How many of you have heard of a Real Estate Bar Camp?
I recently attended my third one in Scottsdale, AZ on April 9, 2010 and was amazed at all the great content and networking that I got for FREE! So what say you is a Bar Camp? Basically, bar camps started in other industries and recently, within less than two years, the real estate industry has taken the idea and applied it to their needs. A Bar Camp is in a word an "un-conference." There is no set agenda, no set speakers!
The first REBarCamp was set prior to the Inman Connect Conference in San Francisco in the early fall of 2008. To date, there have been dozens held throughout the country from Portland to Miami and Minnesota to Raleigh/Durham. The events are coordinated by locals - REALTORS, lenders, title reps - and are successful not only because of their long hours, days, weeks and months of hard work but in conjunction with the many sponsors. Because of the sponsors, they are able to get the venue, name badges, refreshments, and even lunches to offer all the attendees at no cost.
No Agenda, no set Speakers? How can this possibly work?
Simple (well after all the hard work the organizers have put in)! Everyone shows up and the big, empty whiteboard is rolled out with only a grid with times and rooms along the sides. Attendees with a passion towards video blogging, photography, Twitter, SEO, niche marketing, etc grab a pen, pick a square and voila - a session has been set! They act as the moderator, not the instructor. Everyone gathers and interacts discussing and asking questions. In the end, everyone, including the moderator, comes out with a new idea or thought.
In Phoenix there were of 475 attendees. A lot of these came from the Valley, but there were many others who came from around the country just for this event. Bill Lublin came from Philly, Melissa DelGaudio came from West Virginia, Missy Kitzman came from South Dakota, Mike Mueller came from Central California. A lot of us have created friendships online through Social Media and use these events to get together 'in the real world' to network and have fun.
If you see a REBarCamp come anywhere close to where you are STOP, REGISTER, and ATTEND.
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