This note was sent out to all attendees earlier today, we’re re-posting on the blog to make sure it reaches everyone.

I want to take a moment and talk again about why we chose to present sessions as discussions this year as it’s important for everyone to understand.

We’re asking discussion leaders to help the people in their audience answer any questions they have about the topic they are speaking/leading.  Putting the emphasis on takeaways for the conference and attendee’s time. If we can help the people who have to come learn and grow by sharing our knowledge and having a discussion, that’s a pretty good return on their investment into PCB4.

This weekend if you have a question, here’s your chance to get the answer.  If someone isn’t leading a discussion on the question you’ve come to answer, take advantage of the open areas and open document (location will be announced on Sat. AM) to get your questions answered.

In the meantime, you can check the schedule for topics of interest to see what people are looking forward to discussing this weekend.

We are please to announce that concert service and ticket search website Gruvr has sponsored Podcamp Boston 4.

Take a few minutes to check out their website as a great place to find local concert tickets and join us in welcoming them as a sponsor to Podcmap Boston 4.

Lots of folks have written about their experiences at PodCamps past and what they’re doing to get ready for PodCamp Boston 4. We wanted to take a few moments to reinforce some things that will help you get the most out of your PodCamp experience, whether this is your first or fiftieth PodCamp.

1. PodCamp promotes the Law of Two Feet. If you’re not getting what you want out of any activity, session, discussion, or conversation, get up, walk out, and find something that makes better use of your time. PodCamp is full of people who have rich knowledge and experience from all walks of life. Everyone has something to share, to teach, to learn.

2. PodCamp is what you make it. I compare it to an artist’s setup. The organizers, the event, are basically setting out an easel, canvas, paint, and brushes for you. You and your fellow participants determine whether you take home a masterpiece or a blank canvas. Not sure where to start? The best way to experience PodCamp is to make a list of burning questions you have about new media before you go, and then ask around at the event and get different perspectives on your questions.

3. PodCamp is not BarCamp, WordCamp, FooCamp, or *.Camp. PodCamp is probably more structured and certainly organized differently than other unconferences you’ve been to by design. It was our experience very early on at the first PodCamp Boston that for folks who are new to new media and new to unconferences, additional structure helped them make the transition from their experience with other conferences to a new media conference easier. If you’re an unconference veteran, you’ll find a day-of wiki and plenty of open space to do as you like. If you’re brand new to PodCamp, you’ll find enough on the schedule to make you comfortable (or justify the expense to a boss who isn’t coming!) while letting you experience the unconference format at your own pace.

4. PodCamp promotes the Law of Null Space. We do our best to pick venues that have lots of open space, flexible seating, and opportunities for ad hoc discussions and conversations. The formal programmed sessions exist only as support for people not already engaged in great conversations of their own. If you and a few like minded folks want to talk about something, broadcast it on Twitter, yell it in a hallway, and gather people to the nearest convenient space to have the discussion you want to have.

Friday night we’ll be hosting a pizza and bowling party at Boston Bowl from 8-10 PM.  There will be free pizza and soda and a few lanes of bowling.

How do you get there?

Directions: http://www.bostonbowl.com/directions.php (also has a map of the venue)

Public Transport: Red Line to JFK/UMass, then take the Phillips Family Courtesy Shuttle (by the ATM Machine). Shuttle pickups at JFK/UMass are from 7:15 AM – 11:15 PM every 1/2 hour.

You will need to be a registered attendant of Podcamp Boston 4 to enjoy any of the sponsored activities free of charge. Guests are welcome but are responsible for their own bowling, pool, games, food and drink.

Questions?  Email us at podcampboston [at] gmail [dot] com!

When Tom Webster found that he couldn’t attend Podcamp Boston 4 because of a trip out of the country, he asked if he could help sponsor us as a Friend of Podcamp! We’re happy to welcome him to the sponsors list this year.

He won’t be at the event but we appreciate him and Edison Research for chipping in to make this event wonderful!

Podcamp Boston is happy to welcome Microsoft bizSpark as a sponsor to our community and event this year.

Please take a few minutes to stop by and chat with Brian and Chris at their booth!

Podcamp Boston 4 is pleased to announce that BluBrry, a social podcasting community that connects podcast producers, advertisers and everyone looking for great independently produced content, has sponsored the event.

Please take a moment and stop by their booth at PCB4 and find out more about their services!

We’re pleased to announce that email service provider and marketing professionals Blue Sky Factory has joined us as a Sponsor of Podcamp Boston 4.

Take a moment to stop by their booth at PCB4 to find out more about their services and amazing team!

The formal discussion schedule for PodCamp Boston 4 has been posted and can be viewed on our Schedule page. A few notes:

1. Don’t print it out just yet. It’s subject to change.

2. You’ll note there are 3 rooms and 1 space (possibly more) that are designated as open/unplanned. These are spaces that are lounges with comfortable seating designed for all the impromptu conversations, discussions, guitar performances, etc. that happen at PodCamps. We’ll have a wiki page up on the day of the event that will let you schedule these spaces freely, and they’re being left up to you entirely.

3. Did we mention it’s subject to change?

4. The most important part of PodCamp isn’t the schedule or planned discussions. These are at most a third of your PodCamp experience, if that. The real juice is in all the hallway conversations, all the side chats, impromptu activities, etc. that happen spontaneously. The planned discussions are there just to give you some starting points for discussions.

5. PodCamp obeys the Law of Two Feet: just because you sat down in a scheduled discussion doesn’t mean you have to stay there. You are expected- obligated, really, to get up and walk out if you’re not getting what you want out of the discussion. Go to another one. Go to an unplanned space. Get the most out of PodCamp by doing what you want to do, listening to the conversations you want to listen to.

Happy to welcome C.C. Chapman, partner of The Advance Guard and podcasting rockstar of award-winning Accident Hash and marketing podcast Managing the Gray, as a Friends of Podcamp Sponsor this year.

Please join us in saying thanks to C.C. for his faithful donation to making Podcamp Boston a possibility every year.