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We’ve added a Schedule Preview page with discussion leaders, their questions and a description so you can browse and keep up to date on what will be happening at Podcamp Boston this year.

Note that this is only a preview, discussions are subject to change by the leaders. The dates and times will be set in a few weeks, at which time you’ll have the actual schedule to help you plan what questions you want to get answers to or discussions you want to participate in.

You can get it here on the website with daily updates on the website or subscribe to the RSS feed of changes!

• All tickets are non-refundable as of July 1st. The last moment you can get a refund is 11:59 PM ET June 30, 2009.
• You can now register to lead a discussion!
  
• We’re working on securing a group of rooms at a very nearby hotel.  Once we have those rooms available we will announce via email and let you know where you can register for them.
• If you’d like to volunteer to help organize this year, please email us at podcampboston [at] gmail [dot] com.

What questions do you want the answers to?

Here’s where it gets interesting. You don’t need to have the answers to your question in order to moderate a discussion. In fact, it’s better if you don’t have the answers to your question, because you’ll be much more likely to help create a true conversation, rather than be a talking head at the front of the room.

You are required to be a registered attendee to participate. If you have questions contact us by email at podcampboston [at] gmail [dot] com.

Haven’t registered to attend yet? Get on that!

Beginner, intermediate, or advanced - what’s next is on everyone’s mind, right?

If you’re wondering what’s next in social media, there’s no better place to find out than at PodCamp, regardless of whether you’re just getting started or you’re a veteran practitioner. Unlike other conferences which are just talking head affairs, PodCamp gives you the opportunity to learn, share, and grow your skills at any level, helping your community as it helps you  

Podcasting and social media has gone beyond the geek set this year and many of us are engaging with businesses and corporations to educate them. At Podcamp Boston 4 lies the opportunities to teach people and companies about podcasting and social media. Learn from others who have a wealth of knowledge to share.

We’re following last year’s model with with registration, Podcamp will be substantially sponsored by the attendees. This sunny venue will provide plenty of room for sessions, collaboration and conversations that are a tradition at Podcamp.

Ready to find out what’s next?  Join us!

Terms like Social Media Club, Social Media Breakfast, Social Media Camp, Social Media Bar, Social Media Meetup, etc. all have failed in part or in whole the trademark process. The reason is that Social Media is a generic term, like toothpaste or lawyer. Organizations have in the past tried to register these terms and been told that they can’t, as the term is too generic.

Last year, Chris Brogan, Whitney Hoffman, and I kicked in some cash and made PodCamp a registered trademark as part of our incorporation. The PodCamp Foundation is a legal entity, an S-Corporation registered as a business in the state of Delaware, and the primary purpose of the PodCamp Foundation is to enforce and defend the trademark of PodCamp.

We did this primarily so that someone can’t arbitrarily start PodCamp Microsoft or PodCamp General Motors, and use the PodCamp name and community goodwill to promote a specific brand. It also gives us the ability to selectively approve or disapprove the use of the PodCamp name, in case someone chooses not to adhere to the six rules of PodCamp and the PodCamp Foundation License.

If we want to change the name of an event itself, that’s fine - we can always do “PodCamp presents…” or something along that vein. However, the PodCamp name and associated legal rights are an important part of keeping PodCamp owned by the community that started it.

Next Steps:

PodCamp Boston 3 wrapped just hours ago, and I miss it already. The folks who attended made it one of the most amazing PodCamps yet, in terms of energy, passion, and excitement. I’m incredibly proud…

… of you. You made it to PodCamp Boston 3, made it your own conference, made some incredible discussions and shared amazing knowledge. I picked up some fantastic tips for my own work from my peers and shared as I could, but you made it happen. Plus, you helped raise just about $1,000 in cash for the Greater Boston Food Bank. The most amazing thing of all was your energy. Everywhere I went, there were intense, energized discussions, conversations, sing-alongs, and collaborations. Everyone made use of the venue and opportunity exactly as I’d hoped, to engage each other, to share their passion for new media and for making a difference in the world and our communities. As a presenter, I was happy to see more empty seats than normal, because it meant that people were out working together, collaborating, and making the conference their own.

… of my team. The PodCamp Boston 3 organizers - Chris Brogan, Chel Pixie, Sooz, Steve Sherlock, Doug Haslam, Whitney Hoffman, plus a TON of great volunteers all made PodCamp Boston 3 happen. I want to send three special shoutouts to Chel, Sooz, and Steve, who sat registration and skipped a LOT of the conference experience so that all of us could enjoy PodCamp Boston 3. They deserve tons of acknowledgement and recognition for their sacrifices and their dedication to PodCamp Boston, year after year.

… of our sponsors. Instead of raw shilling or crass commercialism, I was so pleased to see premium sponsors Blue Sky Factory and mDialog, plus sponsors Mzinga and Utterz, and sponsors Marketwire, MarketingProfs, Matchmine, ooVoo, Blip.tv, and Blubrry integrate themselves into the event. I saw frequently that sponsor tables were simply unmanned or abandoned, which meant that instead of trying to sell something, the sponsors were participating as part of the community, which was wonderful. I’ve been to a TON of conferences in the last year and a half, all around the world, and I have to say that the companies that step up and support the PodCamp community get it - they understand that community and business opportunity are not mutually exclusive.

… of our venue. Harvard’s team, largely behind the scenes, did an amazing job making sure everything was right, on time, and as promised, except for a technical problem beyond their immediate control. While I can never tell what the future holds, I’d have no trouble recommending or using Harvard Medical School as a conference venue again. The venue was well sized, well laid out with plenty of casual seating, included parking for attendees, and was overall a real treat.

… of my employer and wife. A special shout out to the Student Loan Network, because honestly, how many other companies out there let ANY of their employees create a conference while on lunch break? (incidentally, to my coworkers, that’s why I’ve been so anti-social at lunch the last week or two - sorry!) A double special shout out to my wife, whose husband has been working the equivalent of a second job for 3 months now. Honey, I’m home!

I hope you take to heart the message that Chris Brogan and I promoted this entire weekend. The time for talk only is over. New media, social media, whatever you want to call it, is an incredible power, the likes of which we as humans have never had before. We can affect events at great distances, see beyond walls, know the thoughts of others, influence millions without getting out of our chairs. I hope you take a step back, realize the power you have, and make something of it. I hope you DO something, whether it’s volunteer with a local charity, raise money for a food bank, help homeless kids, whatever your passion is, I hope your PodCamp Boston 3 experience has given you the means to begin improving your part of the world.

As Peter Parker’s uncle famously said, with great power comes great responsibility, and I hope you take advantage of the power you have while you can, while opportunities abound.

Thank you again, so much, for your energy and for making PodCamp Boston 3 such a memorable experience for me as both a participant and an organizer. I can’t wait to see what you do with what you got at PodCamp, and I hope to see you next in Philadelphia for PodCamp Philly.

Christopher S. Penn
Lead Organizer, PodCamp Boston 3

Next Steps: