How to host a BCNI event

When I first set off to organize a BarCamp I had no clue what I was doing. After three years, however, I’ve managed to nearly streamline the entire process. Here’s what I’ve learned.

In 2008, journalism was set into a frenzy. The terrible economy mixed with changing distribution methods led to a state of catastrophe and an industry suddenly besieged by plumitteing revenues.

But you know that part.

What you may not remember is around that time, several dozen news executives clandestinely gathered at a Chicago hotel airport. It was reported that they discussed pay walls and other coming strategies for improving the sagging business. But what they discussed really doesn’t matter. What matters is how they discussed it.

That’s when Jason Krustifek called for a more open discussion about the future of news and thus, BarCamp NewsInnovation was born. In 2009, there were three BCNI’s held across the country: Miami, Portland and Philadelphia. At the time, I was in college without money or any sort of professional network. I couldn’t afford the bigger conferences, there were no jobs available and I felt like I had little impact on the national conversation.

Turns out I wasn’t the only one that felt that way, because we organized the first BCNI Philly just about 100 people showed up on a beautiful sunny day at Temple University to chat about the future news. Since then only Philadelphia has remained an annual tradition, and I have either organized or co-organized the event each year since 2009.

In 2009, 100 people showed up and we managed to order 20 boxes of pizza for everyone for lunch. In 2011, we had 150 people attend and were able to provide coffe, bagels, lunch, drinks throughout the event, free drinks at the afterparty and dinner.

I believe strongly in the mission of BCNI to provide a low-cost and high quality journalism conference and I wish there were more BCNI events across the country. To help facilitate that process allow me to outline everything you’d ever want to know to hold your own event. It’s the guide 21-year-old me would have wanted.

Before you start

Why are you doing this? You should be hosting a BCNI out of the kindness of your heart. Naturally, as an organizer you will make connections with sponsors and guests in a way that you may not as a regular attendee. The primary benefit of hosting a BCNI is giving something back to your craft and meeting some new friends in the process. If this isn’t enough, organizing a BCNI probably isn’t for you. BCNI will not attract executives and big wigs (though a few have come to BCNI Philly). Instead you’ll attract the doers and the thinkers of the industry. You know, the exciting ones.

BarCamps are different. BarCamps use “Open Grid” scheduling, which is a nerdy way of saying that “there is no schedule.” Attendees are responsible for all of the event’s content. While this makes planning a bit easier, it can also be a bit nerve-wracking as nobody can make any guarantees about the event. However, this open scheduling often leads to very obscure, nichy and cutting edge session topics. No “Is blogging journalism?” here. More on how to set up the Grid below.

Planning

Unlike other conferences, BCNI is free (or very cheap). That means that you’ll have to rely on partnerships with people and free tools to handle everything you’ll need.

1. Pick a date. BCNI Philly is always a Saturday late in April. Most BarCamps pick a weekend, though I’m sure a happy hour BarCamp on a weekday would do just fine. Also, a Saturday event allows everyone enough time to travel.

2. Pick a time. More appropriately, pick the length of time. After three years we’ve found that the best timing is:

• 9 a.m. – Doors open
• 9:45 a.m – Opening remarks
• 10 a.m. – First session
• 11 a.m. – Second session
• 12 p.m. – Lunch
• 1 p.m. – Third session
• 2 p.m. – Fourth session
• 3 p.m. – Five session

Have each session last 50 minutes and allow 10 minutes for changeover. Avoid having the event last longer than five hours. Any longer and your attendees will turn into zombies. Scary, scary undead journalists. Plus you want to save lots of energy for the bar afterwards.

3. Find a venue. If this is your first time organizing an event, you’ll likely be surprised at the cost of venue space. The best option is to exchange sponsorship for a free venue. BCNI has partnered with the Temple School of Journalism each of its three years because the school feels that the event helps boast the reputation of the school. I strongly suggest a college or a business with plenty of conference rooms. Other venue requirements:

• Free wi-fi
• Access to food (if you are not providing lunch)
• Access to a bar for afterparty
• Access to coffee shop (if you are not providing breakfast)
• Large gathering space for scheduling board
• Conference rooms, classrooms or similar layouts that enable multiple sessions to take place with out being distracting
• Easy access to a parking lot. For your guests and so you can easily unload and load before and after the event
• Computers with projectors in each session room

Mostly, you want a venue that is excited and supportive of the event.

Pre planning

One you have the when and where established it’s time to get your marketing in order.

4. Establish the hashtag. Otherwise you may have folks having multiple conversations across social media.

5. Create a signup page. For BCNI Philly we go as far as to make an entire site, though that is not necessary. However, you must have some sort of ticketing system for registration. We use Eventbrite, though for other events Technically Media uses Philadelphia-based Ticketleap. Both are great services which are easy to use. We like Eventbrite for BCNI because it gives us the option to list everyone who has signed up, something that we think helps build excitement around the event. Whatever service you use, make sure you require emails at registration so you can easily communicate with your attendees in the months leading up to the event. Also, make sure that your ticketing system allows for easy printing of nametags.

6.Promote the event. Reach out to all of your journalism buddies and invite them to do a session. The first BCNI, we asked a few people that we respect in Philadelphia to come present and we often provided a few ideas to help the presenter brainstorm. We also mailed out a “guide to presenting at BCNI.” If you’d like, you are welcome to steak the one we have used the past three years.

7.Seek sponsorship. After you’ve generated a healthy buzz to your event, reach out to some folks and ask if they’d like to help support the event. Past sponsors of BCNI Philly have included colleges like CUNY and Temple, trade associations like the Society for Environmental Journalists and individuals that have attended the event in years past. We asked for $50 (for supplies) to $500 (for lunch) from sponsors. Some advice:

• Always have specific aspects of the conference that are being sponsored. “General sponsorships” are harder to sell than “Lunch sponsor” or “Schedule board sponsor.”
• Don’t be shy, the worse someone can say is “no.”
• In your email to prospective sponsors point to your attendee list and make it clear that this event is not for profit.
• In all promotional material and websites include your contact information and a call to action for people who’d like to sponsor.

One month before the event

8. Email attendees and remind them that they signed up for the event and offer advice on where to stay, how to get to the venue and where to park. We also like to mention other events going on locally so attendees can make an entire weekend out of it if they’d like.

9. Follow up with your venue. Around one month out, I pay a visit to Chair of the Temple Department of Journalism Dr. Andrew Mendelson and we walk through the venue and write down requirements for tables, chairs, rooms and wifi.

One week before the event

10. Purchase your supplies.

• Print name tags at late as possible and bring extras to the event for latecomers.
• Bring lots of sharpie markets, tape and blank sheets of paper to place signs to restrooms, wifi instructions and any other last-minute information.
• Purchase a foam schedule board, a stack of index cards and lots of pushpins. On one end of the board write your time slots and on the other, write the rooms at your venue. Be sure to include capacity and any other special characteristics such as computer equipment.
• If you are providing drinks (and we suggest you do) purchase two large Rubbermaid containers and a few cases of water and soda.

11. Get volunteers. You’ll need a few folks to hand out nametags and other last minute tasks. I think it’s a good idea to have one volunteer for every 40 attendees. If you can, try and provide your volunteers with a gift.

The day of the event

12. Arrive an hour early. Instruct your volenteers on the check in process, establish protocal if people come late or don’t have a ticket. Provide WiFi instructions and post signs with arrows to each room and restrooms. Make sure all of the rooms are open, unlocked and usable.

13. Kick off the event with opening remarks. Remind everyone how a BarCamp works and provide a short walk through for the day. It’s also a chance to get on your soapbox, if you’d like.

14. Put out fires. You will forget something. Something will go wrong. It won’t be that big of a deal.

After the event

15. Have a local lead the charge to bar. Make sure you help clean up and ask others to help to.

16. Follow up. Thank your attendees, aggregate the reaction posts and tweets and save any pictures. You’ll want them to help promote next year.

Good Luck

If you have any remaining questions, don’t be afraid to reach out and contact me or any of the Technically Media team. Or drop a comment here. Happy camping!