15 Tips and Tricks to Surviving PodCamp

With PodCamp London taking place tomorrow morning I thought it might be helpful to those new to the un-conference scene to have some general guidelines, suggestions and tips for surviving the day. Actually, these tips and tricks are good for all participants.

With that said I have put together the following 15 points that might help throughout the day:

1. Pants are NOT optional. Although today may be No-Pants Day, pants (or other lower body coverings) are required at PodCamp London. John Young, I am looking at you.
2. Wear comfy shoes as you will be able to exercise The Law of Two Feet during PodCamp London. (footwear is required by all participants)
3. Be flexible. Things will change, new sessions will pop up, others will be moved around and some might disappear all together (most likely due to magic). This is more than ok.
4. You will be on camera and video. Deal with it. If you don’t want to be photographed or video taped I suggest wear a Obama mask, that way you can still blend into the crowd and don’t have to worry about being photographed.
5. Everyone is a rockstar. (sorry Pat, you need to make room for everyone else)
6. There will be no keynote speaker, sorry. Truth be told, each person who presents and everyone who attends PodCamp London is a keynote speaker in one form or another.
7. Swearing in your presentation is optional, awkward jokes and silences are mandatory.
8. When you meet one of the sponsors or community partners of PodCamp London, say Thank You, as without them the day would not be possible. CLICK HERE to find a complete list of the sponsors/community partners.
9. Ask questions. We are all at PodCamp for different reasons but one thing is for sure, we will all learn something throughout the day’s events. With that said, if you have a question, ask it!! Chances are there are at least 2 other people that have the same question in their mind.
10. Provide answers. You are a specialist at something, everyone is, so if someone asks you a questions give them an answer, it will put a smile on their face.
11. Bring your own computer for presentations. Although I am sure there will be a few dozen laptops around in the rooms it is always good to be prepared.
12. Use the hashtag #pclo10 with whatever you are doing. If you don’t know what this means then just ask! (see Tip #9)
13. Don’t make your presentation boring. PowerPoint is NOT a tool to hypnotize the audience. If you read off of your presentation slides I WILL leave the room and I won’t be sorry about it one bit. (see Tip #2) Try following a rule such as the 10/20/30 rule to avoid such incidences.
14. No PC v Mac arguments. Check your fanboy egos at the door. (although if you want to argue about Star Trek and Star Wars go ahead, I don’t care either way)
15. You might also find Dave Fleet’s post titled “Seven Ways to Get the Most Out of PodCamp Toronto” helpful.

I am sure there are a dozen more things I could say but I think you get the point. PodCamp London is a relaxed, flexible, organic and inviting environment. Be prepared to engage in thoughtful and meaningful conversations with members of the community from a wide variety of backgrounds.

And if you have a question remember, ASK!