Your organizers John Leschinski, Samuel Dunsiger, Ed Gough (better known as Dr. Vibe), Katie Boland, Rick Weiss, Mark Van Tol, Karim Kanji, May Tartoussy and Adam Weitner would like to welcome you to PCTO13!
We have a great weekend planned for you (just check out all the wicked sessions! goo.gl/UBR4f), and can’t wait to see all your smiling faces tomorrow morning. Just a couple of things to go over before all the fun begins:
Use the #PCTO13 hashtag!
Be a friend and tell the PodCamp story for those who can’t attend by including the #PCTO13 hashtag in all of your tweets, pics, check-ins, blogs etc!
The PCTO ground “rules”
1. PodCamp should be your experience. You get out of it what you put in. This event is to you what you make it!
Following your friends around all weekend, whether you met them at the event or a lifetime ago, might prevent you from getting the most of your PodCamp experience, so be sure to branch out and explore. Don’t get us wrong – you should definitely spend time with friends new and old, but find your own direction.
2. PodCamp is an unconference. The agenda is fluid. If you have a session idea last minute, and there’s an empty space on the agenda, approach one of us and ask if we can slot you in. You won’t make it onto the website, but you can tell everyone to come using the #PCTO13 hashtag!
3. Since PCTO is an unconference, the standard conference rules do not apply. If you find yourself sitting in a session with a title and description that really spoke to you, but the actual content isn’t what you had hoped for, you can invoke the rule of two feet. In other words, stand up on your two feet, and walk yourself out of the room. Quietly, and respectfully, of course!
If you disagree with something, open a dialogue. It’s this back-and-forth that we all learn from. Save questions or comments for the end of sessions, and stick around to speak one-on-one with presenters outside the room.
4. Sessions are 45 minutes long with a 15 minute break between each. Those 15 minutes are to allow presenters to pack up, and the next session leader to set up so that they can start on-time. We love that attendees are so engaged that they want to stick around and talk with presenters – just be sure to do it as the presenter(s) pack up their laptop, and continue your discussions in the hallway, the lounge, or late into the evening at our after-party (details on that to follow ;)).
5. Please respect the PodCamp space. Ryerson University has been our home since the first PodCamp Toronto in 2007, and we would like to continue this tradition. Put your trash in the proper trash bins. If its overflowing, find a different one, and alert your friendly neighbourhood PCTO organizer (the folks in the red shirts) that something needs to be done.
If you see trash laying around, be a good PodCamper and toss it in a garbage or recycling bin!
That’s it for the “rules” – other than that just be prepared to meet a lot of great people and learn a ton!
Many, many thanks
We have a lot of people to thank for making PodCamp Toronto a fantastic event. All of you beautiful attendees, for starters! You’re all participants, and you all contribute to making the weekend a wonderful learning experience.
Our presenters deserve extra mention. They’ve put themselves forward to share their knowledge, insight and experience in the digital media space. Or maybe just general wisdom about living life. For that, we applaud them!
Volunteers are also an important part of PodCamp Toronto. They will be working hard through the weekend to ensure a great time for everyone. Give them a high-five when you see them (they’re the folks in the blue shirts)!
While PodCamp Toronto is free to attend, it still costs money to host. We cover our expenses for rentals, and those extra special add-ons through the generous support of our sponsors.
First, we have our Gold Sponsors. They are Chevrolet and Rogers Communications. You’ll find them at the Rogers Charging Station for refuelling your mobile devices, and the Chevrolet Recharge Lounge, where you can relax and recharge for your next session or deep conversation.
Second, we have our Silver Sponsors, Tim Hortons, ING Direct and Lou Dawg’s, which graciously agreed to play host to our traditional after-party.
Lastly, we have a number of Bronze Sponsors, whose cash or in-kind donations help us a lot. They are High Road Communications, Freshbooks, JS Consulting, Hover, and RIGHTSLEEVE have all contributed to making this weekend happen. Give them some PodCamp love!
And of course, our host venue, Ryerson University, has been a long-time supporter of PodCamp Toronto. For this, we are eternally grateful to them.
Questions?
If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to us through Twitter (@PodCampToronto) or Facebook. Throughout the weekend you can also just look for anyone with a volunteer or organizer t-shirt on and we will be happy to help you!
That should be all for now! We look forward to seeing you tomorrow!