen Ideas Festival - With or Without A Pass

Increased social media and online offerings bring Aspen Ideas to more people than ever

ASPEN, Colo., June 27, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Aspen Ideas Festival, which opens today and is presented by the Aspen Institute and The Atlantic, has expanded the opportunities for people, whether in Aspen or anywhere in the world, to engage with the Festival, its speakers, and attendees. In this seventh year of the Festival, more sessions than ever before are being videotaped – with many live-streamed on aifestival.org – and fans of the Festival can follow our Aspen Ideas Blog (www.aifestival.org/blog) on our redesigned website for daily highlights and video clips. Festival-specific Twitter (@aifestival) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/aspenideas) profiles will keep followers updated on everything going on at the Festival, and everyone can join the conversation on Twitter by searching for the hashtag #AspenIdeas. Through all of these avenues, we seek to foster a year-round dialogue on the topics and conversations coming out of the Festival.

For the first time ever, the Aspen Ideas Festival has partnered with FORA.tv to stream Festival events live and on-demand. By buying a FORA.tv pass, subscribers can watch Festival programs taking place in the Aspen Institute's Paepcke Auditorium from June 27 - July 3, 2011. Purchase includes live viewing as well as 14 days of exclusive, on-demand access. Interested parties can register at www.aifestival.org/register.

Additionally, we'll feature short interviews with a number of Festival speakers on our homepage, provided by www.genConnect.com.

"As the Festival continues to grow, we want to make sure we're engaging with our audience in as many ways as possible. We hope to use our expanded online presence to get you thinking and find out what your big ideas are," said Kitty Boone, vice president of public programs at the Aspen Institute and director of the Aspen Ideas Festival.

"We're really pleased that more people than ever will be able to join in the conversation – whether by attending the Festival in person or by weighing in via the Web from the other side of the globe," said James Bennet, editor of The Atlantic.

Look for full-session video and shorter clips here:

Aspen Ideas Blog (www.aifestival.org/blog)

YouTube (www.youtube.com/aspeninstitute)

Tumblr (www.aifestival.tumblr.com)

Aspen Institute Blog (www.aspeninstitute.org/video)

More Festival coverage is also available from The Atlantic, which produces the Aspen Ideas Festival in partnership with the Aspen Institute. The Atlantic's "Ideas Special Report," which runs from June 14 to July 18, includes:

• Video from the Aspen Ideas Festival (http://www.theatlantic.com/special-report/ideas/apsen-video)
• A "Today at Aspen" photo gallery (http://www.theatlantic.com/special-report/ideas/aspen-galleries)
• An #AspenIdeas Twitter feed
• Blog posts highlighting ideas from all sections of TheAtlantic.com, and responses to a new question they put to their readers each day.

The "Ideas Special Report" coincides with the July/August Ideas of The Atlantic in print and online, focused on "The Most Powerful Ideas Shaping Our World." For more, visit TheAtlantic.com/special-report/ideas.

In addition to the coverage from The Atlantic, the following media outlets will be broadcasting live from the Festival. Check local listings for airtimes.

• MSNBC's "Andrea Mitchell Reports"
• CNBC's "Closing Bell with Maria Bartiromo"
• APM's "Marketplace" LIVE with Kai Ryssdal
• NPR's "Talk of the Nation"
• Thomson Reuters' "Aspen Ideas with Chrystia Freeland"
• Aspen Public Radio airing live and taped sessions. Check www.aspenpublicradio.org.
• Minnesota Public Radio airing taped sessions and special reports all summer. Check www.minnesota.publicradio.org.
• CBSNews.com taping Washington Unplugged with John Dickerson at the Aspen Ideas Festival.
• Plum TV's "Plum Daily"

Presented by the Aspen Institute and The Atlantic, the Aspen Ideas Festival brings together leaders from the fields of arts, science, culture, technology, religion, philosophy, business, economics, and politics to discuss the most important and exciting issues facing the world today. More information is available at aifestival.org.

About The Atlantic

Since 1857, The Atlantic has played a central role in shaping the national debate on current affairs and cultural trends.  Dedicated to bold, independent, diverse, and highly reasoned perspectives, its writers, bloggers, and critics represent the best in American journalism.  The Atlantic's award-winning commentary and coverage can be found in its magazine, on its website at www.TheAtlantic.com, and at 100+ events a year produced by its industry-leading events division, AtlanticLIVE.

About the Aspen Institute

The Aspen Institute mission is twofold: to foster values-based leadership, encouraging individuals to reflect on the ideals and ideas that define a good society, and to provide a neutral and balanced venue for discussing and acting on critical issues. The Aspen Institute does this primarily in four ways: seminars, young-leader fellowships around the globe, policy programs, and public conferences and events. The Institute is based in Washington, DC; Aspen, Colorado; and on the Wye River on Maryland's Eastern Shore. It also has an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.

SOURCE The Aspen Institute