This Saturday I and my family will be attending the very first PodCamp Ohio. This will be my first time at a PodCamp.
I was reminded by Chris Penn of Jeff Pulver's method for preparing for an upcoming conference.
JOIN the Community. I've been involved in promoting the event and am speaking in one of the sessions. I'll be there representing New Media Cincinnati, of course.
Set your GOALS. I am looking to connect with other bloggers, podcasters, and folks in social media and re-connect with folks in Cincinnati. I am especially looking to connect with people who have been successful in merging programming skils and new media technologies in their jobs, since that is where I'm heading.
Say HELLO. Hi there. There are several ways you can get in touch with me. Here are a few:
CHANGE your eMail Habits. I definitely won't be checking email much - if at all - during the event, but I'll try to stay in touch where I can. The best way to track me down is via telephone or a direct msg on Twitter. Call me. I'll catch up with emails when I get back home.
STUDY the Map of the conference. Google Maps says it will take us about 2 hours to get to PodCamp Ohio from our home. We'll probably allow 2.5. Gonna print out what I can to take with us.
Be AWARE of the Event Schedule. Be in CONTROL of your Schedule. ALLOW for serendipity. The session I'll be conducting is in the first time slot. Aside from that, I like that the event is occurring in one spot, which means that it will be easy to move around from session to session if I want. It also means that there will be opportunities for serendipity to happen.
Don't be SHY. Contrary to what I might convey online, in a crowd of people it still can be easy for me to be shy. I'll make an effort to meet and talk with as many folks as I can, understanding that a single conversation will still make a difference. I'm not going to be one of those guys who constantly scans the crowd for the next person to talk to.
BRING Business Cards. Taken care of. If you want a business card, come and meet me.
Understand some meetings will not HAPPEN. This is something I've sometimes struggled with whenever I attend meetings like this. I've sometimes hesitated even reaching out to others because there is so little time. Nevertheless, I hope to keep realistic expectations.
ENJOY yourself. Okay then. Our family is considering this a mini-vacation. Sort of.
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Check out my other blogs:
Daniel Johnson, Jr.
Get That Job!
Journey Inside My Mind Blog
Journey Inside My Mind Podcast
QuotesBlog
Twitter.com/danieljohnsonjr
Connect on LinkedIn
Interesting Things I've Read
Related tags: daniel+johnson+jr podcampohio podcamp+ohio conference unconference
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