• Doors Open at 5:00PM - No Ticket Needed. We’ve done away with the ticketing system this time, and we’re just going to open the doors at 5PM, and let people in until we’re full. We haven’t filled the Bagdad since Ignite Portland 2, and the summer Ignites are a little more sparsely attended, so there should be plenty of room for everyone (if you’re worried about getting in, keep reading).

• Overflow at Back Stage. Just in case we do reach capacity at the Bagdad, and for people who want to hang out and watch in a more, um, bar-like atmosphere, we have overflow seating at Back Stage Bar, literally right next door to the Bagdad, which can hold about 150 people. You’ll be able to watch the show and avail yourself of all the services Back Stage offers. Back Stage opens at 5PM. Some people are so excited about this option, they’ve said “I’m going straight to Backstage.” They’ll have a head start on the after party…
• Please, No Seat Saving. We know you’re excited to watch the show with all your friends. And maybe they couldn’t make it down as early as you did. But it’s not fair for one person to squat on a whole bunch of seats with coats, etc. so their friends can saunter in late. Please don’t be a jerk about this. We’ll have ushers milling about to help you remember. We want everyone to have a fair chance at getting a good seat. It’s fine to hold a seat for yourself, so you can get up and order drinks/food, but if your friends come a little later, there’s plenty of room in the balcony, and next door at Backstage. Thanks for understanding.
• Live Video Stream. We experimented with a live video stream at the last Ignite Portland, courtesy of Joe at Blaze Streaming Media, and it worked great. So well, in fact, that we’re doing it again. Come back to this site, IgnitePortland.com, on the day of the show, and you’ll see a streaming player where you can watch LIVE and hang out in the chat with the other cool kids who are watching. This is for our friends who couldn’t make it in person to the Bagdad, and for any Ignite Portland fans outside of Portland.
• Keep the Beer/Food Lines Moving. One of the awesome things about the Badgad Theater is ordering your favorite beverage with a slice of pizza, a burger, or some tots in the lobby, and having them bring it right to your seat inside the theater. Please do order as much food and drink as you’d like. Just try to keep the lines moving smoothly. Doors open at 5PM, but the show doesn’t start until 7PM. The smart cookies will get their victuals squared away with time to spare (hint hint).

• After Party at Back Stage. Everyone loves a good after party. And you’re all invited to Back Stage Bar, right next door to the Bagdad Theater to compare notes with your friends about your favorite IP6 talk, and start rustling up ideas for the killer talk idea you’re going to submit for IP7. Or, just come hang out and have a drink. Back Stage closes at 12AM. Also, odds are that a few folks will make their way for a fried pie nightcap down at @Whiffies on 12th and Hawthorne…
• Follow @IgnitePortland and Tag Your Stuff “ip6″ or “igniteportland”. Make sure you’re following the @IgnitePortland account on Twitter - we’ll be using it for real time updates on things like how much seating is left, etc. And tag your tweets, pics, videos, and whatever else with ip6 or igniteportland to make it easier for everyone to follow the backchannel, and find the bits that you generate.

The time is almost upon us! The organizers are stoked, volunteers are ready, and the speakers are probably nervous. But we know it’s going to be great. So come join us at the Bagdad Thursday night, and let’s Ignite Portland for the sixth time!

You won’t need a ticket to attend Ignite Portland 6. Just come on down, and walk right in.

What? No tickets? I know, right? The thing is, given the fact that all 500 or so tickets for Ignite Portland 5 were claimed in about three and a half minutes, it just didn’t make sense to keep doing things that way. Pretty soon, you would need the ability to *go back in time* to snag a ticket fast enough. So we’re going to try it this way.

“But what about crowding?”, you ask. “The Bagdad can only hold so many people”, right? That’s why we’re happy to announce that you can also attend Ignite Portland 6 at the Back Stage bar, which is literally behind the screen of the Bagdad. Back Stage is a very cool space (the ceiling is seven stories tall!), and increases our total capacity by a couple hundred people. The show will be streamed live onto the various screens around Back Stage (courtesy of Joe and Blaze Streaming Media), plus you can hang out, order a drink or a burger, and still be a part of Ignite Portland 6. More people will be able to watch Ignite Portland 6 than any previous iteration.

We struggled to find a solution to the ticket scarcity problem that would be the most fair to everyone, and while this setup isn’t perfect, we think it will work out just fine. We’ve always held a couple hundred “walk-in” general admission seats, and for the last couple of Ignites, haven’t had to turn anyone away. We understand that now you don’t have a way to “guarantee” yourself a seat at Ignite, but we’re confident that if you come down, you’ll be able to get a seat either in the Bagdad or at Back Stage.

And since the question is bound to come up, selected speakers get a reserved seat (obviously :-)) plus one for a guest, and sponsors get a few reserved seats, but for everyone else, no matter how much we like you (and we like you all very, very much!), even if you make an individual donation, we can’t guarantee you a seat. There’s just no fair way for us to manage that. We hope you understand, and that we can still be friends. If you have any questions about how things are going to work, feel free to post a comment here.

We’ll open the doors at 5:30 PM (the show starts at 7 PM), and hustle everyone in to the Bagdad as quickly as we can for as long as we can (until we hit fire code, basically). Back Stage opens at 5PM. Come down early, grab a drink or a burger, and hang out with your friends. Everything is on track to make this the best Ignite Portland ever. All we’re missing is you!

• 10 Vegetables that Could Improve Your Sex Life by Jeanne Turner

• Critical life lessons learned from my four years as a hooker by James Keller
• Derailing the Train: How to stop Ignite Portland in its tracks by Reid Beels and Amye Scarvada
• DIY Healthcare in Portland by Sandra Clark
• Everyone needs a little space by Noel Franus
• How to build and program a multitouch display by Todd Greco
• It’s the End of the World As We Know It, and It’s About %#$@& Time! by Uriah Zebadiah
• Massage 2.0: Myofascia-The Real Interweb by Megan Bradley
• My Updated and Revised Commencement Speech to the Graduating Class of 1989 by Andrew Berkowitz
• Sauna Etiquette: Proper Decorum Amongst Naked, Sweaty Strangers by Miki Tokola
• Seven lessons learned while trying to reinvent television news by Aaron Weiss
• The death of authority: a kind of elegy by Eva Miller
• The History of Magic and Technology by Seth Raphael
• The Scandalous Lies I’ve Told My Children by Michael Buffington
• The Webcomic Age or, A Young Geek’s Illustrated Primer by Ben Bleything
• Tips on How to Be a Gentleman From a Guy Wearing Jeans and a Tee Shirt by Chris Alan
• You can stop S#$%#y Little Dog Syndrome by Bridget Pilloud

It was *tough* to come to a decision on these. We received a LOT of really good talk ideas, and there was a lot of debate on which ones we could fit on stage. If you submitted a talk idea and didn’t get picked, know that your talk was probably one of the ones we debated and argued over, and in the end, just didn’t have room for. Could you submit it again next time? Thanks.

We also want to say a special “thank you” to those who took the time to come to our first ever open Town Hall meeting, to discuss the talk ideas, and to all those who left private comments for the organizers. Your feedback was very, very helpful as we asked ourselves “what does the Ignite Portland community want to see on stage at IP6?”

It’s officially time to start getting excited. Ignite Portland 6 is only a month and a half away! Speaking of which, there’s still plenty of time to get involved as a sponsor (100% of funds go to putting on the event, which is completely sponsor funded). Check out our Sponsorships page for all the details if you or your company would like to sponsor Ignite Portland 6. It’s (relatively) painless, and we couldn’t do this without you.

Mark your calendars for July 16th, and stay tuned for more info!

Mark your calendar for the following dates:

• Sunday, May 17, 2009 - IP6 Talk Idea Submissions Due. This is the last day to submit your talk idea. You don’t need to submit finished slides or anything, just a description of your talk that can be used to help us select you to be on stage at Ignite Portland 6. Pro Tip: Make a video that shows how animated/funny/profound you can be, or link to other talks you’ve given. Or something. Hack the format, and make it easy for the selection committee to see how great your talk will be!
• Monday, May 18 - IP6 Town Hall Meeting. We want you, the community, to be more involved in the process of selecting the talks for IP6. So we’re having a public “town hall” meeting, where you can come and tell us what you think of the talk ideas. Details (location, etc.) are forthcoming (here’s the Upcoming page for it), but plan on the evening of Monday the 18th, and don’t forget, you can always leave a comment on any of the talk ideas. Let us know which talks you want to see!
• Friday, May 29 - Speakers Notified. If your talk idea is chosen (or not), you should receive notification by May 29th.
• Monday, June 1 - Ignite Portland 6 Talk Lineup Announced. Once we’ve got confirmation from the chosen speakers, we’ll announce the talk lineup for IP6 here on the blog. This is when you’ll get your first glimpse at the burning ideas that will grace the stage at IP6.
• Thursday, July 16 - Ignite Portland 6 at the Bagdad Theater. The Big Night!

Let us know if you have any questions about any of these dates (leave a comment), and we’ll post updates as things progress. The bar has been set quite high, but we’re super excited for IP6, and quite certain that it’s going to rock. See you there!


Bacon Internet Meme in 30 seconds from Bac'n.com on Vimeo.