BarCampBirmingham

We have over 100 people registered for BarCampBirmingham this year. We are guessing that there are quite a few people who have never attended a BarCamp event and are quite unsure what to expect. I can hear your minds racing now: “No preset schedule? Everyone has to participate!? Do I have to get up in front of strangers and talk about something?”

We are here to put your minds at ease with a few suggestions for the rookies among us. BarCamp is really just a gathering of technology-minded people design to promote sharing, collaboration and community. The participation principle is really just a way to say “don’t come in, sit in a corner, and not interact with others.” Ask questions! Start conversations!

Here are a few things you might want to bring with you:

• Business Cards. Don’t force them on people, but they are a great way to let folks remember your contact info and build your network of connections. If you don’t have any business cards, it is easy to print some up using Word and some templates from Office Max. Also make sure that you send out an email afterwards just to follow up.
• Power Strips. We have a great sponsor that will be providing A/V support as well as extension cords and power strips, but you can never have too many power outlets. If you do bring anything of your personal equipment, make sure it is labeled with your name and maybe an email so you can be contacted if you forget anything.
• Take Notes. There will be a lot of topics discussed and you head will be full of ideas. Make sure you get them down so you can reference them later. We will also be asking presenters to upload any slides they have to SlideShare, but those usually only tell half of the story.
• Mix It Up. Don’t try to attend every session. Take a break and just hang out in the hall. We will have a breakout room available for anything that might just come up out of the blue.

BarCamp is a great event and an awesome time to be around some amazing people. Don’t sweat the small stuff and have a great time.