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PodCamp Pittsburgh A Huge Success

Pittsburgh, PA, Nov. 16th, 2006 — PodCamp Pittsburgh: The New Media Unconference was held November 11th and 12th at Pittsburgh Filmmakers, and by all accounts, it was a rousing success, attracting scores of participants from Pittsburgh and beyond, including Boston, New York, Vancouver, Los Angeles and Ontario, and inspiring discussion on the three fundamental concerns for developers of internet content: creativity, technology, and business.

The event garnered international attention for Pittsburgh after a story was filed by an Associated Press reporter. The article ran in over a dozen papers including The Houston Chronicle and The Boston Globe as well as BusinessWeek magazine and Hemscott, an “international data group” based in the UK. PodCamp was also covered by almost all of the local Pittsburgh media, including the Tribune-Review (who also featured it on their downtown scroll), the Post-Gazette, WDUQ, KDKA, and even Bob FM (WRRK) mentioned it on the air.

Some of the biggest names in internet news and entertainment were in attendance, including Andrew Baron of Rocketboom, a daily 3-minute videoblog that draws an estimated 300,000 viewers daily; the cast of Tiki Bar TV, one of the web’s most popular series; Brian Conley of Alive in Baghdad, a ground-breaking news series that just won 7 Vloggie Awards for excellence in videoblogging; Alex Lindsay of Pixel Corps, a self-described guild of digital craftsmen most famous for This Week in Tech and producer of many other tech podcasts; and Chris Brogan of Network2, a guide to finding shows available only on the internet, and co-founder of the original PodCamp.

The two days featured roughly 50 sessions focusing on a broad array of topics. Beginners learned the basics of getting started with a blog or podcast – easy-to-use favorites included Blogger and Typepad, and representatives from Podcast 411 were well-received. Established content creators talked about promotion and creating site-specific merchandise – local company Spreadshirt was a favorite here. And experts shared their highly technical secrets – among others, Alex Lindsay of Pixel Corps gave a series of advanced tutorials including an interactive greenscreen workshop. About 40 sessions had been scheduled prior to the beginning of PodCamp, and the rest were added as the event progressed.

In his opening remarks, co-organizer Justin Kownacki, creator of Pittsburgh-based web series “Something To Be Desired”, stressed the importance of interactivity in all the sessions. Everyone was encouraged to participate, to question, to start their own session if they wanted. As he said it, “It is your own responsibility to get what you want out of today.” These words were clearly taken to heart as a discussion on the educational potential of the internet was added within the first hour of the day. A brief speech was also given by Chris Brogan, co-founder of the inaugural PodCamp in Boston. Mr. Brogan lauded the city of Pittsburgh and the local organizers for evolving the PodCamp concept and helping the internet community learn and grow.

One of the highlights of the first day was a presentation by Brian Conley, a 26 year-old journalist from the Boston area who went to Iraq a year ago and created “Alive In Baghdad”. Mr. Conley recruited two Iraqis to be his correspondents and gave them simple videocameras, considered inexpensive here but costing months of an average Iraqi’s wages, to apolitically document life in the war-torn city. This was the first public appearance by Mr. Conley since winning a whopping 7 Vloggie Awards for excellence in videoblogging, and he used the opportunity to announce his next venture, “Alive In Mexico” in Oaxaca, where a U.S. reporter and friend of Mr. Conley’s was recently killed.

One of the main topics of the second day was “the monetization of new media”, making money from an internet venture. A brainstorming session yielded around 15 different money-making methods, including merchandising, sponsorship, ads, product placement, and for-pay content. No panacea for website monetization was presented; rather, participants were advised to use a combination of the techniques in order to maintain solvency. Attendees were challenged to begin utilizing two to three methods and report at next year’s PodCamp what is working and what isn’t.

The event’s final session was given by Mr. Brogan on the future of video on the internet, the biggest misconception of which is that all the content is “guys getting hit in the crotch on YouTube.” Sites like Network2 and Blip TV are attempting to consolidate the ever-growing list of often well-produced internet “shows” and make them easier for viewers to find as well as to delineate them from casual viewer-made content and move them into the realm of more mainstream entertainment. Mr. Brogan encouraged those assembled to follow their passions and continue making the kinds of content that they themselves would like to see. In terms of finding an audience, essentially, if you build it, they will come.

In the coming weeks, presenters will be encouraged to post summaries of their sessions and their feedback on the Podcamp Pittsburgh website, www.PodCampPittsburgh.com, and planning is already underway for PodCamp Pittsburgh 2007. For more information or to inquire about sponsorship opportunities, visit www.PodCampPittsburgh.com or contact Justin Kownacki at info@PodCampPittsburgh.com.

For additional information, Contact:
Justin Kownacki
Kownacki Productions, LLC
412-628-4231
info@podcamppittsburgh.com
www.podcamppittsburgh.com

PodCamp Pittsburgh A Huge Success

PodCamp Pittsburgh was organized by Justin Kownacki, creator of Pittsburgh-based web series “Something To Be Desired”, and Dave Mansueto of Libsyn, a Pittsburgh-based company that provides hosting and distribution for hundreds of popular podcasts including “Tiki Bar TV” and “Ask a Ninja”. Generous support was provided by Pittsburgh Filmmakers, Network2, Scion, Libsyn, Switchpod, and Pop City and additional assistance from Spreadshirt and The Art Institute of Pittsburgh.