In a month surprisingly packed with tech conferences, camps and gabfests, Podcamp offers something a little bit different – an “unconference”, as its organizers call it.
Podcamp will take place at the Alderney Landing Library in Dartmouth on Jan. 20 – right in the heart of a 12-day spree in which there are at least seven significant events in the Maritimes tech calendar.
The others are: the Bootcamp for the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation’s Breakthru competition on Jan. 19; the FounderFuel Roadshow on Jan. 22; the Big Data Congress in Saint John and talk by product designer Daniel Burka in Halifax, both on Jan. 24; the Dolphintank pitching clinic on Jan. 31; and Pitch101
What sets Podcamp apart is that it is so democratic and open.
“It’s free. It’s open. And people can talk about what they want,” said Co-Founder Craig Moore in an interview. “One of the tenets of it is that everyone who shows up is a rock star.”
Based on the model of the Podcamp Foundation in Boston, the organizers of the event don’t choose the topics to be discussed. When the participants register, they can sign up to deliver a discussion on whatever they want (though the preference is to keep the discussion related to the internet.) Attendees can then go to whatever discussions suits their fancy.
So far there are 21 topics to be discussed, and Moore said he hopes to have the final list ready a week before the event. In the past, each Podcamp has attracted about 250 people.
Here’s a snapshot of the other events in the next few weeks:
Jan. 19
Breakthru Bootcamp
The companies that have signed up for Breakthru competition will spend an entire Saturday learning the initial stages of entrepreneurship.
Fredericton
Wu Conference Centre
University of New Brunswick
Jan. 22
A free chance to meet the organizers of one of Canada’s leading accelerators.
Karma Gaming office
1498 Lower Water Street
Halifax, NS B3J 3R5
5-7 pm
Jan. 24
The organizers, T4G, hope this full day conference will become an annual national conference that will contribute to the development of Big Data in the region.
A free talk by Silicon Valley product designer and serial entrepreneur Daniel Burka, now a design partner at Google Ventures.
Innovacorp Enterprise Centre
1344 Summer Street, Halifax
7-9 pm
Jan. 31
This is a pitch-practice session that will give women entrepreneurs an opportunity to perfect a two-minute business presentation with the help of industry experts led by pitch training consultant Jan Miller.
MSVU Rosario Student Centre
Mount St. Vincent University
11:30am-3:30pm
Cost:
Centre for Women in Business members $35
$45 for non-members
$10 for any student
(includes a networking lunch)
Feb. 1
The first in a series of regional events to help novice entrepreneurs try their hand at pitching and provide more meet-and-greet opportunities.
University of Prince Edward Island
McDougall Hall
Theatre 242
1 pm – 5 pm.
