Chrisy Nelson and Deb Averett, two of the three organizers of the event, speaking at Awesome Camp. Photo by KaBloom Studios on Flickr.
Putting a local spin on the popular worldwide BarCamp format, Lincoln gave entrepreneurs around the state the chance to attend camp. Awesome Camp, that is.
Hosted January, 30 at red9, the gathering of business-minded startup owners, freelancers and developers lacked a concrete schedule right up until the minute it started. Instead of following a rigid agenda, attendees signed up to give 30-minute mini-seminars on topics as broad as developing an audience for a personal blog and as nuanced as search engine optimization.
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Deb Averett, one of Awesome Camp’s three organizers, estimated about 40 people showed up, hosting some 22 sessions between them. Check out the video below to hear what Averett and fellow organizer Christy Nelson had to say about the event (note: the audio and picture don’t match, sorry about that).
One of Awesome Camp’s main draws was the sheer amount of assorted expertise packed into a handful of relatively small rooms at red9. Several attendees gave more than one talk, and even those who only dispensed with one session’s worth of advice could only dispense a modicum of their knowledge in the time provided.
That much brainpower and creative energy could hardly be contained. Throughout the events, attendees could be seen tweeting about the event to friends and colleagues, courtesy of an HDTV hanging over the downstairs bar which showed Awesome Camp’s Twitter page.
Khara Plicanic, founder of Kabloom Studios, gave two talks, including one that took page from the event’s naming convetion, Awesomer Photos in 10 Simple Steps. Click on the video below to hear her recap her Awesome Camp experience as well as discuss her Lincoln-based startup (note: the audio and picture don’t match, sorry about that).
Overall, both attendees and organizers deemed Awesome Camp a success. Much like the BarCamp model on which it was based, Averett said she hoped to make the gathering an annual event. Everyone who attended would seem to agree, as a mental tally kept by this contributor counted more than 60 instances of people saying “awesome” throughout the day.
Flickr photostream by KaBloom Studios.
