At Ignite, speakers get five minutes to share their passions- and if they get tempted to overdo it, they have to speak to the backing of a slideshow where slides automatically move on every 15 seconds.

Last night we started with Mandy Phillips, who spoke about the importance of being cheeky.

Being cheeky, she said, makes people remember you- and that can ensure success in your endeavours.

An example, she said, was the inaugural Liverpool Twestival- which she made a success by being brave enough to make cheeky requests.

That saw her win a raffle prize from Twitter guru Stephen Fry and support from local businesses.

She said; "I'm just amazed by the generosity of people and how cheekiness could get you different things."

She concluded: "Don't just sit there. Get up and do something. Have a think about getting more cheeky."

Next came Alex Nolan- dressed in an Adam West-era Batman costume - to address why Batman's villains kept failing.

Deadpan- as much as you can be in a batsuit- he spoke about how the Systems Failures Approach could be used to analyse the caped crusader's arch enemies.

Under that approach, you should analyse a situation by:

1. Assessing the situation

2. Deciding on a failing system

3. Comparing it with a system that works properly

4. Examining which parts are failing and which could work better

As an example, he said The Joker kept getting distracted from his evil plans.

"When he commits a crime spree he's unstoppable, but he keeps being sidetracked by his pranks," said Nolan.

"The Joker is not very good at turning decision into action."

Next, Nick Owen of the Aspire Trust spoke about his organisation's work from Wallasey to Serbia- and how more organisations should think about the "top line" of their impact on society rather than the financial bottom line.

People should think, he said, about whether their job did some social good- or whether it was "mindless and bodyless".

Rosie Harris next spoke about homicidal bovines, in a talk - Diagnosis Mooder - that blended comedy with serious health and safety advice.

Cows, she said, have been killing people for years- yet are not regarded as a serious safety risk.

She highlighted many reasons why cows should be angry with humans, including a poet by TS Eliot criticising cows.

The kind of food you eat in a picnic could even be an issue.

"Falafel- there's no issue with that," she said. "Beef and cheese- they might have an issue with that."

The creatures tend to attack in spring and autumn and tend to attack older people.

"Cows, we've learned today they're evil," she said. "It's just not safe to step into a field."

And she added another helpful piece of advice- "Don't be a matador".

Next Peter North spoke about what we could do to stop climate change- and he began by pointing out that methane from cows was a major contributor to global warming.

He discussed how rising sea levels could leave large parts of the UK underwater- using graphic images of a flooded Liverpool to make his point.

Among his slides was a banner from an anti-capitalist demonstration, saying "Let's overthrow capitalism and replace it with something nice."

The final talk in the first half was from my Daily Post and Echo colleague David Bartlett - who discussed how to complete a DIY project without losing your head.

He recommended looking online for tips on how to do work yourself - he learned how to install his own sash windows - and recommended using local suppliers where possible. It is, he warned, "not as cheap as you think it will be."

And his final warning to wannabe DIY-ers - "Keep your sense of humour."

After the half-time break, Richard Smedley restarted the event with a debate about the true meaning of money, and the failures of the international banking system.

He said: "While we might not weep for the bankers who've had their Lamborghinis repossessed, nothing has changed in the system. It's going to create more problems down the road and more waste and destruction."

Next Wirral lawyer Jon Bloor next debated how the law had adapted to the growth of social media.

He discussed issues including copyright, defamation, and the need for libel reform.

"You've probably noticed there are a lot more questions than answers," he smiled. "All I can say is- welcome to the world of social media law."

Francis Irving came next to discuss Scraperwiki, the online tool that collects and process data from websites and presents it in a more usable form.

He showcased examples - including an interactive map plotting personal insolvencies in England and Wales.

Ella Wredenfors next took Ignite back to the Victorian age with a presentation called Cannibalism! - the Sir John Franklin story.

She detailed Sir John's exploration to the Northwest Passage in the 1840s, which ended in disaster and - as her titled implied - cannibalism. But the true horror of the event was hidden amidst Victorian propaganda, as Britain celebrated the heroic failure of Franklin and his men. Recent investigations, however, have revealed the dreadful lengths to which the men on the expedition had to go to survive.

Finally Deena DeNaro-Bickerstaffe debated Culture Jamming and the Art of the Subvertisement.

She said that advertisements today were so all-pervasive that culture jamming - altering adverts to convey subversive messages - was one of the few forms of resistance left.

And, with a final word from organiser Neil Morrin, that was that. Another Ignite went off with a bang- and there are sure to be more Ignites in Liverpool. Watch this space...

The official event website is here. And, if you want to know what all the fuss is about, have a look at my reviews of Ignite 1 and Ignite 2.