Biznik Blog

As Biznik’s grown over the past year, Lara and I have been thinking: wouldn’t it be cool if there were a conference here in Seattle designed from the ground up for bootstrapping entrepreneurs and indie professionals? A conference where people like us could get together for one really long day of learning, connecting, strutting our stuff and just plain having fun with people who share the same challenges and opportunities as we do? We’ve decided to organize that conference. And since it’ll be a mix of serious business and serious fun, we’ve decided to call it BizJam. As you might guess, it won’t be like any other business conference you’ve ever attended. Here’s the scoop:

BizJam is a radically different kind of business conference: a hybrid between an unconference (organized by attendees) and a traditional conference (organized by, well, organizers). BizJam will feature speakers, panels, and “JamSessions” designed to help bootstrapping entrepreneurs acquire the skills and make the connections they need to survive and thrive. It will be held in Seattle at two locations on June 9th, 2007. Best-selling O’Reilly author Scott Berkun, author of The Myths of Innovation (Published by O’Reilly, May 1 2007), will deliver a keynote presentation about innovation. The rest of the day will be filled with 20+ JamSessions and panel discussions, many of which will be organized in advance by you, the participants.

Confirmed speakers include DL Byron, Shelly Farnham, Ron Sukenick, Madeline Bailey and Internet broadcasting pioneer Scott Bourne.

And that’s just the beginning. The evening portion of the event will kick off at 7pm with a fast-paced Ask Later slide jam organized by Brady Forrest, co-founder of Ignite Seattle. Next up: an awards presention spotlighting the most innovative Seattle indie business people, followed by a fashion show presenting the work of Seattle indie fashion designers. The climax of the evening will be a party featuring the talents of Seattle indie DJs. It’s going to rock.

But what’s really cool about BizJam? You. About half the JamSessions and panel discussions - and all of the evening presentations - will be created by you, the conference attendees. Here’s three ways to get involved:

1. Propose a panel discussion.
2. Propose a JamSession.
3. Propose an Ask Later evening presentation.

To learn more and get started, visit http://www.seattlebizjam.com/you/.

Secure online registration begins today at http://www.seattlebizjam.com/registration/. Register before March 31 and save up to $50.

BizJam needs volunteers to make this a smooth-running event. Send an email to volunteers [at] seattlebizjam.com to learn more. And thanks for being part of this kick-ass community!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 27th, 2007 at 12:05 pm and is filed under News. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.