ProductCamp Austin 2010 (Spring edition) is coming up on March 27th and if you’re a product management or product marketing professional in Austin I would highly suggest spending the day (Saturday) at this self-proclaimed “un-conference”. If you haven’t been to a ProductCamp before, the event is completely self-organized and facilitated by the attendees themselves. Everything from the session presenters to the sign-in booth workers are entirely comprised of Wikipedia-like volunteers. But, besides the uniqueness of how this great event comes together, here are 10 reasons not to miss ProductCamp Austin on March 27th.

  • Networking, networking, networking – Never under-estimate the power of a strong professional network, especially in these turbulent economic times (see Gopal Shenoy’s reason #2 on “7 Tips on How to Survive a Layoff”). This is the perfect venue to meet fellow Austin PMs and bolster your professional contact list.
  • A chance to build your reputation (and presentation skills) – Since ProductCamp is run exclusively by the participants, all topic sessions are made possible through volunteer efforts by whoever has a good idea for a topic. This is a great opportunity to showcase your “stuff” and build your presentation skills at the same time.
  • Free crowdsourcing from some of the best and brightest - Where else can you get immediate and diverse expert feedback on that PM riddle that’s been eating at you for the past 6 months? This is where PMs come together to share war stories and best of breed problem solving methods.
  • Collaborative learning environment - With many different session topics to choose from, there are bound to be several of interest that offer you an ability to expand your PM knowledge. The sessions are collaborative and the learning comes from the conversations that ensue.
  • Pimp your company - Are you a small start-up in the Austin area trying to build up your reputation and consumer awareness? ProductCamp gives you the opportunity to chat it up (and even present your own session) with some of the most connected technology professionals in Austin.
  • A cure for the post-SxSW blues - Like New Year’s is to Christmas, this day-long Saturday event will be your cure for the blues after the SxSW interactive festivities have passed.
  • The venue - If you haven’t been, the new, luxurious AT&T Conference Center on the UT-Austin campus is fantastic and worth the visit!
  • It’s on a Saturday - This one might be a double-edged sword but at least you can plan ahead and be relatively sure that the plans won’t be pre-empted by a long-running meeting or customer emergency (no guarantees against re-scheduled T-ball games or a surprise visit from the in-laws).
  • It’s all FREE! - Well, almost. There’s no attendance fee. The only thing that the ProductCamp Austin organizers ask is that each attendee volunteers/participates in a lightweight way (e.g., volunteer at sign-in desk, lead a session, bring ideas, etc.) such that the entire event is a worthwhile experience to all involved.
  • You’ll be glad you went - For all the reasons listed above and more, I promise you that it will be one of the more productive Saturday’s that you’ve spent in a while.

So, what do you think? Did I miss anything? Are you going to ProductCamp Austin 2010 (Spring edition)? Hope to see you there :-)

Bookmark and Share
Advertisement