Daily Endeavor Blog

Yesterday Jesse Fallick and I did a call with almost 20 potential session leaders who have expressed an interest in LaidOffCamp NY. Ever since the first Barcamps I attended (back in the Socialtext days), I’ve been a full convert to the open-space approach to events. I love it when people come together to make something happen.

Have you ever noticed some of the most interesting conversations that occur at traditional conferences are in the hallway with other attendees?

The key insight that produces the magic at the “camps” is that the richest resource at the event is the group of people attending. So why not create an event focused solely on that — self-organized conversations around central themes.

The costs of starting a company are falling (see for example Graham Lawlor’s Ultra Light Startups). Changing too are the costs and models of organizing live events. First there was Ward’s wiki, then Meetup burst on to the scene and across the country. About 4 or 5 years ago I first ran across the open approach through Ross Mayfield, Jerry Michalski and Tantek Çelik. Produce an event on a low budget that’s free (or nearly free) to all where the event design and delivery is participatory. People join in to make it happen. It truly is a barn-raising with some lightweight tools.

Case in point: Over the last six weeks, LaidOffCampNY attracted a group of 40 part-time volunteers, with an active core of about 10, who have produced a full event at two sites from scratch and with no formal budget. The event is on track for 350 registrants both for Friday night and Saturday. Cost to attend? Free (though donations never hurt).

So if companies are going ultra light, and conferences are too, the question is whether laid off individuals can do the same for themselves, emerging from this meltdown stronger, lighter and better.

Note: If you’d like to present at LaidOffCamp NY, go here to read about how it works, tips on preparing, then sign up Saturday morning to get on the grid. Looking forward to seeing you all.

For those of you looking to steep in some new ideas and meet people at the edge of your network (good idea), here are a few selected events to check out:

Good Experience Live (Gel) — April 30-May 1

Gel is back next week. It’s Mark Hurst’s annual conference dedicated to studying and creating good experiences. Gel practices what it preaches — in addition to short presentations (I’m looking forward in particular to Barry Schwartz), attendees are treated to a selection of immersive experiences around the city. Things like Behind the Scenes at Danny Meyer Restaurants, Juggling with the Flying Karamazovs and How to Turn a Place Around with the Project for Public Spaces. AFAIK, tickets are still available.

LaidOffCamp comes to NYC — May 1-2

LaidOffCampNY is a user-generated conference (in the spirit of Barcamp) that’s coming to NYC beginning Friday evening May 1, then during the day Sat May 2. Chris Hutchins started the first one in SF a few months back. Since then cities all over the country (and in 3 other countries) have been self-organizing their own conferences. I’m proud to be one of the volunteer organizers here.

The best bit about these types of events is that they’re set up to be primarily about conversations. The attendees are also the presenters — but in this context, presenter = discussion leader. It’s a way for a whole bunch of people to come together around a common theme (in this case, making good on a down economy).

It’s not just for folks who have been laid off recently by the way. Switchers, hiring managers, recruiters, undergrads, and also people who want to take a day think about their career — whatever stage they’re at — are all registering. Given the registration pace, both Friday and Sat will reach capacity. The free tickets of course will go first. I hope you’ll join the conversation, and even better, come down to present (fact sheet pdf).

NYC Entrepreneur Week — all this week

While all the events began this Monday, if you’re viewing the great recession as moment to start a company, you may want to check out the remaining events this week. I was up at Bloomberg today. More at NYU tomorrow and Friday.

• Hidden Value Lies in Networking with Others Who Are Laidoff by Dawn Jordan — Fellow job seekers have just as valuable advice, and more connections, than anyone else you’re likely to talk to. (The Wall Street Journal)

• Study: Experiences Make Us Happier Than Possessions by Elizabeth Landau — Experiences do a better job of connecting us to other people and making people “feel alive” both in the moment and upon reflection over time. (CNN; thanks Anittah)

• Dates Announced for LaidOffCampNY May 1-2, 2009 Two-day free conference for those in a career transition. I’m an organizer and really looking forward to this event.

• How to Talk to Your Employees about the Recession by John Baldoni — Common sense advice, yet not always followed, so good reminder for managers. (Harvard Business Publishing; thanks @eugenelee)