The Revocation of PodCamp Rule Four

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The Revocation of PodCamp Rule Four

In the beginning, there were seven rules of BarCamp.

1st Rule: You do talk/blog about BarCamp. (this later broke into two separate rules)
2nd Rule: If you want to present, you must write your topic and name in a presentation slot.
3rd Rule: Only three word intros.
4th Rule: As many presentations at a time as facilities allow for.
5th Rule: No pre-scheduled presentations, no tourists.
6th Rule: Presentations will go on as long as they have to or until they run into another presentation slot.
7th Rule: If this is your first time at BarCamp, you HAVE to present.

PodCamp Boston 1 changed a lot of these rules, as Chris Brogan and I found at least at BarCamp Boston that they either weren’t adhered to or they made people unnecessarily uncomfortable, particularly rules 5 and 7.

The rules of PodCamp evolved to:

1. All attendees must be treated equally.
2. All content must be released under Creative Commons.
3. All attendees must be allowed to participate.
4. All sessions and events must be free of charge to attend.
5. All sessions must obey the Law of 2 Feet.
6. The event must be new-media focused.
7. The financials must be fully disclosed in an open ledger.

At PodCamp Boston 2, rule 4 was revoked.

1. All attendees must be treated equally.
2. All content must be released under Creative Commons.
3. All attendees must be allowed to participate.

5. All sessions must obey the Law of 2 Feet.
6. The event must be new-media focused.
7. The financials must be fully disclosed in an open ledger.

Our reasoning for the revocation of rule 4 is based on feedback from the session on PodCamp Retrospective and Prospective: Where Do We Go From Here, as well as the hallway session on the state of new media, plus healthy discussions with folks throughout the weekend.

Some additional numbers and facts:

1,357 people registered for PodCamp Boston 2 (sponsored by VON, thank you!)
Approximately 650 attended, or 52.1% no show rate.

212 people registered for the Saturday night party.
Virtually all plus an additional 25 at the door actually attended (paying 20 cash), making for almost zero no-show rate, even with a9.99 expense coverage fee.

To give you some additional perspective, 1,036 shirts were printed (paid for by Foneshow, thank you!), as well as 1,200 name badges, 1,500 lanyards, etc. The name badges are headed straight for a recycling center; the lanyards don’t take up much space and will be stuffed in my office at the Student Loan Network. The shirts are likely to head either to Father Bill’s Day Shelter or Pine Street Inn for dispersal to the homeless.

Each of those things cost money and generated overage which has a financial and environmental impact.

Some final, more personal numbers. PodCamp Boston organization really ramped up in June of this year for me. For 3 – 5 hours per night (more on the weekends, and more as the event got closer), PodCamp Boston -was- my life. Just about everything outside of work and family took a major hit in order to gather the resources, people, and materials to make it happen. 147 days, or about 90 work-days’ time (assuming 8 hour days) to make it happen, and that’s just my time, not counting the other organizers who busted their asses to make it happen.

Why was rule 4 revoked, and what does it mean?

Rule 4 was revoked to give PodCamp organizers more freedom, more choice, and more options for how they want their events to be run, and how they want to deal with the very real and tangible costs of operating an event.

Rule 4 also gives organizers a way to encourage commitment to the events that they work relentlessly to create.

Before the firestorm really gets going, here’s what rule 4’s elimination does NOT mean:

– PodCamp organizers are not required to charge money. They are given the option to do so.
– PodCamp organizers do not have to sell tickets. A variety of commitment mechanisms have been discussed, such as a refundable deposit paid back to attendees after the event begins.
– PodCamp organizers do not have to have a set price. Something as simple as “pay what you think it’s worth, as long as it’s greater than 1 cent” might be effective.
– PodCamp does not need to become a formal conference, such as the excellent VON and Video on the Net conferences.

Rule 4’s revocation may significantly reduce the number of people who no-show for a PodCamp should organizers choose to charge money, and that’s not a bad thing at all. I’d rather sit in a small room with 100 committed, smart people and jam together than be in a convention center the size of an aircraft carrier with 1,200 people, half of whom are there because there’s nothing more exciting to do on that weekend in town.

Rule 4’s revocation is no more written in stone than the original was, either. If there’s a case where organizers of a PodCamp behave badly, Chris Brogan and I reserve the right to reinstate it.

Laura Fitton said it best in a discussion thread on CC Chapman‘s blog:

The event isn’t, and from what little I understand, never was FREE. In a way, no event ever is. It is subsidized by sponsors and by volunteer hours. You attend for free, because somebody else paid your way. Simple as that.

A final thought. BarCamp, the event by which many compare PodCamp, has in its rules many things, but no requirement that organizers make it free.

The problem posed to the community is this:

How do you reduce the number of no-shows (52.1% attendees, 10% presenters) to under, let’s say, 10%? Solutions and discussions welcome.


Comments

31 responses to “The Revocation of PodCamp Rule Four”

  1. Great to know about some changes. This will definitely make organizing Podcamp Chicago a whole lot easier. I think even just a minimal 10 or15 fee will give us a better idea of who is serious about attending and who isn’t… And it will help cover costs… specifically the place to hold it.

    Justin Kaiser
    Podcamp Chicago
    http://www.podcampchi.com

  2. Great to know about some changes. This will definitely make organizing Podcamp Chicago a whole lot easier. I think even just a minimal 10 or15 fee will give us a better idea of who is serious about attending and who isn’t… And it will help cover costs… specifically the place to hold it.

    Justin Kaiser
    Podcamp Chicago
    http://www.podcampchi.com

  3. One idea I heard was “make the fee pay for lunch.” That would take away that distracting variable (where to go, and leaving the venue) and let people focus more on meeting more people.

    Another idea, to build upon the “pay what you feel its worth” (a la NPR) could become “Minimum 10.20 gets you a t-shirt. 50 is a supporter,75 is blank, $xxx is a sponsor…” and onwards. Additionally, someone who didn’t have the cash could volunteer for free access, or maybe scholarships for students or for anyone who had a blog or some other “qualification.”

  4. One idea I heard was “make the fee pay for lunch.” That would take away that distracting variable (where to go, and leaving the venue) and let people focus more on meeting more people.

    Another idea, to build upon the “pay what you feel its worth” (a la NPR) could become “Minimum 10.20 gets you a t-shirt. 50 is a supporter,75 is blank, $xxx is a sponsor…” and onwards. Additionally, someone who didn’t have the cash could volunteer for free access, or maybe scholarships for students or for anyone who had a blog or some other “qualification.”

  5. Kudos. I think this is a big (and good) step forward. I produced events in NYC for years. The people ARE the event but if you’ve got a lot of no-shows then the whole dynamic changes.

    No matter what, I always charged for the event, even if just a token amount. It demonstrated a level of commitment on the part of the attendees and no-shows dropped considerably.

    Regardless, PB2 was excellent and I was glad to make the trip from NYC.

  6. Kudos. I think this is a big (and good) step forward. I produced events in NYC for years. The people ARE the event but if you’ve got a lot of no-shows then the whole dynamic changes.

    No matter what, I always charged for the event, even if just a token amount. It demonstrated a level of commitment on the part of the attendees and no-shows dropped considerably.

    Regardless, PB2 was excellent and I was glad to make the trip from NYC.

  7. Bummed I didn’t make it. Considered signing up, “just in case,” but decided that was very uncool.

    I won’t signup unless I’m pretty sure I’ll be there!

    Now conversely, if I pay a fee, I (just me) feel less likely to have committed to attend.

    Yes, it’s just money, but I can fritter away mine, NOT others.

    I think a modest fee is something organizers should have the ability to consider!

  8. Bummed I didn’t make it. Considered signing up, “just in case,” but decided that was very uncool.

    I won’t signup unless I’m pretty sure I’ll be there!

    Now conversely, if I pay a fee, I (just me) feel less likely to have committed to attend.

    Yes, it’s just money, but I can fritter away mine, NOT others.

    I think a modest fee is something organizers should have the ability to consider!

  9. WordCamp in SF used to be free, but more recently has shifted to charging $25 per attendee and offers a scholarship program for people who cannot afford even that amount.

    That seems more than reasonable as far as fees and policy goes. I don’t see why PodCamp can’t do something similar.

  10. WordCamp in SF used to be free, but more recently has shifted to charging $25 per attendee and offers a scholarship program for people who cannot afford even that amount.

    That seems more than reasonable as far as fees and policy goes. I don’t see why PodCamp can’t do something similar.

  11. Chris, I’m glad to see this change. It will relieve some of the pressure on volunteers and will cut down on no-shows. Good move!

  12. Chris, I’m glad to see this change. It will relieve some of the pressure on volunteers and will cut down on no-shows. Good move!

  13. […] Penn, one of the organizers and creators of PodCamp, announced at the end of PodCamp Boston that the “rules” of PodCamp are […]

  14. Having attended and seen first hand the effort that went into the 2007 event, I was disappointed on your behalf because of the no shows.

    The fee idea is a good one and it needs to have some teeth while not casting out those who live on tighter budgets.

    Most folks can usually part with between 25-50. It equals a night out drinking or eating for most everybody. Its also enough so that folks won’t just dismiss the investment in a Podcamp Fee by not showing up. 5 or10 is ultimately chump change and I don’t think it will have the results you’re targeting.

    While I understand that each city is allowed to set their standard for their fee (as well as whether or not to actually charge) I think it might be best for the brand (Podcamp) to establish a minimum fee if someone is going to charge.

    Thanks again for all your efforts.

    Best always,
    Peter

  15. Chris, we’re now having a debate about this on the Podcamp Toronto Google Group. What I am wondering is this: was there any discussion about why this happened this time out in Boston? We had an estimated 80% attendance rate in Toronto last year, and to the best of recollection no missing presenters. I believe previous Podcamps had similar results. Was this particular Podcamp an anomaly? If so, does it really require a wholesale change in the rules that govern all Podcamps in the future? Are there not instead some lessons and guidelines that might solve the problem?

  16. I think some reflection needs to happen into why there was such a high no show rate. How many blog posts were written on how many people have registered? Or better yet, how many twitters?

    That mind set needs to change to the quality of the presentation from the quantity of participants.

    Isn’t it supposed to be the FREE exchange of ideas!

  17. Having attended and seen first hand the effort that went into the 2007 event, I was disappointed on your behalf because of the no shows.

    The fee idea is a good one and it needs to have some teeth while not casting out those who live on tighter budgets.

    Most folks can usually part with between 25-50. It equals a night out drinking or eating for most everybody. Its also enough so that folks won’t just dismiss the investment in a Podcamp Fee by not showing up. 5 or10 is ultimately chump change and I don’t think it will have the results you’re targeting.

    While I understand that each city is allowed to set their standard for their fee (as well as whether or not to actually charge) I think it might be best for the brand (Podcamp) to establish a minimum fee if someone is going to charge.

    Thanks again for all your efforts.

    Best always,
    Peter

  18. Chris, we’re now having a debate about this on the Podcamp Toronto Google Group. What I am wondering is this: was there any discussion about why this happened this time out in Boston? We had an estimated 80% attendance rate in Toronto last year, and to the best of recollection no missing presenters. I believe previous Podcamps had similar results. Was this particular Podcamp an anomaly? If so, does it really require a wholesale change in the rules that govern all Podcamps in the future? Are there not instead some lessons and guidelines that might solve the problem?

  19. I think some reflection needs to happen into why there was such a high no show rate. How many blog posts were written on how many people have registered? Or better yet, how many twitters?

    That mind set needs to change to the quality of the presentation from the quantity of participants.

    Isn’t it supposed to be the FREE exchange of ideas!

  20. I think you need to charge a nominal fee.
    I think the organizers need to be paid for their time.

    If there are people who can’t afford a small fee, use some of the money for scholarships.

  21. PS if you want to send a few t-shirts to Cambodia, I could arrange that ..
    The kids in the orphanage and Cambodian bloggers would love them!
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/cambodia4kidsorg/sets/72157601862265607/

  22. PS if you want to send a few t-shirts to Cambodia, I could arrange that ..
    The kids in the orphanage and Cambodian bloggers would love them!
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/cambodia4kidsorg/sets/72157601862265607/

  23. I think you need to charge a nominal fee.
    I think the organizers need to be paid for their time.

    If there are people who can’t afford a small fee, use some of the money for scholarships.

  24. I am totally in favor of charging an entrance fee for the next Podcamp and I think it should be more than 20.00. I am in favor of charging at least50.00 for pre-registration and $75.00 for registration at the door. If folks can not afford to pay then they should donate their time and efforts before, during and after the show. This will reduce the strain of lining up sponsors and could help defer the upfront cost required for future events.

    Thank-you to all the Organizers and Contributors, it was a great show.

  25. I am totally in favor of charging an entrance fee for the next Podcamp and I think it should be more than 20.00. I am in favor of charging at least50.00 for pre-registration and $75.00 for registration at the door. If folks can not afford to pay then they should donate their time and efforts before, during and after the show. This will reduce the strain of lining up sponsors and could help defer the upfront cost required for future events.

    Thank-you to all the Organizers and Contributors, it was a great show.

  26. […] decided to revoke the PodCamp Rule Four “All sessions and events must be free of charge to attend”. From now on, PodCamp organizers are […]

  27. If 52% of the people DON’T show up to PodCamp, but 100%+ DO show up to the PodCamp party, then the choice is obvious: Make PodCamp a party and charge a few bucks.

  28. If 52% of the people DON’T show up to PodCamp, but 100%+ DO show up to the PodCamp party, then the choice is obvious: Make PodCamp a party and charge a few bucks.

  29. […] I have no objection to Chris and his fellow co-founder Chris Brogan giving PodCamp organizers the option to charge a nominal registration fee for future unconferences. The result should be a more manageable attendee list and a more accurate […]

  30. […] as I love Chris Penn and Chris Brogan, PodCamp Boston represented epic FAIL in my books. I think both of them would largely agree with me, and little of it was their […]

  31. […] Another rule used to be that all PodCamps needed to be free. However, now it’s more of a suggestion than a rule, and it’s perfectly understandable if you ask […]

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