The first Event Camp for 2012 is locked and loaded – Event Camp Down Under will take place in Sydney, Australia on Feb 26th and 27th, with a remote pod in Auckland, New Zealand.  This is the first Australasian Event Camp ever – and whilst it’s continuing the theme of exposing #eventprofs to what’s cool and exciting in event tech and event management the organising team are also working hard to make sure it has an Aussie/NZ focus – green, fresh and innovative.  With great beer   Well, it will be the height of summer!

A cracking line up of speakers is already confirmed, with two more headliners under discussion (watch this space).  Speakers have been asked to flavour their presentations to address what’s different DownUnder – we’re isolated, we have to work hard to attract international visitors, we’ve smaller populations and generally the scale of everything is smaller!  But we still pride ourselves on awesome events and knowing what’s new and innovative globally, often being the first to try stuff out. So ECDU12 will showcase some of the great homegrown event services – livestream in to find out what’s going on in the land of the long white cloud.

EventCamp East Coast is returning November 4-6, 2011 with a new city, new venue, extra day and a new hashtag while retaining the peer conference format that was widely admired by last year’s attendees. The site of this year’s EventCamp East Coast is the National Conference Center (@NCCMeet, www.conferencecenter.com) which is located in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC and only minutes away from Dulles International Airport. This year’s Twitter hashtag is #ECDC11.

Organizers Traci Browne (@TraciBrowne) and Adrian Segar (@ASegar), assisted by Andrea Sullivan (@BrainStrength) and I (@Greg Ruby), have added an additional day based on comments from the folks that attended the original EventCamp East Coast. In addition to the retaining the Conferences That Work peer-conference format developed by Segar, there will be a cross-country virtual connection with EventCamp Vancouver on Sunday as well.

Those that attended EventCamp East Coast left commenting on the powerful bonds they made that weekend:

“…one of the most innovative and eye-opening professional experiences I’ve had. Aside from coming back with lots of new tips and ideas, I easily established triple the number of new contacts, and formed stronger relationships with them, than at any other conference I’ve been to.”

“…an experience that was unparalleled and will definitely remain a highlight of my event education for years to come.”

“…I have never been to a conference where I felt like I got to know so many new people so well.”

National Conference Center

EventCamp East Coast is what YOU make it to be. There are no predetermined topics and presenters. Participants share their learning goals during the opening roundtable session and later suggest topics and cast votes on what sessions they would like to see given. Sessions are facilitated by your fellow EventCampers and bring out the many years of experiences of fellow attendees. No PowerPoint presentations here! It is meaningful learning outcomes where you have helped to create the weekend’s programs.

There are two pricing options available to attend EventCamp East Coast – full and day passes. Full conference registration is $425 (until October 21) and includes two nights lodging and all meals from dinner on Friday through lunch on Sunday. Day passes are $250 (until October 21) and includes dinner on Friday, lunch and dinner on Saturday and lunch on Sunday. Many local attendees of last year’s EventCamp East Coast regretted not staying over and missing out on the camaraderie with fellow Campers.

In February 2010 the first Event Camp took place, bringing with it a forum for learning and sharing event innovations; a place to collaborate, and connect and experiment with new formats and technologies with other keen meeting and event professionals.

On November 4th – 6th there will be two concurrent Event Camps, one in DC and one in Vancouver, Canada. We will share content and connect two coasts for a portion of the time Sunday as well, something that has not been tried yet.  Be with us and see how it works!

Event Camp East Coast will take place at the National Conference Center and is a true peer conference, following Adrian Segar’s Conferences That Work model. If you have been considering the “unconference” as it is sometimes known, this is your opportunity to try it first hand. http://www.eventcampeastcoast.com

Event Camp Vancouver will be hosted at the Westin Bayshore Vancouver ($99 rate available until the end of this coming week!) and the Vancouver Convention Centre and the full program is available on the website. Remote program available Saturday and Sunday mornings. http://www.eventcampvancouver.com

We need presenters for Sparks and Pecha Kucha sessions and welcome your input – check it out.

The burning question of course is how can you justify the required investment both financially and in time? I can only share my perspective.

As Kiki L’Italien says “Event Camp fills the well”.

The people. The historical indicators are that Event Camps are creating new collaborations and business opportunities..

The experimenting – new seating formats, new learning formats including snappy sessions, deep dives, white space, gamification, inclusion of apps – try it here and see what you can take back to your own events and clients.

Breaking bread develops relationships. There are lots of opportunities to eat delicious food, share, connect, and these will become some of your best memories and also the moments that often lead to new opportunities.

Push boundaries. We are trying new things each time, and this will continue in November. Keep it safe, keep it real, step outside the norm and see what happens. It is these moments that will be your “a-ha’s” and give you things you can take back and apply to your work and your life.

You return to work energized and reinvigorated. Ready to share with your own team your learnings and how together we can continue to do better meetings and events that attract and then engage our audiences in our rapidly evolving industry.

We encourage you to join us on either coast and together we will amp up the innovation!

The Making of an Event Camp

2 parts graham wafers
1 part chocolate
1 part delicious marshmallow

Wait a minute!

That is the recipe for a s’more, not an Event Camp. To make an Event Camp you have to gently combine the following ingredients:

S’more Social Media
1 part Hybrid Technology
3 amazing Hybrid Hosts
1 mobile app with a pinch of sustainability
Many great Collaborators
A sprinkle of great presenters
1 dashing live host
100 engaged participants
2.5 days of amazing interaction

Mix it all up and what we will come away with is learning we can apply to our own organizations and businesses and both new and deeper relationships with colleagues in the industry.

Check it out at http://www.eventcampvancouver.com
November 4th – 6th, 2011
Vancouver, BC, Canada

Showcase You!
Please note that we have two sessions with space for presentations to be submitted. The first is Friday’s “Sparks” sessions – 30 minute sessions designed to spark discussions and generate fast ideas. The second is Sunday Morning’s Pecha Kucha sessions where we have space for an additional three submissions.  If we are fortunate enough to receive several submissions we will put these out to the Event Camp community for them to make the choice as to the sessions they want to see presented.  Deadline for Submission is October 4th at 11:46pm PST.

On the last day of EventCamp I led a session with Midori Connolly (via Skype) called Winning with Social Gaming for Events. After a brief history and overview of gaming concepts, the participants were divided into four teams and were asked to create a game based on the following objectives: Education, Networking, Team Building and Problem-Solving.

Once everyone got to work on creating interactive games for events, we realized that they needed more time  to fully develop their plans. This gave us the idea to turn the session into a game of our own. We gave the teams one week to submit their final ideas and, in the spirit of EventCamp, we are crowdsourcing the winner.

The rules for voting are simple. Please read from the following submissions and vote for a winner via the Survey Monkey link.  Every person  gets one vote so you will need to submit your email address for verification. You did not need to participate in EventCamp to vote, you just have to love EVENTS! Midori and I will pick the final winner based on votes, comments and our own judgement.

As an added bonus, we are looking for ideas for prizes for the winning team. Keep in mind that there are 4-5 people per team and the prizes are being funded by Midori and I or generously donated by some undetermined source.

Review the Submissions Here:

Networking

Team Building

Education

Problem Solving

The Contest Ends Friday, February 25th at Noon ET.

VOTE HERE

Thanks to all of the teams for the great submissions! Happy Voting!

Today we are offering free live stream access to many sessions at EventCamp.  To access the stream please click here.

For more information regarding the sessions being streamed please visit this page.

See you on the Stream!

I can’t believe the time is finally here for the 2011 EventCamp National Conference.  In exactly two days our tribe will be gathering in Chicago for an exciting weekend of networking, friendships, fun and education.

As the final arrangements are winding down here are some additional points of information to assist you in preparing for your trip to Chicago and participation in EventCamp 2011:

Chicago Weather Forecast

For those of you that have been to Chicago before you know the weather can be unpredictable.  The below weather forecast is as of this morning (Wed, Feb 9, 2011)

Conference Dress Code

EventCamp is by design, intended to be informal, friendly and collaborative.  As such, there are no specific expectations as to attire.  We want you to feel comfortable and collaborative, so wear whatever gets you into that mode.

As it will be cold in Chicago, you certainly ought to bring warm clothes with you.  You may want to bring a sweater with you to Catalyst Ranch.  Evenings are definitely casual, unless you plan to engage in an activity more formal, on your own.

The Hotel Allegro Chicago, a Kimpton Hotel

The official hotel headquarters for the ECNC 2011, The Hotel Allegro is located just five blocks away from Catalyst Ranch.  Here is contact information for the hotel:

Hotel Allegro Chicago
171 W. Randolph Street
Chicago, IL 60601
Hotel Phone: (312) 236-0123
Hotel Fax: (312) 236-0917

Catalyst Ranch

The entire ECNC 2011 program (except for evening events) will take place at this wonderful facility.  Catalyst Ranch contact info is:

656 W. Randolph
Suite 3W
Chicago, IL 60661
Phone: (312) 207-1710
Fax (312) 207-1712

Parking & Driving Directions

If you are driving in for the event there are several parking options available near Catalyst Ranch.  For a map denoting parking locations and also driving directions please click here.  A validation will be available at Catalyst Ranch to provide discounted parking.  ($10 per day per car)

Special Note: An intercom is to the left of the building door. Please punch in #300 and a facility representative will buzz you in. Take the elevator in the lobby to 3W. The elevator opens directly into the Catalyst Ranch space.

We look forward to seeing you in Chicago on Friday!

Can you believe it is Super Bowl Sunday already?  Where did January go …. More importantly, we are only five days away from the 2011 EventCamp National Conference and I am getting fired up!  Hope you are too. 

Members of the EventCamp community will be converging on Chicagoland on Friday, February 11 for a two day industry gathering of folks with an interest in technology and social media, for events.  If you have not registered for the event there is still time.  You simply need to click here to access the site to sign up.  For more details on the program view our conference schedule, or read our information page.

In January, we invited the EventCamp community to vote on their favorite session topics for our three (3) Crowdsourced time slots in the program.  The voting closed on January 21st and we are now pleased to announce the three sessions that were selected.  They are as follows:

Star Tech: The Next Presentation — Brandt Krueger, Presenter (Saturday, 2/12 @ 10am)

Brandt Krueger

Brandt Krueger (@BrandtKrueger) wants you to think about the days when a black drape backdrop and a powerpoint presentation was pretty much the standard “look” for a presenter at a live event … then he wants you to smash that old memory and embrace the new.

Now we have a myriad of presentation and projection options to choose from, and many credible alternatives to PowerPoint. And though the imagery has changed, so has where the attendee’s attention is routinely focused (Hellllo Smartphone) … So, what’s the right mix, and how can you create the right presentation setting and tone that wows, engages, and cements your connection with your audience?

This session will be a frank discussion of the exciting (though sometimes complicated, frightening, or annoying) new options in presentation technology, as well as how speakers can be guided in dealing with both the technology at their disposal as well as that in the hands of their audience.

The Future of Meetings — John Nawn, Presenter (Saturday 2/12 @3pm)

John Nawn

John Nawn (@perfectmeeting) wants to go back to the future!… and delve into some emerging trends in the events world.

Peer-to-Peer learning, content co-creation, social media, and hybrid meetings are among the many emerging trends having a profound and disruptive impact on our industry. How do we design meetings, which remain relevant for attendees using these and other elements? Join us in designing the meeting of the future using design principles.

Attendee Takeaways Include:

• Identify design principles that enhance the attendee experience
• Utilize new methodologies to develop formal and informal learning opportunities
• Engage participants before, during, and after the meeting

SocialCasting – Where We Are, Where We Could Go — Paul Salinger, Presenter (Sunday, 2/13 @9:30am)

Paul Salinger

Presenter Paul Salinger (@psalinger) seeks to dive into the current state of “SocialCasting” and how new technologies will enable what is next in attendee engagement.

Virtual events and hybrid events are a trend now in the event industry. This session will look at the current state of what we call “SocialCasting” and how we might begin to think about a more integrated approach to remote/live audience engagement through interactive technologies and social enabling.

Attendee Takeaways Inlude:

• Understand how to combine existing and hybrid event models for a more strategic audience engagement
• Identify the difference between merely live-streaming an event, web-casting an event or having a virtual event to a more robust hybrid model
• Understand how integration of live event and remote event planning can tie to broader business and marketing objectives in terms of relationship building, building communities of interest and generating pipeline for sales outreach

Congratulations to Brandt, John and Paul for doing a great job of putting their sessions together.  We hope to see you in Chicago next weekend … It’s gonna be a great conference!

As you may know EventCamp attendees have been reviewing and voting, for the past three weeks, on the education session proposals that were submitted for the 2011 EventCamp National Conference.  The proposal descriptions are listed at an official EventCamp website powered by CrowdCampaign,  Voting will officially end this Friday (January 21) at 5pm PST.

So, if you have not yet reviewed ECNC’s session proposals, please visit the website this week and cast your vote(s).

Thanks in advance for your participation!

This past week has been a busy week for the EventCamp National Conference planning team. On Tuesday we announced a “Call for Presentation Proposals.” On Wednesday registration opened, and on Friday the EventCamp Online Community site was re-opened.

Image courtesy of genitronsviluppo.com Web Magazine

This year’s ECNC theme is “Community Matters.”  In that spirit we are asking for the greater EventCamp community’s assistance, with the selection process, for this year’s concurrent session topics.

Crowdsource Session Topics for 2011 ECNC

Here’s how the process will work:

Submit Presentation Proposals — Potential presenters may submit proposed presentations to us (the planning team) between now and 5pm, CT, December 20, to presentations@eventcamp.org.  For more information on the procedures for this please read the documentation on the website.

Only those who have completed and submitted the Proposal for Education Presentations will be considered.

Voting Begins January 3, 2011 — Starting the first week of January, EventCamp attendees and prospective attendees will vote and rank proposals. The top ranking proposals will be invited to present.

Your EventCamp Community Vote Counts!

We hope you will participate in the session voting process.  By collaboratively deciding what our education content will be, our EventCamp Community will have joint ownership in the education outcome.  We are confident the 2011 ECNC program will be significantly stronger with your input.  And… we think your EventCamp experience will be enriched by it!  We hope you agree.

Question:  Do you like this approach to selecting conference sessions?  What can we do to help make your ECNC experience the best it possibly could be! Please share your thoughts and opinions with us.