Meet the Candidates!

Rolling along with the SXSW Get the Vote Out campaign, today's potential presenter is me, Dave Olson.

A wee rookie at last years' SXSW, I fell into a groove and rocked it hard, producing an epic barrage of social media extravaganza.

As for presentations, i'm a guy who obsesses about doing something innovative in form and message - i avoid hackneyed acronyms and run o' mill tech babble to create sessions with a positive vibe and useful edu-tainment which you ain't heard before. Here's what I offer for SXSWi 2009:

For your Consideration:

1) F@ck Stats, Make Art - Dave Olson - solo

Via a pictorial journey through his own career of creating grassroots art and publications, renegade social media producer and writer Dave Olson will extol, encourage and explain the importance of taming the intimidation, solving conundrums and digging deep to muster authentic creative self expression in the digital era.

2) Social Media for Social Change - Dave Olson + panelists

Tips and case studies on how social change focused groups with limited resources can use the web, and internet tools including mobile technologies, to spread their messages effectively and inexpensively, as well as rapidly activate constituents for campaigns and activities to effectuate local or international change.

Geekfests!

Summer's winding down which means less camping camping, and more indoor camping, on the agenda.

Next up to add to your geek fest calendar are two free-form, inter-disciplinary meetups in Vancouver:

MobileCampVancouver2 at WorkSpace on Saturday, Sept.6th.

BarCampVancouver2008 at locations Granville Island on Saturday/Sunday, Sept. 27th-28th.

Both are participatory events with presentations selected by vox populi at the beginning of the session. Check out the the Rules of Bar Camp to learn what to expect.

MobileCamp Vancouver 2

Alas, MCV2 runs concurrently with Drupal Camp Victoria but there are enough enthusiasts around to make both events a success. MCV2 is sponsored by Mobile Muse - an applied research and developmet project funded by the Canadian government to conduct projects in the emerging mobile space.

Blurb:

MobileCampVancouver is bringing together iPhone junkies, Crackberry addicts, couch surfers, coffee shop hackers, vagabonds and mobile nomads to share the current state and their visions for the future direction of mobility.

It was great to sit down with DaveO on the podcast and talk over a wide arc of experiences I've had in the past 4+ years. In case it wasn't clear from the audio (I do have some extended liner notes on my personal site), I'm finishing up my time at Raincity Studios.

After the sale of Bryght back in November / December and 6 months of transition work, I've moved on to work on my new startup, Bootup Labs, full time.

That's not to say that I'm leaving Raincity Studios behind completely. I'm still an advisor to the company, focusing especially on products and services related to hosting and the Bryght Light service. We've got some new services that I'm really excited about seeing launch, from server hosting in Canada to Aegir mass hosting for all VPS customers to some interesting computing integration.

Meet the Candidates!

Rolling along with the SXSW Get the Vote Out campaign, today's possible panelist is Kris Krug.

Krug is fresh off presenting at a social media Symposium at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, Social Tech Training, nextMedia, Bridging Media, Telefilm Content Creators workshop, Federation of Post-Secondary educators ... and more - See "Catching up with Krug Tour in Banff" for info.

Another multi-year veteran of SXSW, Kris puts forth two panels for Interactive 2009 covering topics he's well known for discussing: doing business in China and photography - check the blurbs:

For your Consideration:

1) International Business in China for Fun and Profit - Kris Krug + panelists

There are myriad misconceptions about doing business in China, but with a massive market, talented workbase and intriguing culture, there are also many compelling reasons for entrepreneurs to consider expanding their enterprises to Asia. Practical questions are answered by a panel of ex-pat entrepreneurs.

2) Become a Semi-Pro Photographer in 10 Easy Steps - Kris Krug + panelists

Think your shots are good enough to pay the bills? A panel of emerging photographers discuss how they've turned their passion into a paying gig after beginning as (sometime self-trained) amateurs and reveal the tactics they've used to build portfolio, grow audience and increase exposure.

Points for Participation?

Into the thick of the Olympic sporting competition, Canada is rolling in a litany of 5th, 6th, 7th places ... but with track and field, rowing finals and trampolining yet to come, the Canucks still have a chance to visit the podium.

As Tod Maffin twitter'ed: "Maybe Beijing will at least give us a courtesy Participaction pin?(Dont understand this? Ask a Canadian over 30.)" (ed note: or view this Participaction toque).

In the social media production department, Scales continues to create video at an epic pace despite losing his co-hort Kris who was repatriated to Vancouver in time for a glorious summer weekend. Scales is staying busy by picking up more tickets for varied events at the incredible new venues including the whitewater kayak run (plus visits to the Danish hospitality house).

I'm heading to the hills with tent and beverages so here's a few highlights to enjoy with your weekend viewing: