Much like the TV show Seinfeld was a “show about nothing,” RE BarCamp had no agenda or defined format… but it still worked.
No one knew what to expect but 150 real estate professionals still descended upon San Francisco for RE Barcamp 2008 (July 22, 2008). Some came from as far as Australia to join in.
Basically, a couple of lengths of paper were throw down and times blocked out on them. The folks that wanted to faciliate discusssions used big post-its to block off their time on the schedule. And, well, that was that.
Take a look at the scheduled sessions. From there you can also click through to the topic notes.
Much thanks to RealEstateCafe for creating the notes during my presentation on creating a Guerrilla Marketing Plan.
I received some wonderfully positive feedback from those that were part of the session, and a great number of requests from those that couldn’t attend the session to make it available for HomeStomper readers… stay tuned
The participants ranged from fledgling social media users to those that’ve built there business on the web. Yet, everyone came away with gold due to the attitude of everyone involved… a true guerrilla effort that paid off in ways I can’t even measure just yet.
What it came down to for me were the relationships that were deepened and the new ones that spawned. There’s nothing like connecting a handshake to an avatar.
I had planned to put together a mindmap of the sessions but I really got caught up in the conversations (I will be doing a write up on the CREST survey results). That’s something that set BarCamp apart from other conferences – it was about conversations, not presentations.
In true conversation fashion, see what these folks have to say about Re BarCamp…
You can catch Joseph Ferrara’s reflections on his blog (photos too!), or Brad Coy’s posting over on BloodhoundBlog.
Props to Andy Kauffman, Mike Price (who’s just announced a RE BarCamp Houston) and Todd Carpenter for spearheading this whole gathering. And we can’t forget Zillow’s hosting Beer with Bloggers directly downstairs from the event.
SF 08 was the first Re BarCamp but others have been announced or are being planned already… check to see what’s happening in your area or how to bring one together at REBarCamp.com.
edit: don’t wanna forget RealEstateZebra and RealSeekr. They went above and beyond and created a set of superhero themed trading cards of the attendees. Way cool, guys. Way cool.
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Mark,
Great to meet you and your wife. I hope to see you at many more events!
Mike
Mark, you are one of the bright lights out there. If you come to NYC in January, let’s spend some time together.
@Mike Price – i had a great time, too. mari was so tempted to go horseback riding with your wife. will you be at blogworld?
@Joseph Ferrara.sellsius – thanks, man. that means a lot coming from you. too early to tell for January but it sounds mighty damn good
>it was about conversations, not presentations.
This is what sets BarCamp apart from anything else available as an event. Your part of the conversation should be given thanks by all that participated. You provide great value to Real Estate Mark.
Mark,
It was a blast creating the cards with Daniel and we already have an idea or two for next time. Your session was great, and I am glad we arrived just in time to enjoy it. Looking forward to seeing you again soon.
G & G
@Brad Coy – hey man, you are FAR too kind. but, what i see really cool about “the oconversation” that started with this BarCamp is that this was just the beginning… it’ll be interesting to see how the BarCamp conversation evolves inside the REnet. it’s already taken wings and where it goes next will be neat to watch.
@Gia & Grant Freer – as am i. thanks