A Quick Thought on Drinking at Gatherings & Conferences

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Something which has become extremely positive over the last year or 2 is the increase in conferences,(un)conferences and other types of collaborative & knowledge sharing gatherings being held in Cape Town.

There are many events of this nature I wish I could attend but prefer to stay away from due to my beliefs. One of the main issues I have is the amount of drinking which takes place, something I prefer to stay far away from. For this reason I have not attended events such as 27 Dinners for example.

I remember the experience years back when I went through the change from being someone who had very little moral or religious boundaries to someone who wanted to improve spiritually, morally and ethically. I used to drink(before I was Muslim) and would do so with my friends on a regular basis. When I stopped I noticed immediately the difference between meaningful interaction and communication and social activity and the kind which comes from gathering around the water hole so to speak. Some of the friends I still interacted with after the change were lost for words or what to do when meeting with me due to the lack of Alcohol. It seemed without the drink they were not themselves and could not function socially.

I was very impressed a while back with the fact that *Camp Cape Town was an Alcohol Free event, at least as far as I could tell.

I wonder if any who else out there shares this issue and if there’s any use opening up a dialogue to discuss. I’d also like to challenge anyone out there organising these types of events to try to make them Alcohol Free.

I would argue that without the Alcohol you are bound to attract those who are more interested in the subject matter and therefore more beneficial to have attending than those who attend these events just for the drinking.

What do you think?

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8 responses to “A Quick Thought on Drinking at Gatherings & Conferences”

January 24, 2008
Jonathan Hitchcock
Hi Nur,
I’m definitely among those who enjoy the wine at the GeekDinners and 27Dinners, but it is by no means the reason I go to them. As one of the main organisers of the GeekDinners and StarCamp, I just enjoy the “networking”, the meeting of like-minded people, and the community. I was really glad you came to StarCamp, and I would like to see you at more of these events. Is the drinking really a problem? I know that lots of people that come to the GeekDinners don’t have more than a glass of wine, and some are complete teetotallers. Surely there’s some sort of middle ground?
That said, I’d much rather people like you come to the dinners than have the wine…
-Jonathan
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January 24, 2008
Nomad
I think it’s difficult for someone who drinksand does not see any harm in it to understand this perspective on the subject though I appreciate how it may appear from your vantage point.
Though many people(who share my beliefs) are okay to bend the rule it’s actually quite a serious issue in my belief system. The fact that drinking is a societal norm blurs the statistics on what a menace it is to society and how much it contributes to degradation of the human as an individual and society as a whole.
Dont get me wrong, I’m not judging anyone’s personal integrity but alcohol is a serious issue for me and I suppose in the society I’m living I just need to accept that it will exclude me from some of these gatherings. Compromise is something which starts off small and progresses over time so I prefer and am required by my religion, Islam, to maintain certain values which are beyond compromise.
Just wanted to know what others thought and if there were others who shared my perspective. I appreciate your comment.
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January 24, 2008
Jonathan Hitchcock
I was certainly not suggesting compromise, or the bending of rules, on anybody’s part! What I mean is, the presence of wine at an event does not necessarily turn all the attendees into drooling banal morons, and it may be a mistake to refuse to attend “alcoholic” events on the grounds that the people will all be inebriated and incapable of normal non-alcoholic interaction.
If, on the other hand, it is a moral objection to being around people who drink, then I totally understand, and we must definitely think about holding events of a different nature – a brunch, or StarCamp-style daytime events.
Thanks for bringing up the issue!
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January 24, 2008
D-arb
I don’t touch the filthy stuff, after I gave it up a few years ago. Heavy drinking at an event turns me off in a big way (and I definately avoid it). Light, and unobtrusive drinking doesnt cause me any troubles (I don’t have a religious reason to my non-drinking-non-animal-eating-non-sugar-guzzling).
There have been times when I have employed a hybrid model, in that I am aware there will be drinking, and I go to an event early, and leave when it is clear that alcohol has become entrenched in everyone’s brains.
I don’t think you can impose non-drinking on an event because of your beliefs, but I don’t think it is an absurd request. Being a Family man as well, I would much prefer to go to a light or non-drinking event than anything (and it is a factor which would come in).
Without a fervent religious reason to my non-drinking my tolerance to drinking/drinkers is not absolute, so deciding if alcohol at an event will be an issue is a complex decision for me, and not a ‘no’ the moment it has a presence at the event.
I hope that does take this further along 😉
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January 24, 2008
Graham
Ethanol is just a toxin (hence “choose your poison”). It would be a lot more dangerous if not for the alcohol dehydrogenase enzymes in the liver converting ethanol into acetaldahyde (ethanal) , and the acetaldehyde dehydrogenase enzyme converting the hangover-causing and liver-damaging ethanal into harmless acetic acid (ethanoic acid), which is ordinary vinegar, also important in biochemistry. Ethanal biochemistry is associated with alcoholism. Hangovers are also influenced by impurities (congeners) in the beverage.
Ethanol is an agonist of GABA receptors (gamma-aminobutyric acid, a neurotramsmitter), making it a depressant of the central nervous system. In higher concentrations, it can cause temporary damage to the calcium channels and dendrites on neurons.
Bah, there’s too much to say, lots of on wikipedia. Not all of it’s bad though. Will leave the reasons /for/ consuming alcoholic beverages to others.
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January 26, 2008
Dave
Hey Nur,
You should checkout Open Coffee as an alternative – first Thursday of every month, 2-4pm at Origin Roasting (a coffee place): http://entrepreneur.meetup.com/1144/calendar/7157357/
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January 26, 2008
Nomad
@ Dave – Thanks a mill for that tip, will definitely be checking that out. Glad to see there’s a space like this as well, and I’m quite a coffee connoiseur.
Have you attended any of these meet ups?
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February 7, 2008
Eric Edelstein
Hope you can make it tomorrow…
In Uruguay at the moment, so won’t be at this one, but know Tim will do a super job…
Let us know what you thought?
Eric
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