Category: Conferences

A few people asked me why I presented so much at PodCamp NYC. Here’s the simplest reason: I get too comfortable. By that, I mean it’s not only human nature, but very much in my own nature to hang out with people I know and enjoy being with. At an event like PodCamp, that’s bad. Very, very bad, because it means I’m not taking the opportunity to meet new people. My way around this, my mindhack if you will, is to do lots of sessions on different things and see who shows up, then meet them. Based on the sheer volume of emails in my inbox waiting for replies, I think the strategy is working. Hello to all of my new acquaintances and friends!

Chris Brogan started the meme, CC Chapman continued it, so here’s my contribution – how to find me at PodCamp NYC.

I’ll be arriving late Friday afternoon, probably an hour or two before the party at SLATE. I’ll be at the party at SLATE both nights, as well as supporting podsafe musicians with Natalie Gelman‘s concert at Stain Bar Friday night and Brother Love‘s CD Release Party Saturday night. Amidst all the activities, I’ll be doing some presentations, running around having fun, and trying to be helpful as best as I can for the largest PodCamp yet.

• I will in all likelihood not be on Twitter that much.
• I may or may not even have consistent Internet access.
• If you’d like to get a message to me, email [email protected] or call the show’s hotline, 206-350-1208. I’ll be checking email for sure.
• If you have my cell phone number – good luck. That damn thing does everything except actually function as a phone, and I swear that my shaver gets better reception.

I will be sharing at these sessions:

• 9 AM – Thinking Differently
• 10 AM – Let’s Make Something in the Spirit of PodCamp with Chris Brogan
• 1 PM – Podcasting 101 with Garageband on the Mac
• 2 PM – Bum Rush the Charts case study
• 3 PM – Marketing 2.1 – 7 tools you can use to market your show

I’ll also be at the Student Loan Network booth on the second floor mezzanine at these times:

• 7:30 – 8:30 AM – Setup and registration
• 12 PM – 1 PM – lunch, hanging with Uncle Seth and Natalie Gelman playing live

Please stop on by to say hi and enjoy what we’ve got at the SLN booth. There will be the usual corporate stuff like business cards, but we’ll also have:

• The Mashboard: grab a sticky note and a marker, and Twitter offline on a big wall about ad-hoc sessions, meetups, ride board, etc.
• Networking Bowl: Put 3 business cards in, take any 2 out, then go find those people.
• DIY Business Cards: Forgot yours? Don’t have any? Draw your own – you might just reinvent your personal brand.
• Jingles for Dollars: Uncle Seth and Natalie Gelman will be selling CDs at lunch. Buy a CD, and you’ll get a coupon for a 3 – 5 second personalized jingle for your podcast or company. Originally we were going to record them on the spot, but it’s going to be wicked loud there, so unless you want that live feel, I’d go for the coupon.

If you want to say hi, please do. I don’t bite. I’ll be wearing my PodCamp Boston organizer shirt, which is depicted here:

Finally, I want to give a huge shoutout to the organizers of PodCamp NYC. I’ve been following the evolution of this PodCamp since it was announced, and despite more than a few roadblocks (like venue change, etc.), the team of John C. Havens, Adam Broitman, Laura Allen, Eric Skiff, Jason Van Orden, Caroline Desrochers, and everyone who is pitching in to help have done a FANTASTIC job managing the chaos. The sheer number of people registering to attend despite it being a holiday weekend is a true testament to the power of this event and the work they’ve done in building the community’s trust in it to give up time for it.

Oh, and be sure to print out the UnOfficial Guide to PodCamp NYC. I checked with Kinko’s and they wanted to charge $6,428 for 300 copies, so that was a no go.

Chris Brogan and I extend to you an invitation to hang out in Stockholm, Sweden, June 12-13, 2007 for PodCamp Europe. Jeff Pulver‘s organization, VON, is donating an enormous big room (or two) and we’re going to fill it with fun stuff and people – including you, ideally.

As with all PodCamps, it’s free to attend (excepting PodCruise Miami, which is technically free to anyone on the boat, but you have to pay to get on the boat) and will provide a great community gathering place for podcasters, bloggers, and new media folks around Europe.

Warning in advance to participants: I apologize for being American, and therefore functionally unilingual, though I think I can ask about the restroom (washroom/privy/loo) in a couple of languages. As we roll with the process, those of you in the international community, please help Chris and I with our unintentional but highly probable cultural faux-pas, like formatting dates incorrectly and other stuff. We thank you in advance for your help.

Lots of updates. This sucker is now 35 pages, 3.9 MB, but hopefully worth it. Crossposting here for those who read CSP.com and not FAP.com

After reading my partner and friend Chris Brogan’s latest post, I’ve put together a list of the Top 20 People You MUST Meet at PodCamp NYC. All of them have something in common, and all of them should be on your “networking list”. More in a minute. First, the list:

• Andrew Gallagher. Technology Coach,NYC Department of Education.To learn more about posting and hosting PodCasting on the Internet. I have used GarageBand to produce some PodCasts, but have yet to learn how to post them on iTunes.
• Anne Fraser, Participant. I have enjoyed listening and viewing podcasts and teaching teachers and senior citizens the advantage of podcasts in their lives. I would like to learn more about podcasts and how they are useful to people of all ages.
• Ava Barzvi I’m just starting to think about starting my own podcast, after helping others promote theirs!
• Ben Velez. Marketing. Looking to learn the basics to set up and grow my own podcast.
• Bill Rowalnd. Eager participant, newbie interested in learning more about this creative medium.
• Carol Cox. Science teacher, The Dalton School. Looking to learn what is new and how toapply it to my classroom work with the little ones – I teach gr. K – 3.
• Cynthia Meyers. Professor, College of Mount Saint Vincent. Wants to learn more for teaching a New Technologies course.
• Darlene Liebman. Producer, HowCast. I want to start a podcast, but not sure how.
• Dave Mangano. New podcaster, who wants to network and learn from others about developing content and building an audience.
• Dina Rosen. Asst. Professor, Kean University. Looking for information on practices and research related to podcasts, especially as a learning tool.
• Faith McLellan – Participant. Looking forward to learning the ropes!
• Gary Taylor Assistant Headmaster, Wooster School. Learn about social media and marketing opportunities vis podcasting.
• Gene Desepoli Looking for a good understanding of what I need to get started in podcasting re: equipment and services like libsyn, wordpress, etc.
• Greg Cannon Participant looking for ideas, inspiration, and some ideas on possibly starting a podcast.
• Jacqueline Cantwell. Law librarian, Brooklyn Supreme Court of Law. Our library is thinking of starting podcasting. I need to get up to speed on technology and content presentation.
• Jacqueline Dolly Senior Director, Marketing and Communications, Junior Achievement of New York. Wish to learn more about podcasting and techniques/strategy.
• Jill Neimark, Participant. I look forward to learning How to Podcast.
• Nancy Sharoff. Ellenville Elementary School. I’d like to learn more about podcasting and how to incorporate it into a 5th/6th grade math class.
• Scott Russell. I hope to learn more about the Podcast culture and get ideas to motivate my efforts to create a Podcast of my own.
• Tynisha Thompson I am hoping to learn more about podcasting and network with some of my podcast heroes, like Leesa Barnes and Jason Van Orden. I’m hoping to get the kick in the pants I need to start my own podcast this year.

Now, what’s the common thread? These people are a selection from the registrant list of new people in podcasting, either looking to get started, or just fresh out of the gates. They are tomorrow’s rockstars. They are the people who are going to bring fresh ideas, fresh concepts, and fresh talent to podcasting, to keep it new and exciting, to dream up ways of using new media that aren’t even on our radar scopes now.

If you come to PodCamp NYC looking to meet rockstars, you will. But if you come to PodCamp NYC looking to meet tomorrow’s rockstars, you’ll get an inside edge that no one else has.