Do You Want to Help Launch PodCamp Hawaii?

Background
Shane and I have been podcasting since Oct 2004. We have given talks, blogged and podcasted about it, and of course have delivered over 640 episodes of Beach Walks. It has taken on average two to three hours of every day.

Through the podcasting (and now Twitter etc) networks, we have met amazing people who are our neighbors as well as very distant friends. Our techies complain about the echo chamber, about the people who don't get it, about the missed opportunities. Our local businesses see tourism waning somewhat. They are still averse to much that our geekdom can offer, and we have decreasing visitors and increasing dissatisfaction between the tourists and the locals about their effect on each other and the disproportionate benefits received as well as fees charged.

The PodCamp Dream: October 25-26, 2008; Honolulu, HI
I can imagine a PodCamp event where people come together to learn about a technology that can bridge these gaps, that can let the world see our beauty and experience our aloha, that can listen to our gripes even, and that can elevate us to the stage of importance we truly deserve. One that reaches out beyond the conference attendees, and into the Hawaii we locals know and love.

Please download and read the Fact Sheet PDF (PDF) I posted here as it outlines the many "firsts" that a Podcamp Hawaii can achieve. I want to work closely with the tourism industry. It will create opportunities for attendees and members of the HVCB to collaborate in mutually beneficial ways. It will change our location on the PodCamp map, the internet technology map, and the tourism industry map.

In the UnConference spirit of transparency, I am posting the call for team leaders aka co-organizers here. There's lots more information available, so please contact me if you want to know more.

UPDATE May 27: I will fill in names as we fill in positions.

Here's What I Think It Will Take
Here are the minimum requirements I see as necessary to have a successful event of this kind:

1. I will assume responsibility for being project leader. I imagine this will require at least 5-8 hours a week of my time, for the first three months, increasing somewhat steadily until October.
2. I want at least 6 other committed "organizers" who are willing to provide 3-5 hours a week until the event. I am open to co-chair arrangements as well.
3. We will seek the ongoing assistance of as many "volunteers" as we can find.
4. Each organizer will take charge of a specific area, will supervise her/his volunteers, and will coordinate with me and each other on the master details of the event. The commitment of time and responsibility is most important; we will all be learning on the job.
5. Volunteers will be given specific assignments in bite-sized pieces with due dates. Volunteers will be able to come and go as their interest and schedules dictate.
6. I can assure you I have the interest, the ability, the connections, and the drive to create this large scale event, provided I have a team of 6 other people who are willing to give a solid commitment and who themselves are willing and able to plan and delegate work to our beloved volunteers and sponsors.
7. Here are the 6 key areas of responsibility I see for now, each requiring a team leader:
   • 1 - Communication: will manage both publicity and outreach, will develop a marketing plan to use traditional and new media channels
   • 2 -Venue: will coordinate room assignments, AV & wifi needs, decoration, signage, food service, etc. Kyle Nishioka has agreed to be Team Leader!
   • 3 - Activities & Travel: will coordinate lodging suggestions for non-Oahu residents, will manage the matching of an attendee with an appropriate HVCB member, will help plan social activities, etc.
   • 4 - Sponsors: will develop the sponsorship packet and contact sponsors; will help them deliver what we need to promote them adequately, will help think of ways to get gifts, shwag, and messaging, etc.
   • 5 - Web Site & Media: will manage the main podcamp hawaii web site and related sites on other social platforms; will manage media creation and delivery to support the other teams; will support web editors in keeping the site content fresh and compelling. Shane Robinson has agreed to be Team Leader!
   • 6 - International: will develop a plan for inviting attendees and sponsors from Asia and Europe; will determine what countries we should reach out to, based on available volunteers and connections that we can gather; will determine translation needs for the website and during the event. Matt Olson has agreed to be Team Leader!
8. I will form the LLC to run the money through and manage the legal and accounting details. There will be open book accounting, online, for all to see. Podcamp provides that no one is paid; all service is volunteered free of charge. I will work with all of the team leaders and support them in having the tools needed to get their respective tasks accomplished.

I want to fill these 6 seats by June 1st.

I really hope we have the level of interest to do this - I think it will be an amazing learning opportunity and one Äiwaiwa event!

If we have more than 6 people who are interested, there are more tasks to be organized and I think having a co-chair arrangement is also doable. Please contact me to learn more.

Aloha Summit - get your business “social media-ready” in just two days

Aloha Summit: March 18-19th, Waikoloa, Hawaii. It's custom-made for savvy businesses who want to understand geek secrets like how Google works, what's behind YouTube, not to mention Twitter, Flickr, podcasting, and more.

Of the many disruptions we are seeing in the marketplace as a result of the internet, the trend toward unconferences and lobby-styled events are some of the most interesting to me. I am a communicator. As much as I have enjoyed giving formal presentations for the past 20 years, the real juice usually occurs in the one to one and small group discussions in the hallways between and after the didactic sessions.

What's In It for You?
Coming up in a few weeks is The Aloha Summit, being held here on the Big Island of Hawaii. It is a two-day event limited to only 28 guests, plus several experts in social media and internet marketing, including me. This is designed for the participants to dive right in and:

• Learn about and see demos of how social media, podcasting, and web 2.0 networking applications work, up close and personal.
• Ask your personal questions as they come up in the conversation, and as detailed and specific to your business as you want to get (or not - you are in control.)
• Create new marketing, communication, and advertising strategies for your business, using the hottest web tools.
• Show you how to manage your time and filter out the things that may not apply to your business.
• Share power user secrets so you don't make costly and embarrassing mistakes as you venture into the always-on, transparent, and personal nature of today's leading business practices.
• Understand what things you can get for free online and what things are worth paying for when it comes to both strategy and implementation.

Your Own Team of Private Experts and Tutors
We know how busy you are. It's like having a team of experts at your private beck and call. We won't be covering anything that is not directly relevant to the people sitting in the room with us.

We will be walking the talk and helping you learn to do the same. It will be private, intimate, hands-on and hand-holding: a two-day working class with smart, friendly, connected instructors. You help guide the questions; you set the pace; you reap the rewards. We are here to support and educate you.

Still Trying How to Decide to Attend?
On the other hand, it's not for you if you don't like immersion-style learning or don't want to get your hands on the secrets of the web today. If your business is doing fine without knowing how to find out what others are saying about you or without finding and supporting customers via technology, then you can skip this.

However if you think your business is being affected by unknowns on the internet or if you want to use the internet more effectively but don't know how, then this event is perfect for you.

Ideally, you may want to bring one other person from your company. The social web is all about having buddies. If you come alone, no problem. I'll be recommending some tools the attendees can use post-event to continue your learning and support together too.

Special Pricing for Hawaii Residents: $495
Click here to get a very special rate of $495 for locals only. Use code "kamaaina" for HI residents and pay only $495 or use code "rox" for non-residents and save $250.

Though we here in Hawaii are so great at networking locally amongst ourselves, many are really behind the curve when it comes to networking our businesses with others around the world. The most frequent comments I get when speaking at local business events, are that "our company is not that tech savvy" or "the majority of our staff are older than 30 and we just don't understand a lot of this stuff that's happening online." If you can put two days in to The Aloha Summit you can single-handedly change this and catch up on the amazing changes that have taken place online in the past three years.

Tourism is a key industry that would benefit from using social media, both for our visitors as well as kama'aina. It could even bridge some of the growing gaps between those two groups. Other industries IMO with untapped opportunities are some of the innovative startups we have in Hawaii, especially those related to energy and lifestyle products and services.

Think Your Business is Too Large or Too Small to Matter?
It's not. Companies as large and sophisticated as Walmart have tried to use social media with unexpected negative results. If you're big and you don't have social media experts on staff or on-call, this program is critically important to your business.

Meanwhile, very small companies are using social media to create global brands on shoestring budgets. It's an opportunity that has never before existed.

Personally, I would love to see some of my friends in PR, Communications, Advertising, Tourism, and government at the conference. There are so many ways we can build our own businesses (and those of our customers) by using the collaboration tools of web 2.0. It's close, it's convenient, it's private, it's efficient. I can't think of a better way to go to the head of the social media class.

Got questions?
Please call my mobile and we can talk directly: 808-384-5554. I am traveling across time zones so try 6 am - 4 pm HST (which is 8 am - 6 pm PDT). Use code "kamaaina" to pay $495 if you are a Hawaii resident. Not lucky you live Hawaii? No problem! Enter code "rox" to save $250.