Entries Tagged as 'podcamptoronto'

podcamp toronto 2010 audio promo

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I was advised that there might be a audio script promo coming for Podcamp Toronto 2010 but I never saw it…maybe I missed it.

At any rate, I decided to write my own tonight and this silliness is what I came up with. Please tweet it, facebook it, linked in it etc.

If you have a podcast you want to use it in or some other proper venue to promote Podcamp Toronto 2010, please feel free to use it.

I’ll see you there…and if you see me first, please say hi.

[audio:http://www.audioconnell.com/clientuploads/mp3/podcamptoronto2010promo_audioconnell.mp3]
Click here to download the promo!

podcamp toronto 2010

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If you haven’t heard (and I hadn’t until I saw a tweet on Saturday…I thought I was on a list or something) but Podcamp Toronto 2010 is set for February 20-21st again at Ryerson University in my favorite city.

It is a great event and I hope you will go. You will learn a lot about Social Media from some terrific people.

Unfortunately, the 2010 date again conflicts with my son’s birthday which, sorry #pcto2010 folks, is a much funer event for me, so I will likely not attend.

I went Sunday at Podcamp Toronto 2009 and the program just wasn’t as strong as it was on Saturday (as I was told by many Saturday attendees) plus there was some weird drama at the closing meeting that Sunday that we were all forced to witness. But hey, that’s life.

My guess is that this is going to be the event’s favored weekend forever and if so, I’ll have to walk away from it. But I still support it and what it offers in the form of education and networking.

I hope you’ll check it out.

six pixels of separation by mitch joel

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I’ve met and conversed with Mitch Joel two or three times and not for about a year. So when I thought about writing the opening sentence to this blog as “My friend Mitch Joel has a new book coming out…” I stopped.

Mitch Joel is a very nice guy as far as I can tell but he and I aren’t friends; friendly certainly. Were time and place different, I think we could be friends– I don’t know. But today he likely wouldn’t know my name if he saw me nor does he know the names of my children or even that I have children; I’m absolutely cool with that. We all have business contacts like this.

But I wanted to say “friend” because ever since I met him at the very first Podcamp Toronto where we both presented, truly enjoying his great presentation on personal branding there and then subsequently as I watched the spotlight of social media and personal branding grow on him, I’ve quietly felt proud of him, like you would be of a friend. His blog posts and his insights on Twitter (he makes pretty good use of 140 characters) teach me a lot or at least make me think about things, much like a friend would.

I think that it boils down to Mitch’s overarching message that people need to communicate within social media as real people; we want real interaction – authenticity. Not some sales pitch…not the one way conversations that permeates so much of social media. Authenticity is Mitch’s on-line message for himself and its a key point of his new book, Six Pixels of Separation.

Enjoy this wonderful Twist Image video about Mitch’s book (courtesy of CC Chapman, who actually is a personal friend of Mitch Joel’s) and then please reserve your advanced copy of Mitch’s book.

twitter picks you up at the airport

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Today my friend and client Leesa Barnes came to Buffalo to speak at a lunch seminar hosted by the Buffalo Niagara Sales and Marketing Executives. She didn’t come in from her hometown Toronto either, she flew in via Las Vegas having attended and presented at the National Association of Broadcasters convention there.

Having gone through airplane connection hell in her travels back, Leesa tweeted me this AM asking if I would be able to pick her up at Buffalo Niagara International Airport. After we agreed to the fare… (just kidding!)

Glad to see her in action, presenting “Be Marketing Fit: 3 Ways to Get Active Using Social Media”. The 30+ in attendance really enjoyed her content as did I.

Leesa and I first met up in Toronto when Social Media and Social Networking were first starting via an international on-line networking group called Ryze. The Toronto Ryze chapter actually had in-person meetings and I would go up to TO and make contacts. That group eventually faded away.

Then she told me about the first Podcamp Toronto, which was great. Subsequently I’ve done voice over work for her podcasting clients and her podcasts as well.

But there you have another use for Twitter and Social Media…hailing a cab, or a ride anyway, from the airport. Monetize that, pal! 🙂

podcamp toronto 2009 – friends, fun and a little drama

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Podcamp Toronto was another great experience for me on Sunday although clearly Saturday was the day to go. The content was much stronger then, the turnout was much higher and I think the vibe would have been much less tired. Folks who attended on day 1 were beat by day 2 and you could tell.

Look, Sunday wasn’t all bad…there was some weird territorial drama unleashed at the wrap up session that clearly showed some folks were a bit frayed but these volunteers had worked very selflessly…so those involved get a pass on that. As surprising as it was to watch, it was also intriguing.

And yes I will go again next year.

Podcamp is a unique event…by now you’ve heard of its unconference structure…that has its pluses and minuses…mostly pluses. My overall challenge with Sunday’s content was that much of it was stuff I already knew. There wasn’t much take away I could say was a real “light bulb” moment for me. That’s the risk one takes in attending and I am cool with that.

The reward is the “law of two feet” which allowed me (and everyone else) to walk into another session if I wasn’t happy with what I was learning at present. And to be fair, when I went to go to another session, that’s where enjoyed myself the most: the hallway conversations. So there were at least two sessions I never actually got to because of these great social media hallway hookups….which sounds a lot more prurient than was the case.

Peter O'Connell (center) with Erica Bontje and Stephanie Ciccarelli from Voices.com

Peter O'Connell (center) with Erica Bontje and Stephanie Ciccarelli from Voices.com

Meeting old friends like Leesa Barnes, Stephanie and David Ciccarelli and Julien Smith as I walked the halls at Ryerson was great fun. Making new friends like Bernard Hellen of Traffic Marketing + Design, Dave Delaney (whose company – Griffin Technology – donated a couple of prizes that I was awarded for a Podcamp Toronto audio promo that I voiced and produced), Steve Saylor – the Albino Podcaster, a woman named Ninja who was both nice and very well versed in Martial Arts….and many more.

The three standout IRL meetings for me were catching up with Dave Fleet, whose PR blog I have subscribed to for a long time – he was very gracious to introduce himself to me, thanks Dave. Sean McGaughey who has coordinated the audio promos among many of his Podcamp Toronto duties was also so kind to seek me out and I was so pleased to get to spend some time with him- Sean, thank you very much.

Finally, the individual who impressed me so much whom I had never met before was the gentleman who organized the Mentor’s Lounge. This was a place where people with expertise in a wide variety of areas….podcasting, web design, etc…would sit with those folks who had questions and a connection would be made. Sunday I volunteered to Mentor anyone on the topic of audio production and podcasting as it had been requested.

Connie Crosby (seated) and Tommy Vallier at Podcamp Toronto 2009

Connie Crosby (seated) and Tommy Vallier at Podcamp Toronto 2009

The guy who coordinated all this was named Tommy Vallier who is a WordPress Developer and New Media Strategist. He is also, in my opinion a pretty sharp leader and connector. As you might expect at an unconference, connection in a setting like the Mentor Lounge never ends up being as clear cut as you might think/hope.

As a result, people could have just stood around uncomfortably, not knowing what to do. Tommy connected everybody and then stepped back and let the magic happen. He did it with a great attitude and a positive team spirit. He made the Mentor Lounge.

This was a highlight of Podcamp Toronto for me and I am thankful to Tommy and all the event organizers for their efforts in making Podcamp Toronto another wonderful experience for me.

the podcamp toronto meme

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Podcamp Toronto is coming up this Saturday and Sunday. Well for me it will be Sunday (weather permitting) because Saturday is the dear boy’s birthday party, which is much more important.

But today Sean McGaughey aka ductapeguy issued on-line warrant (a meme in internet speak) and tagged all Podcamp Toronto 2009 participants (over 800 folks are registered at present) to share what they want to achieve from the event.

I usually wholeheartedly ignore these meme tags but for Podcamp Toronto I will make an exception as I think its an exceptional event. You can substitute the city of Toronto for your city (should you be having a Podcamp…and you might be) and you can compare notes with me. So here we go.

1. What are your personal goals for Podcamp?

My primary goal is simply to absorp as much new and practical information for my personal social media knowledge bank…based both on the tools I am using now and maybe even more importantly the tools I should be using. Seeing old friends and meeting new ones would be a close second.

2. What do you want to learn?
Well I guess I’d advise that you see answer #1.

3. What are you offering to share/teach others at Podcamp?
This is where I often feel I fall flat. While I have presented at Podcamp Toronto previously, I feel I have so little to offer and so much to gain. I can share my experiences in social media (everybody has them) how I apply it to my business (not anything ground breaking unless a company is doing absolutely nothing in social media at present) and how my audio production knowledge can help people produce a higher quality podcast (and I’m not sure that’s high on anyone’s agenda)

4. A little homework now: Which podcamp registrants would you like to meet? Why?
I’d like to meet any attendees whose companies are or would like to produce podcasts. I think there might be some business there for me. Podcamp is about education AND networking. But its also not about being an obnoxious sales guy so I will behave.

5. Who is your “dream interview” for your podcast? Why?
My dream interview would be Jesus Christ just because I think it would really piss off the major news media if I scooped them on that one.

6. What is your, “Can’t miss it” session at podcamp?
Obviously my focus is on Sunday so I’m looking at The Relationship Between Podcasting and Blogging: A Discussion – moderated by Jay Moonah because a discussion moderated by Jay Moonah has a pretty low sucking potential.

7. Monetize or Communitize?
Yes.

8. Who would win in a cage match: Chris Brogan, Bob Goyetche, My Marilyn, or Scarborough Dude?
Eden Spodek would whip all their sorry assess. (Can you say “whip” in a meme?)

9. In time honored meme tradition– guilt a few more people into carrying on this meme.
No. Welcome to MY tradition.

For those of you who will be there on Sunday, I really hope you’ll make a point to stop me and introduce yourselves. Thanks.