What is a ProductCamp?
Although similar to traditional industry conferences, at ProductCamp there are no “attendees” because everyone participates in some manner. Some participants will present while others will lead a roundtable discussion. Some will contribute simply by sharing their experiences and others by helping with logistics, securing sponsorships, assisting with registration, etc. PCamp is a self-organizing collaborative event that is rewarding, fun and a totally cool experience!
ProductCamp is a great opportunity for you to learn from, teach to, and network with professionals actually managing and marketing products from Florida and surrounding states!
How did ProductCamps originate?
ProductCamps are based on the concept of BarCamps, the first of which was held in Palo Alto, California in 2005. It’s a reference to the hacker slang term, foobar. The first ProductCamp was held on March 15, 2008 in Mountain View, California. Word-of-mouth spread fast about this “unconference” (no registration fee, no agenda, no selling) and about 170 people showed up on a Saturday to discuss topics of interest to product managers, product marketers and a host of related roles.
Following this event, many participants commented via blogs, wikis, and tweets. The idea went viral, and several other cities started ProductCamps of their own. Austin was first out of the gate with others following over subsequent months in 2008, 2009 and into 2010. Check out Pragmatic Marketing’s page on ProductCamp Best Practices.
How many ProductCamps are there?
There are ProductCamps all over the place. The list is continually growing, but as of 2012, ProductCamps have been held in:
- Austin
- Toronto
- Seattle
- Southern California
- Boston
- Berlin
- Atlanta
- London
- Paris
- Dallas
- Chicago
- Vancouver
- Sydney
- Amsterdam
- New York
- Nashville
- Dublin
- DC
- St Louis
- Minneapolis
- And more…
For a calendar of upcoming ProductCamps around the world, visit: this webpage.
What Do I Need to Bring to PCamp?
All you really need to do is “keep the space between your ears open”. But, there is a great post about getting the most out of this type of event and what to bring at:
Making the most of your first Camp.
Then Take It Away!
PCamp is an high-energy event with discussions and interaction from all participants. So, when you come, be prepared to share with other “campers”! And when you leave, be prepared to share it with the world.
Still want more?
Here is a post that includes links to more information about what a product camp is and who to get the most of one!