InfoCamp Seattle Blog

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InfoCamp isn’t a typical conference.

First, you won’t be just an attendee – you’ll be a participant! Everyone who attends InfoCamp will participate, whether by discussing, volunteering, pitching in when help is needed, or proposing & leading a session.

Second, other than the invited keynote and plenary, the presenters and topics won’t be set until just before the sessions start. By looking at the wiki, you’ll get an idea of some topics people are interested in having at InfoCamp, but the exact schedule won’t be designed until the actual event.

One of the benefits of this just-in-time format is that you can discuss current topics. In fact, many sessions in previous years were conceived of during InfoCamp itself.

We hope that the openness of the session sign-ups and the friendly, informal atmosphere will encourage anyone who has something to share to do so! As a 2008 participant said,

“Knowing that anyone can present makes me feel like we are hearing not just the popular ideas, and it also made me feel confident about piping up.”

Schedule

The schedule will be created on the fly, by everyone.

Signing up for InfoCamp sessions in 2007

Look for the big, hand-drawn grid on the wall by the courtyard. If you want to present, simply write your name & topic in the open time slot & room that you want. A variety of rooms is available – you’re welcome to check them out before you sign up, to see which one you like best.

After signing up, presenters will give a 60-second description of their breakout session to the group gathered in the auditorium during an “introduction session.”

We’ll try to keep the schedule on the wiki updated to reflect the paper-based schedule. The paper schedule is the place to sign up.

Topics

Sessions can cover anything related to information, from any perspective.

InfoCamp topics from 2008 and 2007

Topics in the past two years have ranged widely – knowledge management, careers in UX, copyright, low-budget usability, geoinformatics, social software in libraries, the mobile web and more. List topic ideas on the wiki before or during InfoCamp!

Session format

InfoCamp’s 45-minute breakout sessions will be more loosely organized than normal conference sessions. Prepare to discuss, debate, teach, and learn.

Presentations don’t have be rehearsed and polished with slick PowerPoints (although that’s acceptable). You can be creative with your session content and format. For instance, you could…

• gather people to discuss a common interest
• solicit feedback on a design
• demo a half-baked product or describe a half-baked idea
• organize a panel
• present research findings
• set up a debate on a controversial topic
• start a conversation group
• discuss solutions to a problem
• brainstorm an idea

What if I don’t have an idea for a session?

Attend anyway! You can participate by joining in the conversations. And who knows – maybe the discussions will spark an idea that you want to share as the weekend goes on!

Ultimately, the end goal is all about creating conversations and connections between people in the information community. And at InfoCamp, you can do that however you want – nobody is required to present.

Your (un)conference

Things may be a bit chaotic at times, but we think that’s part of the charm of InfoCamp. As someone said last year,

“Seemed like stuff got done organically, much like the presentations and general flow of InfoCamp as a whole. Whatever was done, it worked. ”

Remember, this is your conference. If you see something that needs to happen, make it happen. Let the organizing committee know if you have suggestions, ideas, or questions. Check the FAQ, talk to us at InfoCamp, or contact us at info@infocamp.info!

P.S.

An upcoming blog post will have some important logistical notes, including transportation info, what presenters can expect in the rooms, what to bring, etc. Stay tuned!