About BarCamp Chattanooga

BarCamp Chattanooga is a one-day event on July 25, 2009, at Chattanooga State Technical College (get directions), for people from around the region to gather for learning and socializing. BarCamp Chattanooga is a platform for anyone to share their knowledge, about anything they choose to present, with others. BarCamps often trend towards technical topics, but we hope that our campers will speak about art, business or just anything they are passionate about as well.

The morning will begin with registration at 9am where campers, what BarCamp attendees are called, will sign in and submit any topics they wish to present. Presenting isn't required, but it is encouraged. Then the organizers will work out a schedule for the morning presentations and post it here on the site and in the lobby of the event. If we have multiple people wanting to present the same topic, we will work with them to see if a panel discussion is appropriate. If you come up with a topic after registration and want to present it, just let a volunteer know and we will work it in the schedule if possible.

The sessions can take any format that the presenter chooses. The most successful BarCamp presentations tend to be a dialog with the audience and not just a monologue. Chattanooga State will be providing internet enabled computers for the presenters to use running Microsoft Powerpoint 2007. If you do choose to have slides, we ask that you make them available on our SlideShare page either in advance or shortly after the event. If you've never given a public presentation before, don't sweat it. This will be a great opportunity to get your feet wet.

Lunch will be provided onsite courtesy of Medium. Following lunch the afternoon schedule will be posted. After the event campers are invited to join us for the after party for some serious socializing and general good times. All campers who pre-register will receive a free BarCamp Chattanooga t-shirt; those who do not pre-register will receive one as supplies last.

Getting the Most Out of BarCamp Chattanooga

Some sage advice from BarCamp Memphis:

Use clear titles for your presentations.
Don't use your time as an infomercial, but do use your work as an example of a useful method.
Be social! Share business cards, speak up during the presentations, connect with new people.
Keep an eye on the schedule throughout the day as new topics may get added.

Things to bring with you:

Laptop
Business Cards
Notepad & Pen
Video and/or Stills Camera
Cash for refreshments (many will be provided, but there are vending machines, too)

Some people will want to catch a presentation every hour, but you may find that spending an hour in the lobby mingling is just as productive. Internet access is being provided by Airnet, so feel free to post your photos, tweet, and blog about the event as it happens. We will have a special page on the site where you can watch a live stream of the presentations, provided by ChattOutLoud, and what people are posting around the net in real time.

Overall, have fun, learn something, teach something and help make Chattanooga's first BarCamp a success!