How to Do Barcamp Seattle

I’m excited that Barcamp Seattle is only a few weeks away. Every year I look forward to it. Every year it doesn’t disappoint. Barcamp Seattle is always filled with great presentations, awesome discussions, and smart people. When all is said and done, I walk away inspired and energized. If you’ve never been to a Barcamp, and you’re near Seattle, you should definitely attend. It’s a 2 day event August 14-15, 2010.  One thing to keep in mind is that space is limited this year. It’s free to attend, but make sure you register because it will “sell out”. You may be wondering … What is it like at Barcamp Seattle? In a word, Rad!

Rules of Barcamp

Barcamps are sometimes called un-conferences. This is because they defy some of the traditions of regular conferences. My favorite is that anyone who attends has the opportunity to present.

The Rules of Barcamp are as follows

• 1st Rule: You do talk about BarCamp.
• 2nd Rule: You do blog about BarCamp.
• 3rd Rule: If you want to present, you must write your topic and name in a presentation slot.
• 4th Rule: Only three word intros.
• 5th Rule: As many presentations at a time as facilities allow for.
• 6th Rule: No pre-scheduled presentations, no tourists.
• 7th Rule: Presentations will go on as long as they have to or until they run into another presentation slot.
• 8th Rule: If this is your first time at BarCamp, you HAVE to present. (Ok, you don’t really HAVE to, but try to find someone to present with, or at least ask questions and be an interactive participant.)

As you experience Barcamp, keep a couple of things in mind

• Be Nice -  You learned this from Mom, and Patrick Swayze in Road House
• Don’t Pitch Me Bro – Giving a session about your work is bad form. People come to Barcamp to learn and share ideas, not the hard sell.
• Vote With Your Feet – Time is precious at Barcamp. If you’re not enjoying the session, walk out quietly. Try another one.

What Can I Present

There’s no real limit on what you can present. Perhaps that’s why it’s hard for a lot of people to come up with a topic. Others suffer from blank page syndrome.  What do you find interesting? What do you know that might interest others? The attendees tend to be software developers, web designers, entrepreneurs and social media folks.  So presentations tend to cover things like social media tools, web apps,  UI/UX concepts, publishing. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. What inspires you? How would you make something better?

Some potential sources of inspiration are your previous blog posts and articles, other conference sessions you’ve attended, and news/magazine articles on topics that interest you. Combine them, bend them, or turn them on their head.

Final Thoughts

Barcamp is a great venue if you’re new to public speaking. The audience is on your side, and wants to hear what you have to say. So pick a topic that interests you and has some depth to it, and share it with the world.