PechaKucha Night was devised by Klein Dytham architecture in Tokyo in 2003 as an event that would offer young designers an outlet to show their work in public, meet other designers and to network. Over the years the event format has grown into a global phenomenon with PKN events held in over 400 cities around the world. The core group of designers that flocked to the events both to attend and to present has also grown to include people from all walks of life with creative ideas and passions.

The phrase PechaKucha is derived from the Japanese term for the sound of "chit chat" and is pronounced "Pe-chak-cha."

At its base, the popular format is very simple but effective... each presenter gets 20 slides that last 20 seconds each and advance automatically. Basically, this format gently forces presenters to be very concise with exactly 6 minutes and 40 seconds to get ther presentation across. PKN provides the framework that avoids any one presenter from monopolizing the stage while allowing a number of speakers to present during any single event, with approximately 10 - 14 presentations in a night. The variety of topics and wide array of speakers maintains audience interest and creates an atmosphere that is very exhilarating and inspiring to the audience as well as the speakers.

For more information on the worldwide phenomenon, please check out the global PechaKucha site. On this site you will also be able to find information on events being held in other cities, along with global initiatives such as Inspire Japan, a relief effort by the global PechaKucha organization and Architecture for Humanity.