For Melcher Media founder Charles Melcher, who had spent his entire professional life in the book industry, 2008 was a year of reflection. Book sales had been declining for years, and the financial crisis only served to exacerbate the downward trend. While he knew that storytelling would remain as important as ever, he also sensed that the digital age would radically change the way we tell stories. In response, Melcher founded the Future of StoryTelling (FoST), a passionate community dedicated to exploring how storytelling is evolving in the digital age. At the heart of FoST is the Summit, a two-day invitation-only gathering of 500 leaders from the worlds of business, media, technology, and the arts. Unlike a traditional conference, the Summit features intimate, speaker-led roundtables; hands-on workshops; and immersive exhibitions. In addition to the Summit, FoST also produces a wide range of year-round content and programming, including: Tech Tastings, designed to showcase a sampling of cutting-edge technologies and emerging projects to a small audience; storytelling workshops, where participants can learn how to harness new mediums to more effectively tell their stories; curated exhibitions with local and international organizations; an annual award-winning series of short films; and popular social media channels aimed at FoST’s network of over half a million enthusiastic followers.
For Melcher Media founder Charles Melcher, who had spent his entire professional life in the book industry, 2008 was a year of reflection. Book sales had been declining for years, and the financial crisis only served to exacerbate the downward trend. While he knew that storytelling would remain as important as ever, he also sensed that the digital age would radically change the way we tell stories.
In response, Melcher founded the Future of StoryTelling (FoST), a passionate community dedicated to exploring how storytelling is evolving in the digital age. At the heart of FoST is the Summit, a two-day invitation-only gathering of 500 leaders from the worlds of business, media, technology, and the arts. Unlike a traditional conference, the Summit features intimate, speaker-led roundtables; hands-on workshops; and immersive exhibitions. In addition to the Summit, FoST also produces a wide range of year-round content and programming, including: Tech Tastings, designed to showcase a sampling of cutting-edge technologies and emerging projects to a small audience; storytelling workshops, where participants can learn how to harness new mediums to more effectively tell their stories; curated exhibitions with local and international organizations; an annual award-winning series of short films; and popular social media channels aimed at FoST’s network of over half a million enthusiastic followers.
