Tweetcamp ‘09 and Unconferences

This video was shot during Tweetcamp ‘09, an unconference style event held in London (UK)

Tweetcamp 09 from Julius Solaris on Vimeo.

You can check all the tweets from Tweetcamp here

You can find the Flickr pics here

Blog Posts:
TweetCamp London 2009
Internal Communications at TweetCamp
Tweetcamp 2009
Impressions of TweetCamp
Tweetcamp – My first Unconference
TweetCamp
Tweetcamp: Online network moves to offline community

And Audioboos:
http://audioboo.fm/boos/34228-impressions-of-tweetcamp
http://audioboo.fm/boos/34225-review-tweetcamp-london-09
http://audioboo.fm/boos/34039-tweetcampboo-tweetcamp

The Difference Between Flavors and the Real Deal

This post investigates the reasons why you should be careful in playing with event concepts.

Photo by Funadium via Flickr

Picture a cheap, insipid detergent brand. Imagine the marketing team struggling to find a new flavor for their boring product.

Our studies say that Marseille Soap is perceived as natural and refreshing. We should flavor our detergent with that.

Some customers will be definitely attracted by it, they will give it a go and buy it.

Later on, with the same easiness of mind they will switch to some more appealing flavor.

Now picture using the real deal. Savon de Marseille. As inexpensive, organic and effective as it is. Picture the fact it has been there for 600 years, not because it was ‘a flavor of something’.

If you attach new forms of events such as Pecha Kucha or Unconference to your boring event, you may win some interest in the short term but it is gonna be a hell of a nightmare to retain that interest.

Build a Marseille Soap factory, sell the real deal!

10 New Event Concepts That Will Throw You Out (or on Top) of the Market

By now you should know we don’t like traditional form of events. By traditional we mean: High Control – High Environmental Impact – Low Technology – Low Innovation. News is we are not the only one in love with new, innovative concepts. We set the trend, now the market is loving whatever we have been pushing in the past.

Photo by Jill Greenseth via Flickr

Bad news is that if you don’t understand new trends, you are going to be out of the market soon. Bad news is also that if you partially understand what follows, trying to adapt it to whatever old, traditional scheme of executing events, you are going to be out even faster.

There is good news though. If you understand the new spark of revolutionary, user generated, highly technological trends and implement them correctly you are going to be ahead of the game. Far ahead.

Let’s get down to business then and remember to handle with care:

1. Virtual Tradeshows

We are not the biggest fans of trade shows. We are sure there are a lot of Circus fans out there, but would you do business in a Circus. Feel free to do so. The culture of shouting to other people to capture their attention with loudness and noise, it’s indeed a thing that belongs to the 1960’s.

Virtual Tradeshows rationalize the concept substantially. Having arenas where companies measure is still indeed a juicy concept, and having them controlled under a virtual environment is the way to go.

We have witnessed great, one to one, intimate environments that stimulate great trade and business. Way to go.

2. Flash Mobs

The power of word of mouth is scaring and fascinating at the time. The idea of harnessing word of mouth has been around forever, but it is more a way to sell pretentious books rather than a proved business technique. The idea to virally leverage on events like these is more real now thanks to tools such as Facebook or twitter. Make sure you handle with extreme care.
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Top five ways to keep your career going

Photo by James Gordon

If you are experiencing the negative impact of the economic crisis or you find very difficult to keep up with new technologies this post will help you in keeping up.

I am not sure if you are aware but there is a community of event professionals which is facing new economic and technology challenges brilliantly. I talk to them over twitter, I see them interacting in the Linkedin Discussions, I meet them at free networking events or at BarCamps. They save money using free software, the cut budgets promoting on social networks the maximise satisfaction by integrating new technologies.

There are few easy steps to keep yourself ahead of the game and be up to date with what is going on with Event Planning 2.0. I’ll be happy to assist you in this and you will notice most of the first steps involve me. Nonetehelss, as soon as you’ll join, you will find like minded people willing to help, possibly in your area and with great expertise.

1. Join the Linkedin Events Group and add me as a direct contact there.

Get in touch with me, send me messages and participate to discussions.

You cannot afford to be shy or to just read. Get active.

I’ll be soon hosting a free webinar on how to get a better job using Linkedin, followed by an online speed networking session. You should not miss that! All the info in the Linkedin Events group discussions.

2. Join the group networking events in your area.
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How to avoid no shows at free events?

Photo by: Jon Curnow

The results of a discussion on how to ensure that people who RSVP‘d yes at your free event do actually turn up.

The intrinsic value of free events

I love free events. What I love even more is free events with free drinks. It seems like I am not the only one. It is getting ridiculously awkward to actually pay to get in.

If you did your homework chances are that you can cover expenses and make a profit just relying on sponsors.

Last week I attended a Trade Show, a Meetup, a Twestival and a Barcamp.

In all of those I got free food and drinks, gadgets and I did the best networking ever.

The next time someone shows up and tells you you need to pay 1000£/$/€ to attend a conference or a networking event, bear in mind you are actually paying for the steering wheel of organizer’s SUV.

One problem

Now, from the organizer perspective, getting sponsors may be relatively easy if you have a good target audience. But making sure the audience actually attends the day of the event, that’s a whole different ballgame.

I noticed at one of the above events that 40+ attendees did not show up. That’s a pity because they excluded at least the same number of people, who eventually got together for a parallel event.

My problem

I’ll be soon organizing a free event. Don’t be curious. It will be on the barcamp concept, which we love so much, but I cannot disclose more than that.

The problem is we got space for 60 people and much bigger forecast demand. We want to make sure that those who RSVP Yes actually turn up.

On a first come basis

It doesn’t work, as simple as that. That’s what was used at the above event and the results were upsetting.

A twitter conversation

I decided to ask my supercool twitter pals about it and here’s the conversation
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