I just returned from a week in NYC, and was invited to participate and speak with expert motion graphics professionals during a entertainment technology conference.

Having several people in a room with the same background is beneficial to help brush up skills from experts who are more experienced with one specific skill for example.

However the thing I took away from the great experience I had was trying to innovate and look outside the box makes so much more sense when you have a group of individuals with different backgrounds. With different walks of life one can bring new perspective to the conversation.

Would like to hear experiences from fellow Architect Magazine members who have at one time or another found themselves among a group of very niche passionate experts from a totally different industry. The obvious is with your clients of course but I am looking for more uncomfortable situations in which you might have been placed on the inside looking out rather then the outside looking in.

Have a great weekend!