We’ve tried to select things that aren’t bad for our planet – stuff that can be reused, recycled or repurposed. Here t’is:

Webstock t shirt
T shirts in many sizes: small, medium, large, xl and 2xl, made by ASColour, and produced under safe, fair, legal and humane working conditions.

Notebook & writing implement
A fine-looking, sustainable repository for your notations, ruminations, ideations and illustrations, made from paper given a second chance at life! These have been handmade by Misprint and Wakefield Digital, specially for Webstock.

By repurposing this paper we’ve saved 200 litres of water – 266 standard water bottles!

A Webstock water bottle

The official Webstock water bottle to keep you hydrated, activated and captivated! This receptacle is made of recyclable BPA-free plastic and can be operated one handed with a simple push of the button! The bottle has the look of glass, but neither the heaviness nor the breakability, and it’s recyclable at end of its life.

The receptacles are reusable, durable, stylish and come with a spill-resistant lid and a drinking hole is designed for optimum liquid flow.

By using your Webstock receptacle instead of plastic water cups, you’re limiting the amount of unnecessary waste to landfill and helping make the Earth cleaner and happier.

Webstock web socks
Merino blend business socks, knitted from the finest natural and performance yarns, perfect for business time and other times too.

A Webstock bag!

This year’s bag has been made with repurposed materials used in Webstocks-past: banners, signage, and other event-accoutrement. They are a restropective, a time capsule if you will, of Webstock over the years.

Flexible, functional, sturdy and stylish, they are a multiple-purpose tote – perfect for the shop, the beach, the bbq, the pool, the plane, the park, the laundry, the laptop, the kids, the cat, the dog, the day trip, the holiday, the heist. We could go on. It’s a damn good bag.

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Leah Culver is a founder and CTO of Breaker, an iOS app for listening to podcasts with your friends. Breaker launched in March 2017 and was Y Combinator class of Winter 2017. Leah also previously founded Pownce, an early social networking site and Convore/Grove, a group messaging service.

Leah joins fellow judges Anna Guenther, co-founder and CEO of PledgeMe; Derek Sivers, creator of CD Baby, and Harry Ferreira, who heads up the award winning Small Business team at BNZ.

Start-Up Accelerator – taking New Zealand to the world

This is aimed at tech businesses who have developed an innovative tech product and have their sights on potential growth and expansion beyond NZ.

Social Enterprise Kick Start – making New Zealand a better place

This is aimed at start up social enterprises with a technology component – businesses that have a social purpose at the heart of what they do.

Here are Start-Up Accelerator category finalists!

coHired

“We’re delighted to be selected as a finalist for the 2018 BNZ Start-Up Alley. Our mission is “matching people to jobs they love” and we’re busy re-inventing the way the world hires. All of us at coHired are honoured to have the trust and encouragement from Start-Up Alley Judges, BNZ and their business partners.

We look forward to the opportunity to share our vision and earn your full support, as we work towards increasing people’s dignity, globally, through great jobs.”
Andrew Nicol – coHired

Investify

“At Investify, we are changing the game for investors by empowering them with simplified, easy to understand investment research at the price of a Netflix membership.

We are delighted to be a part of BNZ Start-Up Alley and to be able to tell Webstock the story of our exciting Fintech venture that is truly going to transform the research landscape and make investing as simple as swiping left or right.”
Kevin Dutta Gupta – Investify

Kitt

“We are very excited to be able to share KITT: the Digital Toolkit, Simplifying how Landlords manage their Property Portfolios. It is a great privilege to be selected as a finalists for the BNZ Startup Alley alongside other great startups!”
Eugene Yang – KITT

Here are Social Enterprise Kick Start category finalists!

Accreditron

“Accreditron is a web platform that makes it easier for NGOs and Charities to spend less time on paperwork. We save organisations time and reduce risk by making it simple to share up-to-date and quality information across the Social Sector and Government.

We’re honoured to be selected as a BNZ Start-Up Alley finalist and are grateful for the opportunity to present our work and share some of our insights with the community.”
Ashlyn Baum – Accreditron

Talk Town

“The Talk Town team are stoked to be finalists in the BNZ Start-up Alley competition. We look forward to making the most of this great experience, and improving outcomes for deaf kids around the globe. The Talk Town game leverages deaf kids’ strengths to empower them with vital self-advocacy and communication skills”

Zoe Haws – Talk Town

Whare Hauora

“We’re super excited to be finalists for BNZ Start-up Alley, this a fantastic opportunity towards helping the people of Aotearoa know exactly how their homes are affecting the health of their whānau.”
Hiria Te Rangi – Whare Hauora

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We can tell you this, though – Webstock 2018, our 12th edition, is the end of something for us. In a few months, the St James theatre – home to Webstock – will be out of action while it receives earthquake strengthening treatment. We don’t know how long it will be closed for – a year at least – but if you’ve ever watched Grand Designs then you’ll know most projects run over some. Considering our previous home, the Town Hall, was meant to have taken two years to complete, and now some seven years on, it’s still uninhabitable, we just can’t be certain!

So this will be the last Webstock at the St James. For now, or forever, we don’t know. The space in which we hold our event – how it flows, how it feels, where it’s located – is paramount to the experience we’re trying to create. The experience is everything! This has always, always been a guiding principle for us. And it means, given the absence of suitable venues here, that this Webstock may be the last in Wellington. Or indeed anywhere.

So, while we feel a great sadness at the thought of something we love coming to an end, we do feel it’s a time to celebrate everything we’ve had the chance to do, and see, and hear, and those we’ve had the chance to meet. We want to celebrate the shared experience that being together with a group of peers and friends and strangers can bring. And we want to celebrate the opportunity to learn from, and be delighted and excited and empowered by this group of people.

While we don’t know right now what next year will bring, we do know that this Webstock is one you shouldn’t miss out on. We’ve 22 speakers, leaders in their fields all of them, talking on a variety of need-to-know topics – everything from AI and algorithms to accessibility, information architecture to inclusive content, performance to privacy, design systems to data collection to digital transformation. We’ve three excellent new speakers*. Webstock ‘18 will be a feast of ideas, illumination and practical application to help us do our best, most impactful work. It’ll be an event to leave us feeling greater optimism for the future and how we can contribute in a meaningful way.

We’d love to see you there. Why not register now.

*They are Haley van Dyck, co-founder of the US Digital Service; Phillip Hunter, Head of UX for Alexa Skills at Amazon, and Dr Nishant Shah, co-founder of the Centre for Internet & Society in India, Dean of Graduate School at ArtEZ University of the Arts, The Netherlands and a Visiting Professor at Leuphana University, Germany. 

Please welcome….

Haley van Dyck is co-founder of the US Digital Service and a key thought leader on Obama’s tech team since the 2008 campaign, where she helped develop the mobile strategy for the first Presidential campaign in history to use mobile and text messaging to connect with voters. Four days after the election she moved to Washington, D.C. to serve on the Presidential Transition Team with a small group of individuals who set the course for the Administration’s technology strategy, including writing the Open Government Directive and creating the first U.S. Chief Technology Officer position.

Phillip Hunter is Head of UX for Alexa Skills at Amazon. Prior to that he was UX Design Manager for AWS. He is passionate about how teams work, understanding systems, and the little details of interaction design that make big differences. Phillip has designed and created strategy for voice-based products and services for hundreds of customer service systems, Microsoft Cortana and Xbox, and now Amazon Alexa.

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Dr. Nishant Shah is co-founder and board member of the Centre for Internet & Society in Bangalore, India. He is Dean of Graduate School at ArtEZ University of the Arts, The Netherlands and a Visiting Professor at the Institute of Culture and Aesthetics of Digital Media at Leuphana University in Germany, where he teaches in fields such as Digital Humanities, Computer-Human Interaction and Information and Communication Technologies for Development. His work on technology, identity and social and political movements focuses on the question of how we can remain human in a technological environment.

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Running an event, bringing people together is a privilege. With privilege comes responsibility. We know we have a responsibility and a duty of care to each and every single person at Webstock, and in that we failed. Webstock is a very personal venture – an extension of our values and really, of us as people. This failure feels deeply personal and we can’t begin to adequately express how sorry we are, as organisers and as human beings. We will carry this failing for a very, very long time.

This post outlines what happened; what we did and what we commit to doing in the future.

The incident
To begin his presentation, our last speaker of the day, Stefan Sagmeister recalled that last time he was in New Zealand he told a story about a manatee giving itself a blow job. This was inappropriate and a violation of our Code of Conduct. This was compounded by the repetition of the term for the act, with the intent of having the sign language interpreter on stage, Jenn, sign it. Stefan then continued with his talk.

This was completely disrespectful to Jenn in particular, and she left the auditorium shortly afterwards.

To Jenn
Jenn, we are so sorry. We are so sorry that this happened. It should not happen at Webstock and it should not happen anywhere, in any situation. It is an honour to have you at Webstock and we respect and value you, your team and your work immensely.

We would also like to unequivocally state that the behaviour of Stefan in this incident was wholly unacceptable. We are committed to ensuring nothing like this ever happens again in any environment over which we have any level of input or control.

What happened next
In terms of our response to it, immediately after the incident, we:

• spoke to one of Jenn’s colleagues
• sought out Jenn and expressed our apologies
• apologised via Twitter while Stefan was speaking
• apologised immediately on stage after he had finished his talk
• spoke to Stefan as soon as he stepped off stage to make him aware of the gravity of the situation.

We did not ask Stefan to stop speaking. We will debate whether that decision was the correct one for a long time to come.

The following day we communicated further with Jenn and Stefan. Stefan apologised publicly via this series of tweets:

https://twitter.com/sagmeisterwalsh/status/832766513845198850

https://twitter.com/sagmeisterwalsh/status/832766845392281600

https://twitter.com/sagmeisterwalsh/status/832769120592465920

And via instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQonHM5DYJh/?taken-by=stefansagmeister

The public response
There has been an understandable and completely valid sense of anger and disgust in response to this incident, along with criticism of us and our handling of the situation. Please know your criticisms have been heard. We are disgusted and angered too, and much of that is directed inward.

We acknowledge and thank those in the audience who called out the unacceptable behaviour. We are all learning as we navigate this life, and by letting someone know that we’re not ok with a given situation, we as human beings signal that we care enough about each other to address issues that impact care, respect and cooperation in the future. To see so many people care is a sign that people believe in something better. It is a sign of optimism, and optimism is essential for progress and for more just, respectful, and safe environments. Compassion and empathy are essential for this too and we acknowledge and are thankful for the empathy and compassion displayed by so many people. We also want to specifically acknowledge and give thanks to Nat Dudley for this, and to Etainia for this. Thank you both so much for your wisdom and perspective from which we have learned so much.

The code of conduct
We acknowledge the criticism of our Code of Conduct. Our intention in the Code of Conduct was to highlight and encourage positive behaviours, rather than the negative. We acknowledge this approach may have been flawed. In light of the feedback we’ve received, we will be reviewing it, and seeking the advice of those we feel to be experts in this area to help us make our Code of Conduct better and stronger.

Vetting
We acknowledge the criticism of our vetting and will be reviewing and refining each and every part of this process. We will make sure our speakers are better briefed in future. While we send copious communications, we know that these may not always be read in full, so we will make sure we include a detailed briefing session for any and all future events.

The experience is everything
The experience of those attending Webstock is something we sweat over. It means everything to us. We don’t get everything right – we know that. But please, never let it be said we don’t care, or we don’t try. We do. We pore over small details to try to act responsibly and to help people feel included and valued; catering for all dietary requirements, childcare, scholarships, minimising waste and the use of recyclable/repurposable conference materials, and a speaker line up that reflects some of the diversity of our industry and our world are paramount to us. And yet, we failed on something so fundamental. Making the space safe. This is something we are really struggling with, and for which we are so deeply, truly sorry.

This experience has highlighted many things. Including the impact our words can have. Stefan’s words had impact. All our words have impact. Whether spoken or written, in a book, in a blog, in a tweet, our words matter. We can think of little else right now: how something one person may think is innocuous and/or funny, can humiliate, hurt and harass one or many others. It has highlighted to us that we must not end up replicating the very behaviour that we are trying to change. If we’re talking about how important Codes of Conduct are, followed by an abusive comment directed at the speaker – or anyone for that matter – perhaps we are then violating the very standard of behaviour we’re seeking from others. Surely, if we want respect, we must seek to give it too. That is not to say we can’t or shouldn’t criticise or provide strongly worded feedback about behaviour that was unacceptable and intolerable. But the words we use matter. Our language is a reflection of ourselves and our values. Abuse is not the way to solve Code of Conduct violations.

It is an immense privilege to have the platform of a stage to share one’s words. It is an immense privilege to give others a platform to do so. And, as said earlier, with great privilege comes great responsibility. We know this. We have a responsibility to create spaces that are truly safe and inclusive, and we wear that responsibility more fully than ever before.

We have learned that we must rid ourselves of any complacency. We must act with greater care. We must care more, and be more compassionate, and we must hold ourselves accountable when we have failed. And when we know better we must share this knowledge with others so they can be better too. Such learning is essential for us to have a more positive impact, and a better future. Because surely, that is what we’re working towards.

This has been a very painful lesson. A serious mistake was made, many heartfelt apologies have been given, a great deal of self-reflection has been had, and will continue for a long time to come. We hope we can regain Jenn’s trust in us. And others’ trust we’ve lost too. We hope that real change in many people’s attitudes has come from this.

It is our hope that out of this, rather than tear down, we can instead lift up. We all win when we help each other do and be better.

In the words of our friend Nat Dudley, anger is easy; compassion in the face of it is so much more of a worthy challenge. We apologise wholeheartedly and unreservedly again, and hope that from this we can move forward together, armed with a renewed and steadfast commitment to care, empathy and safety, and a greater understanding of the importance of our words, our actions and the consequences of them. 

SCHWAG

We’ve tried to select things that aren’t bad for our lil’ planet – stuff that can be reused, recycled or repurposed. So this year, here’s what we’ve got for you…

Webstock t shirt

Two designs. Two styles of fit. Many sizes: small, medium, large, xl and 2xl. Also available in kids’ sizes for our lil’ Webstockers of the Future.

T shirts made by ASColour, and produced under safe, fair, legal and humane working conditions.

Webstock web socks

Merino blend business socks, knitted from the finest natural and performance yarns, perfect for business time and other times too.

Notebook & writing implement

A fine-looking, sustainable repository for your notations, ruminations, ideations and illustrations, made from paper given a second chance at life. These have been handmade by Misprint and Wakefield Digital, specially for Webstock.

(Did you know that by repurposing this paper we’ve saved 200 litres of water – 266 standard water bottles! I did not know this. But now I do.)

A Webstock receptacle

 This year, a choice: a water bottle or a coffee cup.

Both the Webstock coffee cup and the Webstock water bottle are made of recyclable BPA-free plastic and can be operated one handed with a simple push of the button. The bottle has the look of glass, but neither the heaviness nor the breakability, and it’s recyclable at end of its life.

Both receptacles are reusable, durable, stylish and come with a spill-resistant lid* (we tested – it’s true!) and a drinking hole is designed for optimum liquid flow. (We tested that too – and it’s true!)

Without doing anymore than using your Webstock receptacle instead of the one-use coffee or plastic water cups, you are limiting the amount of unnecessary waste into landfill, making the Earth cleaner and happier.

Lastly, we’re not doing new bags this year. We’ve taken on board the feedback from the past few years about folks having just too many Webstock bags – and to be fair, we may have a few too many ourselves (as pictured).

So bring along one of your bags from Webstock past if you have one. Or another bag you own. Whatever works for you really.

You may also wish to acquire one of the vintage Webstock bags that will be available, if you don’t already have one.

FOOD & DRINK

Your nourishment and sustenance while at Webstock’s main event on Thursday and Friday is very important to us.

Much of the food available will be locally and sustainably sourced. All the offerings at morning and afternoon tea and lunch will be gluten free, and at least half vegetarian. There will also be a sizeable range of organic, plant based, vegan, dairy free and nut free options.

Amongst other things, we’ll have…

Coffee

Mojo Coffee, Webstock’s official coffee partner, will be brewing up more ways than one to get your fix. They’ll be serving up delicious coffee from their beautiful café downstairs, or join them upstairs and enjoy alternative brew methods like batch brew filter coffee, chilled cold brew and Steampunk single origin coffee.

This is an ideal opportunity for you to break in your new Webstock coffee receptacle for continuous refills.

Cola, Juice & Water
We’ll have organic fairtrade Karma Cola, along with Gingerella, Lemmy, Apple & Feijoa, Pear & Ginger, Raspberry & Lemon and Lime & Cranberry, Blood Orange and Blackcurrant.

There’ll also be organic juices from Almighty, who contribute 3c from every bottle sold to help dig vege gardens in schools and teach kids to cook with fresh, healthy produce. Flavours include Apple; Beetroot; Carrot; Guava, and Orange & Apple Juice.

These beverages will be available all day. And are free.

Plus there will be water stations aplenty, situated around the venue to help keep hydration at optimal levels. Use your Webstock bottle if you have one, why don’t you!

Beer

Garage Project beer o’clock will take place at afternoon tea time, both days. While we all love a good free beer, let us embrace patience as we anticipate high demand and decent-sized queues.

We would say something about drinking responsibly here, but we know you know that already.

Ice Cream

Back by popular demand,  we’ll be serving tasty ice cream and non-dairy frozen treats. From the Wooden Spoon Boutique Freezery, we have ice cream sandwiches in the following flavours:

Birthday Party – Cake batter ice cream between 2 funfetti sugar cookies

Brownie Sundae (gf) – Salted vanilla ice cream between 2 gluten free chocolate brownie cookies

Velvet Whoopie – Raspberry chip ice cream between 2 red velvet whoopie pies

We’ve also got Little Island, New Zealand’s first coconut-based ice cream. It’s vegan, dairy free, nut free and soy free. Available throughout the day in chocolate and mango flavours.

The ice cream at Webstock ’17 is brought to you by the fine folk at Pushpay. Thank you Pushpay!

Tacos & Dumplings & Sweeties

On Thursday, after the last talk of the day, and before Startup Alley, a cash bar will be in operation. And thanks to La Boca Loca, House of Dumplings and Sweet Release Cakes and Treats, a delightful assortment of tasty treats will be available for purchase.

La Boca Loca will be serving chilangas. They use fresh, responsibly produced, sustainable cuisine, and organic produce whenever possible.

House of Dumplings will also have a selection of their moreish morsels – handmade from scratch in Wellington using the recipes and techniques passed down from generations of dumpling makers. They use locally sourced, 100% natural, free range, and MSG free ingredients.

Sweet Release Cakes and Treats will be serving their delicious made-from-scratch desserts with gluten free and vegan options.

There will be eftpos.

Afterparty

And to celebrate the Webstock Week that was, there’s a post match function taking place at Prefab. There’ll be an excellent assortment of drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and lashings of hearty food to keep you hydrated, nourished and in the party kind of mood.

ONWARD TO WEBSTOCKERY!

CLVR

“We’re excited about engaging with other start-ups and the innovation community as part of BNZ Start-up Alley ’17. Clvr applications harness AI for improved human interactions.”
Marc Potter – CLVR

Collaborate

“We are so grateful to be one of the finalists for Webstock Start-up Alley 2017. Collaborate Wellington is maximising the capacity of community organisations and empowering individuals to create positive change through transforming the landscape of volunteering.”
Ceara McAuliffe Bickerton – Collaborate

Curtis

“At Authentic we’re super passionate about building platforms for the GLAM sector. We can’t wait to introduce Curtis to the Webstock community and the rest of the world.”
Glen Barnes – Curtis

Datatag

“The team at Butler Robotics are honored to be part of the BNZ Start-Up Alley at Webstock ’17.

We are excited to present DataTag, our new community platform for processing Big Data into datasets, to be used with AI.”
Cathy Butler – Butler Robotics

Genoapay

“Wow what a privilege! 2017 is looking like an incredible year for Genoapay and we are excited about this opportunity to pitch our Vision.

Genoapay is an ambitious and disruptive startup changing the way people pay for goods and services. The Omni channel payments solution allows consumers to get what they need now and pay for it over time with no interest ever!”
Shaun Quincey – Genoapay

MY F.C.

“What a fantastic start to the year! We’re so honoured to be selected as a finalist for BNZ’s Start-up Alley. We look forward to sharing our passion and product in a competitive environment filled with innovative and entrepreneurial kiwis.”
Mike Simpson – MY F.C

Webstock: So, give us the quick overview of what Stripe is, what you do, and the changes you’re making.

Stripe: Stripe is a set of tools for building and running an internet business. We help businesses accept payments from anyone, anywhere, and build new kinds of companies like Kickstarter or Lyft.

From marketplaces and mobile apps to online storefronts and subscription services, Stripe simplifies complex financial flows. Beyond just processing a payment, our growing stack helps businesses with everything from accounting, billing and paying out to third parties, to fraud protection and optimising for mobile. The Stripe dashboard helps users manage their businesses in real time.

Part of the promise of the internet is that physical location should be largely irrelevant. When it comes to buying or selling online today, we’re still a long way from realising this. Stripe aims to make that happen. By reducing the barriers to starting and operating a business regardless of location or means, Stripe hopes to bring more would-be companies online and accelerate the internet economy. Internally we say our goal is to increase the GDP of the internet.

Webstock: One thing a lot of people love about Stripe is the ease of use. Compared to, well, just about anything else to do with credit cards transactions. Was that a conscious point of differentiation right from the start?

Stripe: Absolutely! Having built and launched software on the internet for years, our founders — Patrick and John — experienced the difficulty of accepting online payments first-hand. They often opted to give the product away for free, rather than go through the time and pain of setting up a merchant account and gateway online.

On almost every front, it was becoming easier to build and launch an online business. Payments, however, remained dominated by clunky legacy players. It seemed clear that there should be a developer-focused, instant-setup payment platform that would scale to any size. That’s really where it all began.

Webstock: The big news for Webstock is that Stripe has just opened a private beta for New Zealand customers! Firstly, what took you so long getting here? Secondly, what does this mean from NZ businesses and how do they become part of this?

Stripe: Sorry we kept you waiting! We try to be pretty thoughtful in our approach to new markets we enter, and that often means that things may take a little longer than we’d like. That said, we’re really excited to announce that we are now in private beta in NZ!

Any NZ business can now sign up to our waiting list on stripe.com/global. We’ll be issuing local invites and accepting merchants over the course of the coming weeks and months. Once we’re fully launched, any business will be able to sign up for Stripe and begin accepting money in just a few minutes. We’d love to hear from any NZ businesses that are keen to learn more, so feel free to say hi to the Stripe team at Webstock or drop us a line on webstock@stripe.com with any questions!

Webstock: We’re delighted to have Stripe as a sponsor for Webstock! How did you hear about Webstock and tell us a little about why you’re supporting it.

Stripe: Webstock’s reputation as one of the coolest events in the tech industry has spread far and wide. We’re unapologetic in believing the internet matters and share Webstock’s appreciation for the web and those who craft it.

We fundamentally believe that developers are changing the world and that’s why we’ve always put them first. Endless new kinds of businesses, services, and creative undertakings are now possible — however, 20 years into the web, we’ve still explored only a small fraction of the web’s potential. Like Webstock, we’re focused on advancing the internet and making it a more inclusive place for everyone. We’re genuinely thrilled to support Webstock (especially as you reach your 10th birthday!) and are really looking forward to supporting the local NZ tech community.

Webstock: Another item in the “pretty exciting news” category, is the just announced partnership with Xero. Can you tell us a little about how that came about and what it means?

Stripe: Yes! Pretty exciting indeed After many requests from both Stripe and Xero users, we’ve teamed up to make it even easier for Xero users to accept credit and debit card payments from their customers. Now, whenever someone signs up for Xero, they can be automatically provided with a Stripe account. By enabling their Stripe account, Xero users will be able to attach a “Pay with Credit Card” button to any invoice and seamlessly receive payment from their customers no matter where they are in the world. We’re really happy to announce the partnership and look forward to developing some cool new integrations in the not-so-distant future. You can read more about it here.

Thanks Susan! Great to have Stripe as part of Webstock 16.

Good luck everyone!

Givahoy

“This is an amazing opportunity. Givahoy is an ambitious startup looking to enable safe, easy and fun app-based proximity microtransactions in a cashless world, primarily for charities.

But that’s just the start…”
Jim Boutcher – Givahoy

Kandid

“We’re honoured and humbled to be selected amongst the finalists for Webstock Start-up Alley ’16. Can’t wait to see you all down in Welly!

Kandid is a mutually beneficial platform for New Zealand’s best developers and companies, to keep up to date and connect with the tech industry.”
Ezra Keddell – Kandid

Leaping Tiger

“On behalf of the team at Leaping Tiger we are honoured to be selected as a finalist in BNZ’s Startup Alley!

Leaping Tiger is shaping a future for gamers where anonymity and faceless usernames are no longer commonplace. Wherever you are in the world you can find new friends, local communities and events – all in your local area. We are excited to share more about our vision with you this February.”
Jordan Lilley – Leaping Tiger

Little Yellow Bird

“We’re so excited to be a finalist in this years BNZ Startup Alley and introducing our products to even more people in 2016.”
Samantha Jones – Little Yellow Bird

Vizbot

“The Vizbot team are super excited to be selected as finalists for the BNZ Start-Up Alley 2016. Smart, simple building consents are another step closer to becoming a reality!”
Matt Cobham – Vizbot

Wireless Guard

“Wireless Guard is thrilled to be part of BNZ’s Start-up Alley and share our new smart security device with the Webstock’16 community.”
Taylor Howatson – Wireless Guard

2) What do you do?
I used to tour around all the time stomping and screaming songs. But these days I’ve been building a houseboat, fixing up some old houses and cabins, and occasionally making up songs about giraffes and dead people.

3) How did you end up here?
Which “here” do you mean? This unlikely and lovely plane of existence, or Webstock? I’m still figuring out the first one, but I’m at Webstock because when my friend Amanda Palmer was performing here in 2011, she somehow convinced them that a scraggly accordion player who doesn’t really like social media would be a good fit. And this year they were kind and crazy enough to invite me back!

4) What are the most important issues currently in your field?
There’s a lot of talk about whether it is possible to make a living off of music in a world where fewer people are paying for music. I’m more concerned with how to make music something special and rare in a world where music is everywhere all the time. I suppose these things are not entirely unrelated.

5) Tell us more about your talk at Webstock – why should folks come listen?
Why should folks come listen? Maybe they shouldn’t actually. I mean – my talk is at the end of the day, they’ll be tired, wanting to get to dinner or something.

6) Who are your greatest influences?
There are so many! Here are a couple –

Herman Hesse. His writings did something to me – caused an almost hallucinogenic disorientation with ultimately a very specific spiritual trajectory. At a fragile point, it helped me find my path.

Lois Jameson. My sixth grade teacher. She was one of the first people to ever really inspire me to be a creative person and live an unconventional life. She gave me lots of encouragement early on, but what resonates more now is that she was very perceptive about some of my faults. She died shortly after I was lucky enough to be in her class and I think of her quite often still.

7) Tell us three things you love (eg movies, albums, songs, poems, artifacts) and why.
I love so many things!
You have to narrow it down!
Hmmm…. I’ll just pick a category, how about Tall Things?!

Watts Towers
These sculptures were built outside Los Angeles by a single man over the course of decades. Nobody knows why he built them. After he left, the city wanted to tear them down, but somehow they still stand. I wept when I first went there – it struck me as one of the most beautiful things I’d ever seen – something about the mad tenacity of creation.

“The Two Skyscrapers Who Decided to Have a Child” by Carl Sandburg
This is from a collection of children’s fairy tales called “Rootabaga Stories”. The stories feature vegetables and accordions and all of my favorite things, but this little story, overflowing with heartbreak and whimsy, is the one I always come back to.

Giraffes
I want one.

There’ll be lashings of hearty food, an excellent assortment of drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic), and The Amazing Travelling Photobooth will be in action to capture your precious party memories.

There’ll be spaces for listening and conversing, and spaces for dancing and getting your jiggle on. Smooth sounds and eclectic, atmospheric electric boogaloo will be provided by DJs Jizmatron and Coco Solid.

Doors open at 5.30pm and we’ll go till late. You’ll need your nametag to get in.

(You are welcome to buy a ticket for your special someone if you’d like to bring ’em along. Tickets are $65 and can be purchased  from the registration desk anytime after 10am.)

]]> https://www.webstock.org.nz/seven-things-frank-chimero/ Tue, 10 Feb 2015 22:24:23 +0000 https://www.webstock.org.nz/?p=4177 1) Who are you?
This is a weird question—you sent me this email, you should know who I am. Anyway, I’m Frank Chimero. I’m a designer who writes. I live in New York.

2) What do you do?
See above. I also spend a lot of time thinking about dogs and music. Again, another weird question.

3) How did you end up here?
Took the Q train to Atlantic, then got on the Long Island Railroad to Jamaica Station, then got on the AirTrain (not an actual train in the sky, but one that goes to the airport) out to JFK, then flew to LA, got on another plane, lost a day in the air, landed in Auckland, then boarded a little puddle jumper out to Wellington. Other than that, I spent about a decade designing publications and things for the internet, and about seven or so years writing about everything I learned/decided/unlearned.

4) What are the most important issues currently in your field?
I design things for the web, and the web’s problems are the world’s problems: privacy, equality, corporate ethics, consolidation, wealth distribution, and an over-saturation of loud, fast, and stupid. Now I’m bummed. See what you did?

5) Tell us more about your talk at Webstock – why should folks come listen?
Here’s the thing: we actually do a pretty poor job of getting down the big patterns of making things for screens. Maybe we take our knowledge for granted, maybe we lack words, perhaps its the absence of a catchy conceptual framework—whatever. At the end of the day, if you want to honor making things for the web as a proper craft, I believe it’s necessary to think about the natural grain of the web and how it guides your work. You need to understand it as a material to work with and not a canvas to paint on. It’s not blank—the web has certain things it wants to do. I’ve been trying to spell out my version of these things for a while. This talk is the back half of a lecture I gave last year called What Screens Want, where I dig into what it means to natively design for screens. That last talk focused on flux, or the capacity for change. This time I’m tackling edgelessness.

6) Who are your greatest influences?
Jim Henson, Ray & Charles Eames, Björk, James Burke, Janelle Monae, Montaigne, and David Byrne.

7) Tell us three things you love (eg movies, albums, songs, poems, artifacts) and why.
This is 30 minutes of kinda ambient synth music for plants. And I like it, too! Funny story: the only way to get this record was to buy a mattress from a Simmons dealer in southern California in 1976. Logical.

Let’s spend a long time looking at this photo of Twiggy and Richard Avedon dancing at work. Let’s not forget to have that much fun sometimes, ok?

This drawing, for obvious reasons.

2. What do you do?
I work at the Brooklyn Museum on projects that explore the intersection of public participation and digital.  We’re often developing projects that use crowdsourcing as a means to learn more and we aim for deep participation among our visitors with the hope they will own projects as much as we do.

3. How did you end up here?
I have a love of art, so working at a museum gives me inspiration every day.

4. What current issue(s) is/are most important to you right now?
Meaningful interaction with the people we serve.

5. Tell us more about your talk at Webstock – why should folks come listen?
I’m going to talk a lot about change.  It’s not an easy thing any project that we work on, but it’s fundamental to getting things right.   I’ll profile three former projects and the big lessons we learned from them. Those lessons are driving our current initiative, ASK Brooklyn Museum, and we’re building ASK in a way that allows for great change as we run up to our launch in June.

6. Who are your greatest influences?
My girlfriend, Sasha, and my dog, Teddy; both remind me of the value of staying present and mindful every single day.

7. Tell us three things you love (eg movies, albums, songs, poems, artefacts) and why.
I love where I live in Red Hook, Brooklyn, because it’s a community and that’s rare in a city this large.  I adore the open sky owing to my Texan heritage.  I love vintage things because they speak volumes about time and place.

Shelley will be presenting at Webstock on Thursday 19th Feb at 2.30. Details here. 

2. What do you do?
I am currently working on a project with the Electronic Frontier Foundation to end all DRM, everywhere in the world, within 10 years. It’s called Apollo 1201.

I write science fiction novels for adults and kids, as well as graphic novels and nonfiction books. Some recent ones: HOMELAND (a sequel to LITTLE BROTHER); INFORMATION DOESN’T WANT TO BE FREE (with introductions by Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer); RAPTURE OF THE NERDS (with Charlie Stross) and IN REAL LIFE (with Jen Wang).

I co-own and co-edit Boing Boing.

I am involved with many tech/activist groups, including the Open Rights Group, which I helped found.

3. How did you end up here?
I was a computer kid, started a software company during the first dotcom bubble, moved to San Francisco (writing, blogging and publishing all the while) and ended up at EFF (which made sense, because I was raised by activist parents).

4. What current issue(s) is/are most important to you right now?
Global wealth disparity.

The remaking of information infrastructure as a tool of control, rather than liberation.

Surveillance, privacy and crypto usability.

5. Tell us more about your talk at Webstock – why should folks come listen?
I’m going to explain the secret history of how your world got stuffed full of computers that are designed to treat you as an adversary, what this has done to the state of freedom, justice and equity in the world, and how we’re going to change it.

6. Who are your greatest influences?
Seratonin, dopamine… (I kid).

Bruce Sterling, Shari Steele, Cindy Cohn, William Gibson, Abbie Hoffman, Rosa Luxembourg, Ian McDonald, John Gilmore, Woody Guthrie, Joe Hill, Thomas Piketty.

7. Tell us three things you love (eg movies, albums, songs, poems, artifacts) and why.
Aeropress: makes better coffee than pretty much anything, with less fuss, and fits in a suitcase.

Volante Designs: they make coats for superheros.

Ubuntu: an OS that Just Works and gets out of your way.

Cory is speaking at Webstock 2015 on Friday 20th Feb, at 4.35pm. Details here. 

2. What do you do?
I am a hacker. That, obviously, could mean anything. Right now it means that I am the CEO of a startup called Modest. We build delightful commerce experiences for mobile. Before this, I was the CTO of the Obama Campaign. We helped re-elect the President.

I really like to program computers and do pranks on my friends and family (zebraprank.com).

3. How did you end up here?
Not really sure where here is. Usually when I think of this question, I imagine the answer is because I was the CTO of the Obama Campaign. We were very innovative and pushed the limits as to what tech had accomplished before in political campaigns.

4. What do you reckon are the most important issues currently in your field?
I think there are a couple BIG issues in the technology field. They are all related to access.

– Internet freedom  – Global access to uncensored, unmanipulated and cheap internet
– Access for everyone – Gap of access between wealthy and poor
– Diversity – Lack of diversity within the technology industry. The people that build tech don’t look like the people who make tech.
These are nuanced issues and are not easy to solve. However, we ALL need to put work in to solving for these things.

5. Tell us more about your workshop – why should folks go? And tell us more about your talk at Webstock – why should folks come listen?
My workshop is going to be awesome. I will talk a bit about how we build teams, what we do to make them successful and some tips and tricks that we use to both make the team more resilient and help the team make the tech resilient. We used this to successfully build an insanely successful team and ship really solid tech.

My talk is going to be awesome. A lot of people talk about how Big Data is a revolutionary idea and will solve EVERYTHING. I am going to talk about how YOU can use big data TODAY!

6. Who are your greatest influences?
Influences are hard to define. I try and learn from every interaction and thing I do. However, there are handful of people who I can think for helping me survive and giving me the hope that i need to make things happen. Many are not influencers in the typical sense.

7. Tell us three things you love (eg movies, albums, songs, poems, artifacts) and why.
I really love books. Books Books Books! I grew up without a television so I read voraciously. Reading has been the constant companion in my life. I mostly read for pleasure, but there are a few books that stand out as favorites: Catch 22 by Joseph Heller, Slapstick by Kurt Vonnegut, Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy and Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas. I also really enjoy Vernor Vinge, Alastair Reynolds and Iain m Banks for scifi. You can see more about my books here: harperreed.com/books

I also listen to a LOT of music. My current favorite song is: Ashes to Ashes by David Bowie. I am also listening to a lot of Frank Zappa lately.

Harper is speaking at Webstock 2015 on Thursday 19th Feb, at 1.55pm. Details here. He is also doing a half day workshop, How to build resilient teams who build resilient technology, on Wednesday. 

Much of the food available will be locally and sustainably sourced and there’ll be a wide range of organic, plant based, vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, dairy free and nut free options.

Amongst other things, we’ll have…

COFFEE

Peoples Coffee, Webstock’s official purveyors of the wakey-wakey juice we call coffee, will be back again, both days, all day, serving up damn fine cups of joe from their espresso station downstairs. Or join them upstairs for something a little more chilled out at their Cold Brew Bar.

Their head trainer Robbie will also be on site to show you how to brew Chemex or Aeropress, and talk coffee geekery with you.

COLA & JUICE & WATER

We’ll have a selection of Karma Colas which are organic, fairtrade and delicious, along with organic cold pressed juices, which not only tickle your tastebuds, but are tremendously good for you. Antioxidants and what not apparently. Both the cola and the juices be available throughout the event.

Plus there will water stations aplenty, situated around the venue to help keep hydration at optimal levels.

BEER

To this day, the record for the fastest pouring of a keg of Garage Project belongs to the attendees of Webstock. In 2013, the tap on a keg of API 1.0 was turned on, poured continuously and wasn’t turned off until the keg was bone dry.

Garage Project are back with their glorious third iteration of the Webstock API (‘reverse IPA’)brewed with a trifecta of tasty Kiwi hops – Wai-iti, Waimea and Rakau – then canned to capture their floral fruit, citrus and resin lines of code.

Garage Project beer o’clock will take place at afternoon tea time, both days. Beers will also be available at Beats & Brews on Thursday, and at the Webstock After Party.

ICE CREAM

Back by popular demand, we’ll be serving specially-made ice cream, and non-dairy frozen tasty treats.

From the Wooden Spoon Boutique Freezery, made of organic milk and cream, and free of nasty pre-made mixes, stabilisers or preservatives, we have ice cream pops in the following bespoke flavours:

• Blackberry Chip – Blackberry ice cream with dark chocolate chips*
• Webstock Grasshopper – Fresh peppermint ice cream with a dark chocolate swirl*
• Aztec Chocolate – Dark chocolate ice cream with a hint of spice*
• Strawberry Shortcake – Sweet cream ice cream with a strawberry/pastry swirl

* gluten free & nut free

We’ve also got Little Island, New Zealand’s first coconut-based ice cream. It’s vegan, dairy free, gluten free, nut free and soy free. It’s also delicious and will be available throughout the two days in vanilla bean and chocolate flavours.

MEXICAN DELICACIES

And, on Thursday, after the last talk of the day, and before Startup Alley, there’ll be Beats & Brews and thanks to the team at La Boca Loca, a tempting schmear of authentic Mexican delicacies.
La Boca Loca uses fresh, responsibly produced, sustainable cuisine, and organic produce whenever possible. They’ll be serving chilangas, gluten-free deep fried Mexican pies, in meat and vegetarian varieties, for $5 each, between 5 and 7pm.

CHOCOLATE

We also have chocolate from the Wellington Chocolate Company. It’s Dominican Republic, strong & dark (70%) with earthy tones, hints of marmalade, infused with a twist of Webstock. It’s organic, gluten free, dairy free, vegan, low salt, yeast free, fair trade & made in NZ. Infact, it’s so good for you that it would be wrong not to eat it.

Colour me excited!

Hey Boss person, here’s why you won’t regret sending me to Webstock

1) We (and our organisation) can’t afford to fall behind

The web is ever-changing, and the rate and impact of that change and innovation is faster and greater, far exceeding that of just a few years ago. As smart devices have become mainstream and the public engage with companies and government in new ways, there are huge opportunities, along with huge challenges and risks.

Webstock provides unparalleled opportunities to meet and talk with the people who understand these opportunities and challenges: these are people who are shaping the future of the web and the way it’s used to engage citizens and customers alike.

2) I’ll come back even better at my job

Attendance at Webstock will enable staff to do their work better. They’ll learn new techniques, gain insights and methods from those at the forefront of areas such as responsive design, accessibility, customer service, content strategy and product management.

More than that, they will learn things from fields that some may consider “unrelated”, but which will feed into and deepen their understanding and appreciation of the day-to-day work they, and others in their organisation, do. This can only aid in more successful working relationships and project outcomes.

The Webstock workshops will be an unmatched opportunity to learn in a practical, hands-on manner from some of the best of the best! They’ll give you the latest need-to-know info and can help you validate the current direction of your web projects and avoid common pitfalls along the way.

Fact: if you want the best out of your staff, you need to invest in them and the further development of their skills and knowledge.

3) Invest in me! I’m worth it.

Finding good staff is always a challenge. Losing a good staff member to someone else – outrageous! Given the competition for good people, the cost of hiring and training them to replace those who leave more than outweighs the investment in keeping your current staff motivated, happy and inspired. Supporting your staff to attend Webstock sends a message that you support them, and value them and their contribution to your organisation.

4) It’s great value

Webstock brings over 20+ renowned international speakers to New Zealand. To see a similar line up, you’d likely have to go overseas – the cost of which is considerably more than entry to Webstock! The value of Webstock and the knowledge gained, far exceeds its really rather reasonable cost.

5) I’ll report back

Organisations can benefit from those team members who attended Webstock, presenting a “trip report” to those who didn’t. The general model is a short (15 – 20 minute) presentation and a 2-3 page summary with lots of links. These help consolidate the learnings of the conference and give others the highlights and insights to assist them in their work too.

6) Diverse & relevant topics, groundbreaking companies

The diverse and extensive range of expertise and experience of the 20+ speakers, over two days brings an eclectic perspective from the worlds of:

• customer and user experience
• design
• accessibility
• product development and management
• startups
• government and politics
• the GLAM sector (Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums)
• security
• architecture and urban planning
• language and literature
• responsive web development and design
• mobile design and development
• content strategy

and more.

The speakers are either are or have worked at (and in some cases founded) organisations including at Facebook, Twitter, Intel, Uber, Medium, Mailbox, Oxford University Press, Campaign Monitor, Obama for America, Brooklyn Museum (NY), Electronic Frontier Foundation, Boing Boing, MailChimp, ArtScience Museum (Singapore), Tate Modern (UK), Bauhaus Dessau Foundation (Germany), IDEO, Open Whisper Systems, Threadless.com, Modest.com, and Intercom.

Your staff have the opportunity to meet them, ask them questions and hear them speak on what’s most important and most exciting to them right there and then. Not some canned done-it-a-thousand-times-presentation; you get their freshest, latest and greatest thinking on issues that are current, and most relevant to our industry.

7) I’ll come back knowing good people

Let’s face it, it’s not always what you know, it’s who you know. And this works at every level – from being able to ask someone about a tricksy code problem you have, to knowing who to talk to when you’re looking for a development partner, to sharing a coffee with someone who could be commissioning the next website you build, or meeting others who work in similar roles and knowledge sharing.

Conferences are about community and networking. People from all levels of the NZ web industry – public and private sector, large and small – will be attending Webstock.

The connections made at Webstock pay off in a myriad of ways – none of which you’ll benefit from if your staff don’t attend.

8) I’ll come back inspired

Remember why you got into this industry? Remember the last time you were genuinely excited about building websites and applications? Congratulations if you do, but like many of us, you may struggle with the day-to-day grind of any job.

Webstock is an opportunity to rediscover your inspiration and to take time thinking about the big picture. And if, the mandate within your organisation is “do more with less“, feeling inspired, up-to-date, and genuinely excited by the work you’re doing is essential for successful outcomes.

Webstock’s not a holiday – you’ll be challenged and stimulated at every step – but the positive effect on you may be the same.

9) Because Webstock is a bit different

We strive to give you the best speakers, the best programme to help with the flow of the day, the best range of food, the best schwag, and the best customer service – so that you’ll have the best experience you can. It’s a chance to recharge, and to be inspired and excited. If you’re feeling good; if you’re feeling engaged, then your brain will respond – you’ll soak up the knowledge being presented to you like a sponge. You’ll be amongst others who care about the same things you care about. And you’ll be appreciated and valued by the organisers for your support.

10) Because these good people say it’s worth it (and they know about things)

Philip Fierlinger, Director of Design, Xero 

Webstock is easily one of the best design and tech conferences in the world. We’re extraordinarily lucky it happens in our home town.

Ostensibly, the main draw card is the amazing variety of super talented speakers who generously share insights across an impressively wide range of highly relevant subjects. The speakers are carefully curated, with a great mix of high profile names and influencers, along with a bevy of obscure names. And it’s the obscure ones who usually end up being the most interesting and compelling.

It would be nothing without the wonderful camaraderie of all the industry peers who attend. It’s a networking event, for sure, but unlike most networking events it’s really relaxed, pleasant and overflowing with super talented, super friendly people.

The conference experience itself is incredibly well choreographed, so you get a real opportunity to connect with everyone, in a great atmosphere that’s all at once relaxing, stimulating and inspiring.

As a sponsor, it’s a great way to support an important and influential event for our industry. It’s a way for our team to connect with local and international peers. Which also serves to showcase our people and our brand, for both promotional and recruitment purposes.

Ultimately, it’s a way to participate in a high calibre conversation about the future of our industry (and by extension our society) and how we’re going to collectively make the world awesomer.

Simon Young, Trade Me 

Webstock is a genuinely amazing event that takes pride of place on the Trade Me calendar.  We’ve been attendees, sponsors and crazy fans for years.  We send people from all across the business for a variety of reasons: it’s certainly a great source of professional development and an opportunity for some crazy good networking, but there’s something more esoteric about it as well.  There’s a vibe that goes with Webstock and a palpable buzz that it creates within the attendees for months afterwards.  It’s an opportunity to learn from the best in the business but we also think of it as a mental sorbet – a palate cleanser that gives our teams a better taste for how to do what they do, and challenges them to think about things differently and with a new perspective.

Squirrelled away in our little corner of the world, it can sometime seem that we’re out on a limb and operating in a vacuum.  Webstock gives us the chance to come together as a community and to welcome and learn from global pioneers in our craft.  It also gives us a chance to impart them with a little of our Kiwi goodness, making them just that little bit more awesome. It’s also a bloody well-run gig, championed by legitimately lovely people who really, really give a damn about it being a great experience.

Luke Pierson, Founder, Heyday 

Webstock is an exceptionally well run event that combines world-renowned speakers with great atmosphere and a unique digital focus. A comprehensive, concentrated dose of digital for anyone with a professional interest in the internet.

It’s a chance to hear first hand from globally recognised experts, and an obvious opportunity to help our team grow professionally. Professional growth means a happy, interested team – and a happy, interested team will always deliver better work to our clients.

Rob Holmes, Head of Online, New Zealand Post 

Each year I start looking forward to the next Webstock before the current one has even finished. My expectations have been set extremely high – and I’ve never been disappointed. It is hands-down the best conference I’ve had the privilege to attend anywhere in the world.

You need to go – and you need encourage the people around you to go too. Your eyes will be opened. Your thinking will be challenged. You’ll be surrounded by fantastic, positive, creative people – and you’ll hear first-hand the latest from the greatest. There’s enough inspiration in two Webstock days to last all year. Get amongst it.

Sonja Barneveld, Project Manager, Fujitsu NZ 

Webstock is New Zealand’s largest web focused conference . It provides a unique opportunity for  over 800+ web professionals in the client and vendor space to share the experience of hearing an eclectic blend of international speakers who are innovators and  leaders in their fields. Presenters typically cover online user experience, accessibility, design, development, project management, emerging technologies and ethical information usage.  There is always an element of reflecting on the topical including security, performance and marketing solutions.

As well as learning about the topics themselves the conference provides a common ground when working with clients and partner vendors as it provides a shared context for solution discussions. Given the  majority of my client work is in the online application space the advantages of attending Webstock are invaluable. One project had significant improvements made in the final delivery from my encouraging the development team to apply some of the design and usability thinking that came from Webstock 2013. Presentations from 2012, 2013 and 2014 were critical  in helping meet client project objectives – particularly as both clients and partner vendors also attended.

In the year following Webstock I will usually share a link to a recorded session on average of once a month to support another project manager in an aspect of online project management or dealing with a particular application challenge. The last two years I have done a “key learnings” session for the PM’s. Innovative approaches presented at Webstock are regularly referenced as options in development meetings with developers (some of whom also attend) partner vendors and clients, and it enables me stay current and to maintain credibility in the areas of mobile applications, user experience and accessibility when ensuring high quality project deliverables.

Matthew Oliver, Web Team Manager, Ministry of Culture and Heritage

Webstock is one of the best chances to hear about where web culture is going. It’s broad and diverse, and the speakers are incredible. Cory Doctorow! What’s not to like? It’s a chance to sit back and think about what we’re doing – the opportunity of the web as well as the incredible responsibility we have to use to wisely and with a critical eye.

Michelle Park

I often refer to Webstock as my “bus man’s holiday” when people ask me why on Earth I would spend my own cash on a “work related” conference. Let me tell you – I keep Webstock for myself. It is mine. It is my precious. It is by far the most important thing I do for myself all year. There is no way I want to be “on the clock” during that time with the risk that work might call and derail my conference experience.

Webstock fills my whole mind with thoughts and ideas; it connects me with interesting and influential people; it helps me connect dots I didn’t even know existed. It keeps me ahead of the game more than any other industry activity and it recharges me for the entire year ahead.

Where else on Earth could you go to an small workshop by Merlin Mann and have Marco Arment (Instapaper), Doug Bowman (Twitter), John Gruber (Daring Fireball), and Mark Pilgrim (Google) just come to hang out and join in the conversation?

Where else would one of the speakers pull out a guitar and perform a Blue Grass set with a group of attendees while judges deliberate over the winner of Start Up Alley?

How often does conference crowds demand a talk go over time and into afternoon tea slot because it’s so riveting and interesting as it did with Adam Greenfield’s talk about smart cities?

Have you ever seen a speaker throw down their notes, stomp the ground, and bust out a piano accordion with the entire venue on its feet in solidarity?

How many times have you cried at a web conference talk like we did with Wilson Miner or Merlin Mann?

Webstock exceeds my expectations every year and is well worth every penny: you will learn new things; you will meet extraordinary people; you will hear amazing/funny/touching/applicable tales – but also, there will be special magical moments that happen nowhere else.

 Josh Kinal, Floate Design Partners  

This coming February will be my third Webstock.

I come to hear experts speak about things I usually don’t encounter in my day-to-day work. Hearing and seeing how other people have solved design and communication problems, or listening to them philosophise about life using the web, helps me develop my own sense of the changes I can make in my workplace and for my clients. Also there’s the ice cream and the making wonderful friends.

Keith Bolland, Victoria University 

Webstock is a community. *My* community. It’s where you find the people who care deeply about the web and want to make it better. For me, this means I learn new things and new ways of looking at problems. For my boss it means I’m better at my job because I’ve learned those things. Though they might use words like “best practices” and “networking” and “knowledge sharing”.

Beyond that, it’s also a place of joy and energy. Two days of webstock is a more effective recharge than two weeks’ holiday. You come back to work fired up to make a difference.

You’ll make awesome connections, you’ll hear from smart people pushing the boundaries of the web, and you’ll go back to work excited. 

So whether you come from the education, government or the corporate environment, if you work with any aspect of web design, development, UX, content strategy, content-editing or project management, this event is just what the doctor ordered. Webstock will be intense, it will be fun, it will inspire you and you should register now!

Good luck to all of them!

Banqer

“We’re ecstatic to be included as a finalist in Webstock! Yay!

Banqer is a platform for teaching financial literacy; think online banking for kids matched with purpose built teaching resources. It all comes together in the classroom to help teach financial life skills in a fun, engaging way that’s inline with the New Zealand curriculum.

Come say hi or visit www.banqer.co to find out more!”
– Kendall Flutey – Banqer

Factor Free

“We’re excited about testing FactorFree in the cauldron of BNZ Start-up Alley! Online security is something we all know we should take more seriously, but in real life, it’s normally too much hassle. FactorFree removes the pain of security with a service that adds high-security multi-factor login to a website so seamlessly that users will be protected without even noticing it.”
– Carl Penwarden – FactorFree

Moxiee

“We’re transforming a 180 year old coaching model, desperate for innovation. Moxiee finally lets health, fitness & wellness coaches scale their business and change more lives than ever before. I can’t wait to go to my first Webstock, and I see BNZ Start-up Alley as the perfect stage to take Moxiee to the world.”
– Alex Asher – Founder of Moxiee

Rave build

“Rave Build is a complete Enterprise Management Software for residential builders. Our cloud-based system helps homebuilders and subcontractors save time and money by managing their businesses with efficiency never before possible. We are delighted to be selected as one of the BNZ Start-up Alley finalists and look forward to taking part.”
– Barry Ward – Rave Build

Syngency

“We’re thrilled to be finalists in this year’s BNZ Start-Up Alley and will look forward to introducing Syngency’s cloud platform for modelling, talent and acting agencies to everyone at Webstock this year!”
Ryan Marshall – Syngency

Trailblazer

“Have you ever spent hours researching something online? Did you end up with 80 tabs open and a foggy head—wondering ‘What was I even looking at?’

Trailblazer fixes that. It’s an upgrade to Google Chrome which turns your research into a glanceable map. It shows you where you were, how you got there and what was important. You can pick up the trail again whether it’s 3 minutes or 3 months later.

We can’t wait to connect with all you lovely people at Webstock. Keep an eye out for us on Twitter (@TrailblazerApp) and in person. Look for the man wearing inappropriate goggles.”
– Andy Wilkinson – Trailblazer