LIFT Asia 2008 started yesterday in full swing. Laurent Haug gave the welcome address by stating how LIFT is about turning change into opportunity, telling us the story of why LIFT Asia went to Korea and we want to do here.

From Laurent's word: "What is a better word than Change? None - Change is change. Change can create mess in your business model, so one needs to understand and anticipate change. Inspiration is another key. Listening to people outside of your field; journalists, entrepreneurs, adventurers - they all help us think beyond.

To enjoy the conference be curious. Speakers are only allowed to speak about ideas; no commercial pitches. The open program is the exception. But the main stage is meant for ideas only. Participants, be participative! Think of it like a wiki, if something is broken, fix it!"

He was followed by Joo Bog-Won, who talked on behalf of Kim Taehwan, Governor of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province:"Welcome to beautiful Jeju, and ICC, Korea's most exciting convention centre. Thank you to Laurent Haug, Lee JaeHoon of Daum, and Art Nabi Centre. And of course, a very important thank you toward the sponsors. Frankly, I originally understood that Life, Idea, Future was the main idea behind LIFT But as Laurent just explained, the values, openness, etc. is just as important. So now, I understand the purpose of the event better, and hope that you do too. As an international conference, I see LIFT is an important force, and I'm happy to host it here in Jeju. Like Davos, I hope that LIFT Asia will grow to be an internationally significant event that gathers thinkers from all over the world. Especially here in Jeju, where we believe that we are world class, and have globally unique goals, such as to be carbon free in 20 years."

And finally, Seo-Young Roh from director of art center nabi gave us some insights about the relationships between his art institution and LIFT: "When I found out that LIFT Asia was going to be in Jeju, I thought, why Jeju? But now that time has passed, and I'm here in Jeju, it seems so natural. LIFT begain in Switzerland, and it's aim is to stir new ideas and conversations. This also fits Jeju, which is also a place known for its independence and isolation. Just as Switzerland is known for being neutral in its region, its beautiful environs, and a progressive ethos which embraces new ideas and openness. All of these things are characteristics that could also describe Jeju. art center nabi has created a network that thinks about new media, culture, and connections. We've been doing this for the last 10 years, and at LIFT Asia, we've endeavored to present a showcase that continues to conceptualize these relationships. Especially, how the young artists in our exhibit think about bonding connections in our new networked world. I won't bore you with the descriptions or pictures of the works, and instead hope that you'll experience it for yourself during this event."