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NetSquared Camp housekeeping

NetSquared camp logoNetSquared Camp starts in less than 24 hours. We’re excited that you’ll be joining us! This post provides information about the event, and lots of links to more information.

Where and When?

Main Theatre (Room 1900) SFU Harbour Centre
515 West Hastings Street
Registration opens at 8:45am, and the day ends at about 4:00pm.

We encourage you to take public transit to the venue (we’re really close to SkyTrain, SeaBus and buses). If you’re driving, here are some parking tips.

Schedule and Sessions

Because NetSquared Vancouver Camp is an unconference, we’ll start the day with ‘session wrangling’. Each speaker or discussion leader will pitch their session to attendees, and we’ll add them to the schedule grid. You can also get a preview of some of the sessions.

Interested in leading a session? There’s still time to add your suggestion to the wiki.

Can’t Make It?

We’re psyched that the first ever NetSquared Camp Vancouver has sold out, and we’ve started a waitlist. If you can’t attend this Saturday, please let us know by completing this super-simple form. We’ll cancel your registration and give it to an eager waitlisted person.

Food and Drink

In the morning, we’ll be providing coffee, tea and water at the 10:45am coffee break.

At lunchtime, we’re hosting a series of group conversations at local restaurants. Attendees can sign up to join discussion groups of about 10 people who will decamp to a local restaurant for lunch and chat about a particular topic. This is entirely optional, and we’ll talk more about it during our introduction on Saturday morning.

Internet Help Desk

Got WordPress woes? Want help with an email campaign? There will be an Internet help desk in the lobby staffed by local experts to help you through your digital hassles.

Sponsors

We’re indebted to our excellent sponsors, who have generously given their support to this project:

Thanks also to our media sponsors:

Tags

If you’re tweeting about the event, please use the tag #n2camp. For blogs, photos and video, use n2camp.

That’s all! See you on Saturday!
The NetSquared Camp Vancouver team

In The Media: NetSquared Camp on The Georgia Straight & TheChange!

Well folks, with just TWO days left to go, I’m uber pleased to announce quite a media stir about NetSquared Camp. Here’s a recap:

The Georgia Straight picked us up! Whoo! This and all of our other social media efforts, as well as our lovely media sponsors, have made NetSquared an almost SOLD OUT event! (Can we say, 10 precious tickets left?) There’s sure to be a wait list, so tack your name on here and we’ll get in touch soon if there are any cancellations.

Our friends at TheChange have featured us in their event listings, and we’re looking forward to their followup blog post about key takeaways from NetSquared Camp. Definitely keep your eyes peeled, as well as sign up for their newly launched ethicalDeal platform– a ‘green Groupon’ for socially and environmentally-conscious buyers on a budget. (Did I add that the free sign up gives you a chance to win a $500 shopping spree? What are you waiting for!)

The folks at AdviceTap will soon feature an interview with yours truly… can’t wait for Saturday!

– Cecilia Lu, Networking Ninja
(Kiwano Marketing)

In The Media: Raised Eyebrow – “Calling all social change geeks”

A while back, fellow co-organizer Lauren Bacon of Raised Eyebrow Web Studio blogged about NetSquared Camp, and why it’d be so cool for you to show up on Saturday. After all, on a balmy August weekend, waking up in time to your alarm will be hard! We thought we’d share some of her reasons of why you need to get your ass out of bed and join us at the lovely SFU Harbour Centre, located in the center of downtown Vancouver. Here’s an excerpt from her blog post:

NetSquared Camp is an unconference, and for those who aren’t familiar with that term, it’s an event where the agenda is entirely driven by the participants. So if you show up and speak up, there’s a very good chance that you’ll learn something that’s relevant to you. (You may also end up teaching others, since the participants also lead & facilitate the sessions.)

The list of suggested session topics is both wide-ranging and highly practical, and the organizers have set up a wiki where you can propose your own session ideas.

Perhaps best of all, the ticket price is by donation, with the suggested donation a very affordable $20.

That’s right, and RSVPs are going through the roof this week! Tickets are now only available by donation, so get yours fast!

Continue reading the entire blog post at Raised Eyebrow Web Studio here.

– Cecilia Lu, Networking Ninja
(Kiwano Marketing)

In The Media: Kiwano Marketing – “Get Your Social Change Geek On!”

NetSquared Camp has been rockin’ the Vancouver media world lately, thanks to Cecilia Lu, the Networking Ninja at Kiwano Marketing. With only one week left to launch of the first NetSquared Camp in Canada, Cecilia’s been busy coordinating media sponsors, writing articles, and tweeting up a storm about #n2camp.

Yesterday, the Ninja interviewed fellow organizer Eli van der Giessen to find out what’s so special about NetSquared Camp and why YOU should attend! Here’s a highlight:

How is NetSquared different from all the other events, unconferences, camps out there?

NetSquared Camp is unique from other technology and social media conferences because:
1. It is focused on serving the needs of nonprofits and social entrepreneurs.
2. It is focused on practical skill-building experiences led by peers in the sector.

Do I have to be a techie/non-profit?

Nope! NetSquared Camp is gathering together the tribe who want to support Vancouver non-profits. That includes marketers, writers, graphic designers, video producers, strategists, fundraisers, and strategists. NetSquared focuses on how technology can be used to deliver these various skills, but there’s no requirement that participants be a techie. (Designers, writers, and marketers produce work that is equally valuable no matter the medium.)

Read the entire interview here and if you haven’t yet, get your tickets now! See you all on Saturday August 14th!

Cecilia LuCecilia Lu is the founder and co-owner of Kiwano Marketing, a green marketing agency dedicated the development of sustainable businesses and practices. As the Networking Ninja, her passion is forging relationships through a mix of public relations and social media. Cecilia has worked primarily with startups and non-profits in the past, and is well-versed in taking a big idea and small budget to the next level. Her years of experience in the ever-growing social media field provide valuable expertise for small businesses in both the strategy and implementation stages. Get social: twitter, LinkedIn, FaceBook.

What will I get out of this?

Net Tuesday meetups are over too quickly! I have to cut off fascinating conversations all the time. And what about those times when a presenter shows you something incredible, but you want to have the chance to try it out yourself with a bit of instruction? Sorry, there’s no time! That’s why NetSquared Camp will be an all-day unconference-style event with a focus on hands-on learning from Vancouver’s generous and ridiculously talented non-profit sector and its allies. Come join the community and get the chance to connect with peers who share your skills and values. Feel like you’re a lone voice in the wilderness at your organization? Then join us on August 14th!

How is NetSquared different from all the other events, unconferences, camps out there?

NetSquared Camp is unique from other technology and social media conferences because:
1. It is focused on serving the needs of nonprofits and social entrepreneurs.
2. It is focused on practical skill-building experiences led by peers in the sector.

In The Media: Kiwano Marketing – “Get Your Social Change Geek On!”

What is the Internet Help Desk?

Tap the wisdom of Vancouver’s experts in nonprofit technology and marketing!  These NetSquared volunteer consultants will be staffing a desk and are available to answer any question in their field. Don’t miss the opportunity to pick their brains for free.

Internet Help Desk consultants:

  • Ben Johnson, Union Gospel Mission:  Visualizing data
  • Jenny Silver, David Suzuki Foundation –  Customizing Facebook
  • Heather Murray, David Suzuki Foundation – Crafting better emails
… and more to come!

Got a skill to share? Sign-up to be an Internet Help Desk consultant:

NetSquared Camp volunteer meeting – Tuesday, August 3

Date: Tuesday, August 3
Time: 6:00pm – 7:30pm
Location: 302 Water Street, 4th Floor: Water Street Arts Society.

RSVP: http://n2campvolunteers.eventbrite.com/

We’re entering the end-game of NetSquared Camp. So it’s time to have one last face-to-face organizers meeting. Can you come?

We’ll have lots of logistical details to sort out, from lunch session leaders to where to do the session pitching to who’ll be doing the morning intro.

PLUS, we’ll be assigning volunteers! You get to pick the best positions if you attend the meeting!

Volunteer assignments:

  • front desk registration
  • session reporters
  • setup and teardown crew
  • lunch discussion leaders
  • internet help desk
  • gophers

Hope to see you there!

Want to have your mind blown? Check out these session proposals

Unconference schedules are determined on the day of the event by participants. But we’re collecting session proposals ahead of time. Add your idea to our wiki.

Here’s Some Proposed Sessions As Of July 28, 2010

How to get real hits
Kyle Berger – Jewish Community Centre
You’ve got a good website and products/services to sell/promote. What techniques can be used to get the right people to visit your site?

How to Choose a CMS (Content Management System) for your Organization
Lauren Bacon, Raised Eyebrow Web Studio
When you’re developing a new website, the selection of a Content Management System (CMS) is one of the most critical decisions you’ll make — and the list of options can be overwhelming. Let’s talk about how to create a framework for choosing the right CMS platform for your organization, based on factors like how technically-savvy your staff are, the features you need, what kinds of resources you have for managing updates, and your organizational culture (for example, does everything need to go through an approval process? Do you want your members/constituents to be able to contribute content to your site? etc.).

Making the Most out of WordPress
Christopher Mallon, University of British Columbia
Lots of organizations are using WordPress these days, not just for blogging but for creating fully functional websites. Outside of WordPress.com, you can use any programming language you want (for example, javascript) in combination with the wordpress interface, which makes a powerhouse combination. But as a new user, I’d like to talk about how we can truly make the most out of this platform – how to go beyond the blogs and do things that really amaze people.

Gaining Supporters: Building Tribes vs Finding Tribes
Chris Mathieson, Vancouver Police Museum
Non-profits need supporters–people that align with our causes and provide us with their energy, enthusiasm, audiences and, of course, money. I’d like to talk about practical strategies that involve social media to seek out and recruit new supporters for our organizations, spending a significant amount of time debating the merits of building vs finding aligned groups of people.

The Data Deluge: You’ve got donors, dollars, and a database, now what?
Benjamin Johnson, Union Gospel Mission
Non-profits of all shapes and sizes are in a remarkably advanced position compared to even the largest companies who rarely get to know the age, gender, home address, etc. of the casual consumer. Donors are different. You have a database full of giving patterns, people, and financial data, but are you doing anything with it? How about an open, non-technical, discussion about the very new topic of data and analysis.

Ninja School: Kicking Ass at Social Networking
Cecilia Lu, Kiwano Marketing
What are the top do’s and don’ts for using social media networks as a networking tool? How do you portray your non-profit’s personality online and engage your volunteers, stakeholders, and sponsors? When’s the right time for moving the conversation offline? Join the Ninja for a casual, down-to-earth discussion on practical tips about how to get personable online.



THE SECRET TO A ZERO-BOREDOM CONFERENCE: PROPOSE A SESSION TOPIC (OR TWO)!

JUST 18 DAYS UNTIL NETSQUARED CAMP VANCOUVER

We’ve all been to conferences with yawn-worthy sessions on topics that are totally irrelevant – or simply uninteresting. We want NetSquared Camp to be the complete opposite of that. Here’s a simple way to guarantee that your NetSquared Camp experience is as un-boring as possible: Add your session ideas to our wiki! It only takes a minute, and gives you a chance to share your ideas with other attendees before the event so we can all get an idea of what everyone’s interested in.

Editing is easy – you don’t even need to create an account!

Go here: http://netsquaredcampvancouver.wikispaces.com/Session+proposals

P.S. Don’t worry if your idea’s only half-formed – sharing your burning questions, biggest challenges, and/or areas of expertise can be helpful starting points.