Since its inception in 2007, PodCamp Toronto has had a reputation for being pretty awesome. Without a doubt, #PCTO13 held true to that this past weekend at Ryerson U.

Success began with a packed schedule of interesting and timely topics on everything from Podcasting on a budget to managing social media at scale when your fan base grows from one to one million overnight. Check out the full list of sessions here.

Perhaps even more important to the success of #PCTO13 – there was an energetic and enthusiastic crowd of people in attendance, and that distinct PodCamp vibe was in the air.

Of course, we could go on about how awesome the event was, but we have a bit of a bias, so we’re going to let the community tell you how it went instead:

As you can see, the people, they really love us! Or they love #PCTO13, anyway. And this is only a small sample of the tweets! Check out the #PCTO13 hashtag for more goodness.

There have also been some great blog pieces written about the weekend, which also give you a third-party look at #PCTO13. Here’s a few of them, in no particular order:

Gold

Silver

Bronze

And, of course, our amazing volunteers and everyone who attended and presented!

Closing thoughts: this is what happens when you don’t attend!

Don’t live in regret – join us for #PCTO14! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up-to-date on all things PodCamp Toronto, and we’ll see you in just under a year!

 PodCamp Toronto’s epic Saturday night social is back once again!

Once the day’s festivities are done, it’s time to keep the good times going at the local watering hole!

This year, the party will be at Lou Dawg’s (@LouDawgsRyerson), located at 78 Gerrard Street East, just one block north of the Rogers Communications Centre where PCTO13 is taking place.

The essential deets:

• Time: 6 p.m. till close
• Food is served at: 6:30 and 8:30 p.m.
• Live music: 9 p.m. – 12 a.m.

Daryl D’Souza, the owner and general manager of Lou Dawg’s who’s no stranger to incorporating social media to the restaurant brand, is thrilled to play host for the #PCTO13 after-party. We thank Daryl and Lou Dawg’s for sponsoring PodCamp Toronto and hope to see you all there!

In the meantime, check out some of the really cool things Lou Dawg’s is doing with social! Epic MealTime? One Direction? Crazy!

• Epic MealTime: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LV-GG6EytU
• One Direction Fiasco: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdZnOlREd-o
• General LOUTUBE LINK: http://www.youtube.com/user/LouDawgsLouTube

To get connected to the WiFi while onsite at the Rogers Communications Centre:

1. 1. Launch your WiFi settings and search for wireless networks
2. 2. Locate the “RYERSON” network and click connect
3. 3. Enter the key: “EGGY1” (all CAPS)
4. 4. Close your settings and launch your browser
5. 5. You will automatically be redirected to a login page – enter the following: username: podcamp2013 and password: RUguest89 (case sensitive)
6. 6. That’s it, you’re connected!

If you have trouble connecting see an organizer (red PodCamp t-shirts) or ask a fellow PodCamper for help – they will get you connected!

Photo credit: HiMY SYeD / photopia

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!

It’s our amazing community – the presenters, sponsors, volunteers and attendees, that keep PodCamp Toronto kicking ass year after year. If you’re new to the PCTO community and wondering how you can take part, here’s a list of five ways to get involved:

Submit a session

We’ve got a ton of great sessions lined up so far, and there’s always room for more. Give a session or form a panel and share your knowledge with the PCTO community! Anyone can submit a session for PodCamp Toronto – just fill out the session submission form.

Sponsor

PodCamp Toronto is free for all attendees thanks to our amazing supporters. Sponsoring PCTO has several benefits – most importantly the earned goodwill of about 1,000 of Toronto’s top creatives, techies and communicators. All money raised goes directly into making sure PodCamp is a killer event.

Become a Friend of PodCamp

Friends of PodCamp chip in because they see the value that PCTO provides and know how important it is to the community. Friends of PodCamp are featured on our donor wall, and are guaranteed good karma. Donating is easy, just follow this link and click the “Become a Friend” button!

Volunteer

Volunteers will be needed on the weekend of the event to chip in and help out in a number of ways. If you want to work with a great team and be a part of making PCTO13 awesome, just fill out this form and someone will be in touch!

Spread the word.

Tell your friends and get them to register!

Without the amazing minds that we have in our community, PodCamp Toronto wouldn’t be the buzzing hub of knowledge that it is each year. It’s the great conversations and fresh idea sharing that make PodCamp Toronto so popular… share your brilliance with your fellow PodCampers and keep that tradition going!

You can host a session, get hands-on with a workshop, or form a panel – the format is really open and totally up to you. And submitting a session is super easy. Just fill out this form with a few details and hit submit!

Canada’s largest gathering of creative, tech, and digital professionals is back at Ryerson University’s Rogers Communications Centre this February 23rd and 24th!

Photo Credit: @alexaclark

Thanks to our generous sponsors, Ryerson University and our dedicated volunteers, PodCamp Toronto is an event that’s free for everybody to attend. It’s also one that everyone is encouraged to participate in, not just as listeners, but also as teachers and collaborators.
Registration is open – sign up here and mark it in your calendars!

Participate

We rely on the amazing minds that we have in our community to make PodCamp Toronto the buzzing hub of knowledge that it is each year. You can host a session, form a panel, have a group discussion – the format is totally open! It’s the great conversations and fresh idea sharing that make PodCamp Toronto so popular. Session submissions open February 1st!

Photo credit: @alexaclark

Sponsorship opportunities are available

Are you interested in sponsoring PodCamp Toronto 2013? Check out our sponsor benefits and learn more about the various levels of sponsorship here. A huge thanks goes out the sponsors who are already on board to help out this year!

More updates to come!

Over the next few weeks we will have a number of updates on all things PodCamp Toronto 2013. Check us out here on the blog, or follow us on Twitter and “Like” us on Facebook to keep up to date!

The PodCamp Toronto 2013 Organizing Team