Winning at PodCamp Philly

I spent a large part of my weekend at PodCamp Philly, an "unconference" focused on audio and video Podcasting. This is the latest in a long series of PodCamps being held around the country. These events are great for networking. (Learning new things is always a great way to network.)

There were some really good sessions at the unconference, most of which you can find online in several versions. It was probably the most photographed, recorded, and videoed event I've ever been to. I'm used to audiences recording panels, but here even the panels were recording the audiences!

Artist Todd Morrone was there doing collaborative art, compliments of Used Wigs Radio (whatever that is -- my interest here is in the art, but the marketer in me wants Used Wigs Radio to get credit for making it happen). I contributed the original squiggle to this picture, and Todd added the rest.

I recommend David Tames' sessions on Low-Budget Interview Lighting and Pro Video Results on a Low Budget (both links lead to the same place, but you can choose from there). I also enjoyed Lisa Marshall's panel on Business Podcasting, which doesn't seem to have been taped (well, I'm sure it was taped, but I haven't found it yet). Paul Kontonis of For Your Imagination made the interesting observation that video Podcasts are great for gaining attention among a new audience. They are short, high-impact, and (relatively) expensive to produce. Audio Podcasts, on the other hand, are better for extending a relationship with an existing audience. They are cheaper and do a better job of supporting the longer, more in-depth stories that an existing audience will take the time to listen to.





After the conference we stopped by Independents Hall to check out the new digs for the co-working consortium put together by Alex Hillman and Geoff DiMasi of P'unk Ave. Indy Hall had just held its grand opening earlier in the week, and the place was impressive. It's targeted at people who are working on their own -- mostly at their homes or in coffee shops -- and are starting to go a little stir crazy from the lack of personal contact. Not only is Indy Hall a great little work spot in the center of the Old City section of Philadelphia, but it puts you in a setting that promotes collaborative work habits. Breakthroughs are a social act, after all, and you can't get that at home.

I've mulled over joining Indy Hall, if only for having a place to hold a meeting that isn't in a coffee shop. Unfortunately, I really don't need to work in Old City at the moment, and I'm sad to admit that I don't own a laptop. (Indy Hall is very laptop-centric.) Maybe I could just drop by and co-work using my spiral-bound notebook and a pen. That would certainly be a stand-out way to collaborate on a Web 2.0 based application.



The highlight of my time at PodCamp Philly was winning an Apple iPhone, thanks to the great folks at Viddler. Viddler, by the way, is a great video sharing service that allows groups of people to tag and comment on specific timecodes in an online video.



Of course -- story of my life -- I just last week re-upped for a two-year contract with Verizon. Now I'm torn between paying $10 a month for adequate family-shared Verizon phone service or many times more for uber-cool iPhone phone service. Or worse, doing both!

podcamp philly