PodCamp Nashville 2010 is this Saturday, March 6th. There’s a lot of info swimming around on teh interwebs so I thought I’d write a post to help converge everything. I attended BarCamp last year so look for tips in the post pulled from my experience:

Why attend PodCamp?
Basically, if you have any interest in digital media you should be there. Podcasting is just a small piece of that. This event encompasses blogging, tweeting and all things social media. I honestly think it will be a learning experience no matter what your involvement level. Besides, it’s a free event, so you really have nothing to lose. TIP: Some of the biggest players in digital media will be there so it’s an awesome networking opportunity. For a more in depth look at the why’s go check out the PodCamp site.

Alright you convinced me; now what?
You’ve decided to attend. Great! Follow these easy steps for a great PodCamp experience:

1. First thing you should do is register. Make sure you sign up on the site and complete your profile. That really helps out the folks that coordinate everything. The “Extras” tab in your profile is important (click “Edit” then “Profile” then “Extras”) because only the first 300 people to register and show up before noon get a t-shirt. You can also RSVP on the facebook fan page. TIP: Grab a badge to let your followers know your attending.

2. Ok all good and registered. Now sign up for sessions. There is a wide variety and many different subjects so choose the ones that interest you. Remember, signing up for a session is not a hard commitment, but it does indicate your preferences which allows us to predict and shift needs for space. The session schedule will be online sometime on Tuesday, March 2nd and you will receive a printed version at check-in.

3. Get prepared the night before. You’ve got a big day ahead of you! Here’s what you can expect. The event takes place at Cadillac Ranch in the heart of Downtown Nashville. Street parking is no longer free on Saturdays, so be sure to figure out your parking arrangements ahead of time. TIP: Bring some cash for drinks and lunch. Lunch last year was awesome and inexpensive. Plus buying lunch at the venue supports our great sponsors! Doors open at 8am for late registration, check-in, breakfast, and early networking, and the first sessions will begin promptly at 9 am. You will get your session schedule at check-in. TIP: As soon as you get your schedule, plan out what sessions you want to attend. This helps tremendously because you’ll have a sense of direction throughout the day. If you decide a session isn’t what you thought it was, or its not helpful to you, leave and find another. There are no rules, this is all about your learning experience, no feelings will be hurt!

Things you can bring: moleskines, laptops, cameras and video cameras are welcomed. We want you to make the most of your day and share your experience. TIP: Be mindful that plugs are a hot commodity, so be sure to charge everything up ahead of time. Also, bring something to carry everything in…the rooms are on different levels and switching rooms happens fairly quickly so being light and mobile is your best bet. My backpack was a lifesaver at BarCamp.

4. Be prepare to stay for the after event. That is when the party starts! We have a great evening planned with more food, drinks and networking so make the most out of your PodCamp experience and stay for the after event.

Of course you can find all this and more on the PodCamp site.

I’m attending
I’m speaking

The conference is almost over and I’ve hit a quick break. It’s going really well. Some great tricks and tips have been offered up and I hope to bring them back to the real world. There’s a lot of BIT going on…but there’s also a lot of very useful information. SoFresh was chock full of great speakers and great content. PodCamp got a little attention due to some shameless plugging….hopefully people will respond to that. I’ve got my swing dance class tonight which will be a GREAT break from the brain overload. Here are some quick quotes & key points:

“Social Media is about business. Did we sell more stuff? If not, the practice of social media is just a hobby.”
“The Goliath effect. If you can make yourself the underdog with a happy ending…people will relate.”
“Trust and influence will drive commerce.”
“It’s not about selling…It’s about helping people buy. “

Social media has really changed the way we network. I remember back, just a few years ago, when networking was very different. I would go to an event, collect cards, send a quick email note, then quickly forget who I talked to about what. Now I have a plethora of information at my fingertips! I go to an event, collect cards which now normally have email, twitter and linkedin info and bam! I can see their face, know their name, their company, hell maybe even their shoe size. Amazing. Like most people I have the problem where I can remember faces rather easily but names not so much. Social media solves that because now I have everything all in one place. Via twitter and facebook, I can keep up with their new ventures, comment on something valid to my interest and stay connected. Who knows? Maybe that smashing young CEO I met at a geek mixer will see my opinions on social media online and decide he wants to hire me. Maybe someone will pass a client my way because I told a funny joke at an event. Know why? Because of social media, they will keep a face to the business card I passed them. People who are anti-social media say that it is pushing people apart. They claims that some are preferring digital to real life. Quite the contrary, I look forward to the real life mixers, events and seminars so I can follow some of the folks brighter than myself. I can grow personally from things that I learn from them on a day-to-day basis. Then, when I see them at the next event, we have a few inside jokes to laugh at based on old tweets. In my perspective, social media is bringing us closer together than we as humans have ever been. I can’t wait to see how it evolves. How has social media affected your networking?

Red Canary was recently spotted at a fashion show supporting our client Shyne. Dani – the creative director was their honorary guest at the More Unpredictable fashion show held @ Play Dance Bar in Nashville. Along with the 6’9″ lip-synching drag queen, the spotlight was on Shyne and it’s many clothing options. You’ll see from some of the pictures snapped that the show was as successful as it was colorful. Latda and Corey (owners of Shyne) did a fabulous job of picking out models and really showing their business flair. Congrats on the great job Shyne, can’t wait for your Grand Opening!