Fast Company Recommended Events June 2009

June

tue, june 02
Play
Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3)
Los Angeles

A few years ago, E3 made a mistake. It went invitation-only, lost the hot booth babes dressed as Lara Croft and Jill Valentine, and killed the buzz. Now E3 is once again open to the public -- or "qualified computer- and video-game-industry audiences," at least. More than 40,000 people are expected to attend the world's best gaming expo this year, which will feature early looks at releases for the upcoming holiday season. We're imagining The Sims: Recession, where it takes more than a flip through the newspaper to score a limo for your commute, or maybe WiiNES, which would require you to blow into the console to play, just like in the olden days. Whatever it is, we've been doing our thumb exercises. -- Zachary Wilson

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wed, june 03
Pig Out
World Pork Expo
Des Moines, Iowa

Should we go to the hog races first or the PigCasso art show? Welcome to bacony bliss, a three-day celebration of porcine proportions that draws 40,000 consumers, producers, and vendors to Iowa, the top pork-producing state in America. To keep those bellies filled as browsers take in the latest in farm technology and management tools, some 13 tons of piggly-wiggly are cooked on a custom 50-foot-by-10-foot grill. But the real highlight of the expo? The unveiling of imaginative new cuts of meat, such as pork chops on a stick and pig wings, which are tender bone-in shanks coated with sauce and eaten by hand. Here, piggy piggy piggy! -- Kate Rockwood

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fri, june 05
Watch
Land of the Lost

Watch out, Stan Lee! You're not the only old coot trying to cash in again on a decades-old creative burst. Seventies schlockmeisters Sid and Marty Krofft make their bid for Marvel Comics -- like cultural relevance via Will Ferrell's $100 million reinvention of the Saturday morning camp classic, about a trio that gets trapped in a secret world populated with dinosaurs, lizard people, and monkey boys. After one preview screening, a fanboy dubbed it "Anchorman crossed with Jurassic Park." In other words, it's going to make a lot of Chakas. -- David Lidsky

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mon, june 08
Get Trashed
Waste Expo
Las Vegas

A hot topic at this meet-up of solid-waste execs will be the booming business of trash to cash. Some 55% of American waste still ends up in landfills, and operators in this $52 billion industry have long been required to collect and dispose of the by-product, methane gas. Well, waste not, want not: In 2003, some began turning it into energy. There are now 469 landfill-to-gas projects in the U.S., delivering 310 million cubic meters of gas daily -- enough to power 1.6 million homes. How wonderfully trashy. -- KR

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tue, june 09
Start Up
Launch: Silicon Valley 2009
Mountain View, California

Starting a tech business in good times takes guts -- more than 60% of new ones fail in four recession-free years. These days, you need courage, chutzpah, and an extra measure of je ne sais quoi. A chance to woo investors helps; last year, more than 300 startups vied for the 30 spots at Launch. This year, panelists will come from VC firms including Morgenthaler Ventures and Draper Fisher Jurvetson. The spoils of spunk? Since 2006, the courtships have spawned upward of $80 million in financing. -- Genevieve Knapp

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tue, june 09
Map
Consumer Genetics Show
Boston

Genetics, this is your mainstream moment! So says conference founder and biotech entrepreneur John Boyce, who points to the rapid drop in DNA-sequencing costs and growing interest in genomics from consumer-goods manufacturers. Boyce says this inaugural show will focus on "the intersection of genetics and the consumer front." Expect to see reps from P&G, Unilever, and insurance companies mingling with researchers including ex -- Human Genome Project chief Francis Collins and Alzheimer's-focused neurologist Robert C. Green. The public can attend for just $15, but don't think that genetics comes that cheap: It still costs $5,000 to map your genome. -- Anne C. Lee