Report: BlogCamp-2006, Chennai: An Organizer's Story

It was during a Chennai Metblogs meeting that Kiruba first told me about BlogCamp. BarCampers, who had just a few months back conducted Chennai's first BarCamp, a meet for geeks high on Web 2.0, were keen to organize an unconference for bloggers.

I wasn't hooked. I didn't know how I could help. But out of sheer curiosity I met them at Woodlands Drive-in that Sunday at 9.00 a.m.

I had to drastically revise my preconceived notions of the group. Many of them were students, others were geeks, and both sets were wizards at some things and clueless in others. I wasn't totally out of place. During the next few weeks, the meetings were held every Sunday, same place same time.

For the first few weeks, we were really happy organizing. Syed began shooting out mails - inviting bloggers and sponsors to the unconference. I had a creeping feeling that no one was taking us seriously. There was a two-week delay in getting the website up, and we didn't have many sponsors on board.

Kiruba then hosted a vlogger meet, where some 30 of us learnt video blogging. I put up my first video on my blog and wrote my first story for Deccan Chronicle about the blogcamp. All the time doubts were being raised over whether BlogCamp would happen at all.

The dates were still tentative and big money was refusing to flow in. In the meantime, we had to worry about content. We didn't have a venue either. Tidel Park, where the event was finally held, we feared would be too expensive.

Then Dina Mehta, Neha Vishwanathan and Peter Griffin came on board. Griffin was our wiki gardner (he did a lot more than that), and mails began flowing back and forth on the Google group we had set up about the content.

After a couple of low weeks when everyone had a worried look on their face, there was a turnaround. One Sunday, for no good reason, we sat and talked for about five to six hours and visited 'broken bridge' in Besant Nagar. I came back to office that day on a high and made detailed minutes to be put up on the wiki.

The next week, the meeting moved to Syed's office near Devi Theatres. From then on there was no looking back. We hit the brass tracks and stayed there. Meanwhile, CNN-IBN and Telegraph covered BlogCamp. The Hindu promised us coverage.

A brainstorming session came up with definite ideas about how to approach sponsors. The content team had come up with the 'Living the Blog' theme. Sessions were being scheduled online. Suddenly in the last three weeks, there was a rush of people who were registering for BlogCamp. People showed up on Google groups and shared their expertise.

In every mail to the groups, Kiruba would write: Guys, lets go kick arse. Or something close to that.

One day we did. Yahoo! - in the earlier stages we didn't even consider them - grabbed the Platinum Sponsorship. I wasn't elated. What I felt was more close to relief. I came back from BlogCamp still in admiration of the enthusiasm the volunteers had shown. They are too numerous to name here. I don't have many words to capture the passion and the hard work that went behind the event.

But, I do think we kicked some serious arse.

Like BlogCamp or hate it, you can't dislike the people who organized it.