“What the hell is BarCamp?”

I’ve been asked that question by so many people but I’m still not tired of talking about it. This past Saturday, October 17th, I attended my first BarCamp here in Nashville, Tennessee. Simply put, it’s the Nashville social media and technology scene getting together in a bar to share ideas and to take part in some major human networking.

It has been labeled a technical “un”-conference and I couldn’t agree more. This didn’t feel like some of the stuffy tech conferences I’ve previously been to. This felt like a laid back gathering of like-minded people who freely drop words like cool, swank, and geek into the same bio line.

First off, its in a bar. The Cadillac Ranch on Broadway to be exact. The truly awesome geeks aren’t afraid to mix technology with alcohol. This also contributed to the only downside to BarCamp: bar bathrooms. I think we’ve all seen our fair share of those so I won’t go into any detail. I also have to applaud the bartenders who were up bright and early to appease our drunken nerdity.

The most incredible thing about this event is that it was completely free – fronted entirely by sponsors – and included breakfast, a swag bag full of various goodies, and an official BarCamp t-shirt. You can’t put a price on awesome (unless your name is Steve Jobs).

What makes BarCamp truly different from the standard technical conference is the format. Groups break up into fast-paced 30-minute sessions throughout the day. There are four sessions happening simultaneously in designated areas within the bar, making this a knowledge buffet for you to pick and choose from as you float from session to session. The very first thing I did when I got through the door was map out my day.

The speakers weren’t major keynoters flown in from Boston (no offense intended Chris Brogan). These were just local geeks and feeks that are experts within their fields and had something to share. Most of the session leaders weren’t even professional speakers but their passion and knowledge allowed them to communicate clearly and enthusiastically.

Throughout the week I’m going to be highlighting some of the take-aways that I snagged at this year’s BCN but you should plan on attending next year, unless you want to suck at life. That’s your call.

If you were at BarCamp, leave a comment! Let’s hear your experience! And what did you think about that crazy after party? (I wasn’t there, so really, what went down?!)

Photo source: @joshtheoak

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