Entries Tagged 'events' ↓

So, I just got back from Web Directions South, and it was AMAZING. The people, the atmosphere, the speakers… unfortunately it was over far too quickly.

The WDS07 podcasts are now available so if you didn’t go, you can get a taste of what you missed out on. Or if you did go, you can catch up on the sessions that you couldn’t attend. I heartily recommend Mark Pesce’s closing keynote “Mob Rules” - appropriately categorised as “vision” - it was inspirational.

So now it’s back to reality. Not for the tireless John and Maxine however - while the rest of us were settling back into our normal routines, they were busy putting together the final details for Web Directions North 08, to be held in Vancouver at the end of January.

Looking at the speaker list, I’m jealous (I’m pretty sure my conference budget does not extend to Canadian adventures). But I guess we can’t have all the good stuff down here in Australia only.

I’ve added a button to link to the sidebar here - if you purchase your ticket to WDN through there, I go into the draw for a chance to win my accommodation and airfares as well as a ticket to the conference. So what are you waiting for? Get me there already

Perth has a long and well-established “Port80“ tradition that is by now known around the country (well, in the web industry anyway). The monthly informal pub get-togethers, which have been going since 2002, have been the birthplace of great ideas like the Australian Web Industry Association and the WA Web Awards, to name but two.

In the past couple of years, other cities have followed suit. There is a “most months” Melbourne meeting, piggybacked on the Web Standards Group get-together, a monthly Brisbane meeting and a bi-monthly Canberra meeting. Adelaide is joining the loop soon.

During Web Directions 2006, the Perth crew held a Sydney get-together under the Port80 banner at the Pumphouse in Darling Harbour, in the hopes of kick-starting something more regular in NSW. That didn’t eventuate, so we’re doing it again, but bigger and better!

The official blurb, if you will:

On the eve of Web Directions South 2007, come along for a warm up social networking session with your industry peers. It’s free to drop in, there’ll be some free nibbles and rumours of a bar tab (if we can find a sponsor!).

There’ll be a gang of folk from Port 80 Perth, folks from Adelaide, Canberra and Brisbane, and possibly even some Sydney locals. Lots of attendees to the conference, and a few speakers will also be there.

It’s all kicks off at 6.00pm, September 26th 2007
Quarryman’s Hotel
216 Harris St
(Cnr. Pyrmont Bridge)
Pyrmont NSW 2009

For a map to the venue, see http://rurl.org/892

This venue is literally stumbling distance from the WDS07 venue, so here’s a chance to scope out where you’ll be for two days, and get to drink and meet your peers.

If you’ve got any questions, feel free to hit the Port80 forums at http://rurl.org/7lk

For more information about Port80, see www.port80.asn.au or more about the Australian Web Industry Association at www.webindustry.asn.au

The programme for Web Directions 2007 has been released, and there’s certainly going to be some hard decisions on what to go see. With three streams this year, there’s even more that I will sadly have to miss, seeing as I haven’t yet mastered being in two places at once, let alone three.

It’s also worth noting that if you haven’t registered yet but are thinking of going, you definitely want to do so before August 31 - that’s when the current “discount” pricing ends and the “standard” pricing kicks in.

The Perth crowd are mobilising to make our yearly pilgrimage to Sydney for Web Directions. This year will be even bigger and better than previous years, we are sure, and we’re planning to hold a Port80 social event in Sydney, in hopes of encouraging a regular event - more details to follow.

In recognition of the Awesomeness of Web Directions South, Miles has challenged previous attendees to find and and link to evidence of ourselves enjoying previous years. I challenge Rosemary, Gary and John.

So, after lots of bitching, speculation, and god knows what else, the podcamp Australia people have announced that the first event will be held in Perth, in October 2007. Apparently, Perth got more votes than the rest of Australia combined.

Go Perth! Our local web industry has been going a bit nuts lately.
Seems we’re standing up and refusing to play second fiddle to the East coast. We’ve had BarCamp Perth, and a WebJam, and then the third WA Web Awards, and now Podcamp.

Should be great, see you there!

It was shortly after the hugely successful Perth BarCamp that someone noticed podcamp.info. This appeared to be an attempt to start a similar style of unconference event in Australia.

Being the happy and enthusiastic crowd we are here in Perth - and still hyped up from recent BarCamp - Perth peeps got behind the vote to send BarCamp to Perth, sending our fair city rocketing into the lead.

There are some things about the site that are a bit odd, however - information on the people behind the event is a bit hard to find. Gary Barber did some research and has some suspicions as to whether the location poll was genuine or just a publicity stunt because it was assumed that Sydney would win.

I’m open-minded, and probably optimistic to a fault, so I’m waiting to hear something from the organisers. The home page lists “Other Upcoming Newmedia Events” and of the five that are currently listed, four are based in Perth!

What do you guys think? Is Podcamp Australia for real?