Six Reasons Business Leaders Should Attend BarCamp

I’ve long advocated the importance of getting out and connecting in person with the people you meet through social media. Online connections are great, but meeting people in person is where the magic happens.

In two weeks, there is an incredible opportunity in Nashville to meet some incredible leaders in the tech and business community. On October 15, Nashville is hosting its fifth BarCamp.

I know what you may thinking….camps are for kids and bars are not for business. But, bear with me!

BarCamp Nashville is a free “unconference” that brings together the best of the digitial, new media and entrepreneurial communities for a jam-packed day of presentations, discussions and networking.

If you’re not sure what this is all about, here are a few reasons why Nashville business owners and professionals should check out BarCamp:

• You’ll learn some neat stuff. There’s a wide range of topics being covered and it’s not just for tech folks. You’ll find sessions on everything from startup stories, marketing and social media strategy and web design. For being a free conference, you’ll be surprised just how much great stuff you can pick up. (Here are my takeaways from last year.) If you want to stay ahead of your competition, arm yourself with some knowledge about the latest technologies and innovations in today’s business world.
• You’ll meet some awesome people. I can’t stress this enough. Last year, I met some really great people who have turned into business colleagues, partners and friends (far too many to list here). If you want to get to to know the leaders in the Nashville digital and entrepreneurial communities, you can’t miss this event. The networking is by far the best part.
• You have a chance to speak. Although the scheduled sessions are already filled up, there is the opportunity to speak during some impromptu sessions scheduled throughout the day. This would be a great opportunity for you to showcase your expertise to the Nashville tech and business community. But, if you want those slots, you’d better act fast. There are only 10 and they will be first-come, first serve on the day of BarCamp.
• It’s free. Need I say more?
• It’s fun. What’s not to like about hanging out at a bar all day meeting new people and learning about cool stuff? BarCamp really has a fun, laid-back atmosphere – it’s not your typical stuffy business conference.
• It’s flexible. The sessions are short – a mere 35 minutes. And, because of the setup, if you don’t like a particular session, you can head to another room and try something else. Because of the come-and-go nature of the event, you can participate in what interests you and not feel bad about missing the rest.

If you want to attend (and I know you do), you can sign up here and then pick the sessions you want to check out.

And, if you want to join the conversation about BarCamp on Twitter, just follow the #bcn11 hashtag to see what people are saying about the event.

I hope to see you there!

Are you planning to attend BarCamp? If you’ve attended previously, why do you think business leaders should attend?