PodCamp Boston 2 has concluded with about 700 people who visited Boston, had a great time, and learned, shared, and grew their new media skills. For those who were able to make it, it was a sincere pleasure having you in the home of the revolution, and for those who couldn’t make it, there are many PodCamps coming up around the world that you can attend, available here:

http://www.PodCamp.org

This followup note is to let you know of three critical things. First, if you recorded anything (video, audio, etc.) please let us know so we can include it in the PodCamp Boston podcast by replying to this message. We’d love to bring together as much of the event digitally as possible for all the folks who couldn’t make it. Stay tuned to the blog as we publish media from the event!

http://www.PodCampBoston.org

Second, Blogger and Podcaster Magazine has created an opportunity for bloggers and podcasters to be listed in the USA Today new media directory both online and in the print edition. If USA Today’s demographic is a good fit for your audience, they’ve put together an opportunity for you to advertise your new media venture.

http://www.PodCampBoston.org/usa

Use promo code PODCAMP to receive the first month free and 20% off everything else. Additionally, Blogger and Podcaster Magazine will pay $10 to the PodCamp Foundation per signup, which will help fund Foundation activities (such as future PodCamps), so it’s a double win.

Third and finally, we’ll be releasing a survey in the coming days to ask you to rate and review your PodCamp Boston experience, whether you attended or not. We’d love your help and input on that survey on what we did right, where we can improve, and what we should plan to include in PodCamp Boston 3. Please make sure podcampboston@gmail.com is added to your address book so we can get that survey to you!

Thanks again to everyone - whether you attended or not - who made PodCamp Boston 2 a tremendous success, and we look forward to seeing you at a future PodCamp!

Warmest regards,

Christopher S. Penn
Lead Organizer, PodCamp Boston 2
and the PodCamp Boston 2 Organizing Team
http://www.PodCampBoston.org

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PodCamp Sponsor Thanks

-= Platinum Venue Sponsor =-

VON/Video on the Net. http://www.VideoOnTheNet.com

-= Gold Sponsors =-

The Student Loan Network http://www.StudentLoanNetwork.com
Jeff Pulver http://www.JeffPulver.com

-= Silver Sponsors =-

Rockosphere.tv http://www.Rockosphere.tv
Topaz Partners http://www.TopazPartners.com
Steve Garfield http://www.SteveGarfield.com
CC Chapman http://www.CC-Chapman.com
CM Access http://www.CMaccess.com
Porter Novelli http://www.PorterNovelli.com
Berkman Center for Internet & Society http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/

-= Bronze Sponsors =-

Blue Sky Factory http://www.BlueSkyFactory.com
FoneShow http://www.FoneShow.com
MarketWire http://www.MarketWire.com

-= PodCamp Sponsors =-

BostonNOW http://www.BostonNOW.com
Podango http://www.Podango.com
Microsoft Channel 10 http://www.on10.net
Meeting Tomorrow http://www.MeetingTomorrow.com

Click To Play

A great music video presented by Mark Blevis from PodCamp Boston 2, set to the music of Matthew Ebel’s Join the Conversation off of PodCamp Boston 2 debut album, Goodbye Planet Earth.

The Superheroes of PodCamp Boston 2

One of the problems with an event the size of PodCamp Boston 2 is that things get lost along the way and after. Events like that need a public face or two, but rarely does the rest of the group get publicity. I want to take a moment to single out six individuals who made PodCamp Boston 2 possible; without them, there would have been no event at all, period.

Whitney Hoffman: if there’s a human being who can be said to epitomize the “organize” part of organizer, it’s Whitney. Without her, quite frankly, this ship would have been sunk. From smaller details like how many signs should be printed to large things like calling the Boston tourism bureau to secure the Seaport Hotel as a venue, Whitney made the vast majority of PodCamp Boston operations work seamlessly; but then, I would expect that of someone who both the ADA and the NFL have tapped to manage part of the Super Bowl’s operations.

Steve Sherlock: Steve Sherlock was our true collaboration enabler, arranging weekly conference calls and providing detailed transcripts of who attended and takeaways from the meetings. Steve also co-piloted registration with Susan Kaup and made that just work, too. Hint for future event planners: the conference call is a GREAT idea, and second hint, if an organizer doesn’t make at least 50% of the calls, they’re not an organizer, just a tourist.

Michelle Wolverton: or Chel, as she’s more commonly known. Chel picked up a ton of administrative details, stuff that seems unimportant but will quickly grow to nightmarish proportions if left ignored, like contract dates, reminders, etc. Chel also took leadership of managing ALL the PodCamp Boston event entertainment on Saturday night, a mammoth undertaking given how many multiple, conflicting priorities there were. If you had any fun Saturday night, she’s to thank for it.

Susan Kaup: or Sooz, depending on the context. Sooz brought us game day operations, including BostonNOW’s sponsorship of registration, and I swear she knocked over a Staples truck to bring as much stuff as she did. Sooz also organized our ad hoc volunteer teams and recruited additional people to help manage registration operations.

Dave LaMorte: Dave stepped up and brought serious horsepower to game day, managing all the directionals, signage, and other organizational things that helped you find your way to where you needed or wanted to be, from lugging around aluminum meter boards to managing the posted grid.

Last but certainly not least, Marni Shapiro of pulvermedia. You know the really nice venue we had, sponsored by VON, and the great A/V, seating, water, chairs and tables, sponsor setups, building interface, wireless, network connectivity, laptops for presenters, FANTASTIC audio systems with twice-daily soundchecks, frequent notices about building information, food court availability, and a billion other things you probably didn’t notice? All that stemmed from Marni’s desk in her role as VP of operations for VON and pulvermedia. If there was a compliment I could give her and her team, she’s VON’s Whitney Hoffman, who at the end of the day just gets it done, period. No excuses, no meandering, no bullshit. It’s done when you need it to be done, and that’s all there is to it.

Now, this is not to say that other organizers didn’t contribute, because they certainly did, but I wanted to point out that these six folks went far, far beyond expectations to make PodCamp Boston 2 a success. If I ever wanted to run an events business (I don’t) or anything which required operational excellence, these people would get job offers immediately.

- Christopher S. Penn, Lead Organizer