Our very own Dave Barger was mentioned in a Commercial Appeal article earlier in the week. It recognizes Dave’s role in working with entrepreneurs in our community through LaunchMemphis (which he co-founded) and the Society of Entrepreneurs. This article gives a small glimpse into Dave’s role and impact on our community. You can find Dave on Twitter at www.twitter.com/davebarger.
LaunchMemphis’ latest TechFuel networking event was all about atmosphere. This past Thursday, Memphis technologists, media, creatives and entrepreneurs assembled at the top of Clark Tower to meet old friends, make new connections and have a great time doing it. The evening was graciously sponsored by MPACT Memphis, who share LaunchMemphis’ mission to promote growth in the Memphis entrepreneurial community.
The LaunchMemphis group has been hosting these networking evenings as part of its ongoing effort to bring focus to entrepreneurial activities in Memphis, TN, and to deliver new technology business startups to the economy. The organization was very successful in making progress towards this goal last year. In that spirit, they have designed a schedule of events for 2009 that will continue moving Memphis to the forefront of the business community.
Upcoming on the LaunchMemphis Calendar are:
SocialCamp Memphis – March 6 & 7
Location: Memphis College of Art
SocialCamp Memphis is an unconference focusing on Social Media and Social Networking. Just imagine a conference where the morning is comprised of designated speakers/topics, and the afternoon is comprised of focused discussions and impromptu presentations that are decided on by the attendees. There will be a networking event the evening of March 6th, and the main event during the day on March 7. See more information at the SocialCamp site and Facebook page. Register early!
Startup Weekend Memphis 2: Back by Popular Demand – May 29, 30, & 31
Location: EmergeMemphis and Mercury Launchpad
Startup Weekend recruits a highly motivated group of technologists and entrepreneurs to build a community and new business ventures in a weekend in a short 54 hours. These motivated individuals come together form teams and decide what to make. Attendees are responsible for bringing the ideas, desire, and passion and walk out of the room with a brand new businesses launched or started. Startup Weekend is a national program that has once again selected Memphis, TN as one of the cities that it will visit this year. See more information and don’t forget to register.
blogpost by lunaweb is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
The Social Media Expedition explored new frontiers in their last Tweetup at the Universe of Dreams concert at the Germantown Performing Arts Centre sponsored by LunaWeb. It was an evening of great food, and otherworldly experiences.
We kicked off the night at Rain, a new sushi bar in Cordova, TN, where we experienced beautiful food, and a great atmosphere. There was a lot of enjoyable conversation, and several of us had the opportunity to meet some folks we had only known from twitter.
We left Rain just in time to have wine and hors d’oeuvres provided by the friendly people at GPAC. We spent the hour before the show chatting in the green room and looking at photographs of some of GPAC’s most memorable performers.
The Universe of Dreams performance was the highlight and centerpiece of our Tweetup. An incredible performance (as always) put on by GPAC, that feautured NPR’s Neal Conan, Ensemble Galilei, and giant projected images from the Hubble Telescope. Conan read excerpts from some the greatest minds of the past several centuries, expressing their awe at the scope of the night sky, while beautifully displayed images gave meaning to his words. Thanks to all this and an incredible score of Celtic music, the evening proved to be a wonderful multimedia event, that was truly expeditionary.
Thanks to all who participated and made it such an enjoyable night. Join our Facebook Page to stay updated on future Expedition Tweetups.
blogpost by lunaweb is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
It’s usually not hard to walk into a conference unprepared and find something useful along the way that you can take back with you. However, since BarCamp Memphis is so much more than a conference, here are some ways you can go about getting the most out of your BarCamp experience.
Come Ready to Present
This is first on the list because it is simultaneously one of the most beneficial and least used BarCamp options. Speaking gets you noticed, helps you network, and lets other people know what your expertise is. Not to mention, sharing helpful info is great for the Karma. In keeping with promoting the sharing spirit of BarCamp, if you come prepared with a topic to present to your fellow Campers, BarCamp Memphis is free for you. Otherwise a small fee will go to help defray the cost of the conference.
What not to do
Don’t turn your presentation into a live infomercial for your company. BarCamp is about learning, networking, and sharing, and people will notice if you’re shamelessly plugging your brand.
Give your presentation a catchy title, but don’t get so focused on it that people can’t figure out what you’re speaking on. Topic clarity helps everyone.
Join the Conversation
BarCamp Memphis is about networking, making connections, and fostering a forward-thinking tech community in Memphis. The presentations will be a great learning experience for everyone, but your biggest benefit for the day will be from the people that you meet. BarCamp will be a focal point for movers and shakers in the tech community and will be a great place where people with ideas can meet people with talent. Don’t let that opportunity go! Bring your business card, shake hands, speak up, share your ideas, and brainstorm for new ones. Whatever you do, you’ll get more out of your BarCamp experience if you avoid being a wallflower.
Vote
BarCamp Memphis is happening right after election day, so the importance of voting should not be lost on anyone. Be sure you arrive early enough to vote on the topics for the day. Voting makes sure that topics of the day are relevant to you, which is, after all, what makes BarCamp different from everything else.
BarCamp Memphis is on November 8! In the meantime, here are some other great blogs about BarCamp to check out!
What is BarCamp?
LunaWeb
Launch Memphis Rocks Social Media in September
LunaWeb
BarCamp Tips
LaLunaBlanca
Attn Entrepreneurs and Would-Be Entrepreneurs: BarCamp Memphis is Coming
Paul Ryburn
BarCamp Memphis Planning Underway
LunaWeb
BarCamp Evolution
LaLunaBlanca
BarCamp Fee Discussion on Twitter
LaLunaBlanca
BarCamp Memphis – Calling All Thought Leaders BarCamp Memphis: November 2008 BarCamp Memphis 2008 – Be There, Share, Learn
One Half Amazing
Conmergence
LaunchMemphis
The Social Expedition Blog