When I decided to volunteer a bit of time to helping plan the first Barcamp to be hosted here, I had NO idea what I was getting into. Literally, I had no idea, because I’d never been to one before. I just knew that after looking up what Barcamp was, it sounded like a great idea, and I wanted to go. (Funny bit of trivia here, I volunteered to help organize only because one of the rules of Barcamp is ‘everyone participates’, and I am terrified of public speaking!) However, once I got involved, it became so much more than just something to do. I realized the principles behind the project- the inclusiveness, the sharing of information, the creativity- really do set Barcamp apart from anything I’ve ever seen, and that it is something I truly believe in with a passion. I am thankful to have been a part of Barcamp Mobile 2009.

We had a great turnout for being the first Barcamp in this city, with around 35 people attending. Small potatoes compared to some larger cities who are on their 3rd or 4th year, but for the inaugural event, we were incredibly thrilled. With all the talk afterwards, we expect the numbers will easily triple for next year’s event.

For those who were not able to attend this year, you missed some great sessions. With such an eclectic mix of people, the topics and discussions were varied, ranging from network security to photography to social media and beyond. It was impossible to walk into a room and not end up learning something new.

The people participating are what makes Barcamp special, and this year’s group was nothing short of amazing. Their creativity and heart were the driving force behind the projects inspired by the conference, such as the Satori Coffeehouse website done as a thank-you for their sponsorship, and the beginnings of the Mobile Bay Tech Alliance, a fledgling organization whose goal will be to unite the tech community here and serve as an information hub for both social and industry-related events in the Mobile area for all things technology. These are all works-in-progress, but with the talent and dedication of the people behind them, I have no doubt you’ll be hearing more about them in the future.

Don’t let this fool you into thinking Barcamp is all work and no play! Our pre-conference social mixer(sponsored by Automattic!) was held at Baumhower’s Wings the night before, and the impromptu after-party at Buffalo Wild Wings on Saturday night were both a ton of fun. After spending the day together, the Buffalo Wild Wings event was the more relaxed of the two, with the after-party being capped off with an after-after party(!) of a group of 11 heading off for a 10:40pm showing of the new Star Trek movie. We may be geeks, but we know how to have a good time!

I can’t think of any better way to wrap this up than to say thank you to everyone who made Barcamp Mobile 2009 what it was. Thank you first and foremost to my co-organizers- Michael Ivey, Gillis Jones, and Brian Wright. Thank you to Paul O’Flaherty for both your hard work on the newest incarnation of the site, and your patience in dealing with me as I worked to pull this together. Thanks to Michael Owens for the pictures and creating the Flickr pool for Barcamp.

A huge thank you to the sponsors, without whom we never could have made this happen. Thank you to Baumhower’s Wings for hosting us, and Magnolia Media for the kick-ass logo that we will continue to use on the site.

Most importantly, thank you to the participants, both local and those who traveled from as far as Birmingham to be with us for this event. It was awesome meeting everyone, and I hope you will consider joining us again for the next one.

Next one…? You heard it here first! After such a great time this year, there was no way I could walk away and not commit to doing this again! Keep an eye on this blog (subscribe here!) and we will be talking about both local events going on such as the monthly Tweetups and news from the Mobile Bay Technology Alliance, but also documenting the joys and headaches that go into planning Barcamp Mobile 2010. Be sure to follow us on Twitter as well for all the latest news.

Sara (@subrbanoblivion)

© Sara for Barcamp Mobile, 2009. | Permalink | 6 comments |
Post tags: Barcamp2009, Mobile Bay Tech Alliance, participants, Planning, Satori, Sponsors, Twitter

The Satori Project

Satori Coffee House is a local favorite here in Mobile, and we were incredibly excited when they signed on to sponsor the breakfast for this year’s Barcamp. (Barcamp Mobile 2009 trivia bit- Satori was actually our very FIRST sponsor!) What blew us away however was going to pick up the food on that Saturday morning, and finding out that not only were they providing us with free breakfast, the manager himself came in to make the scones and coffee hours before they were even open!

Everyone was so impressed with this, the idea was hatched that these incredibly nice, but maybe not the *most* internet-savvy people should be repaid in the best way a bunch of techies know how- build them a website! Previous to Barcamp, Satori Coffee House had a Myspace..and that’s it. No Twitter, no Facebook, no..anything really. In a matter of hours, we had an amazing team of talented people put together http://www.satorisoundcoffee.com as well as a full-on social media presence, most of which can be seen here, so be sure to add them! – http://www.google.com/profiles/satorisoundcoffee .

The website is still a work in progress, but we will continue to work with Satori to bring the word to the masses about their great food and amazing atmosphere.

The Mobile Bay Tech Alliance

Prior to Barcamp, ideas had been tossed around about how to make Mobile more tech-friendly to draw in new businesses and generally make life better for everyone. During the conference, this was further discussed and we realized that we had some great resources, but no way to get them together. The result is the Mobile Bay Tech Alliance. This organization’s purpose is to bring together the tech community in Mobile and the surrounding areas to foster and encourage technology-related events and networking in both professional and social capacities.

Still in the very earliest planning stages, we are nonetheless growing quickly. For updates on this exciting project, follow the Mobile Bay Tech Alliance on Twitter, and be sure to join the Google Group to become a part of the action!

© Sara for Barcamp Mobile, 2009. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: Barcamp 2009, Mobile Bay Tech Alliance, Satori, Sponsors