I elalborate more on this audiance theme here if anyone cares to follow it.

http://steves2cents.blogspot.com/2006/10/fire-circle-story.html

On a tangent, this got me thinking about the arts and sports industries. Does the fact that rock concerts, orchestra and theatre performances, and major sporting events take place on evenings and weekends make them hobbies and diminish them as businesses?

Mark

Thanks,
Jay Moonah
PodCamp Toronto Co-organizer
member of Podsafe band Uncle Seth

To make matters more interesting, podcasting is one of those things that can be done effectively by big business and by individuals as a hobby (and all in between). And it is - regularly. It can be big business. It can be a hobby. It can be both.

I don’t think it is wrong to keep the dual perception (hobby and business) because it is accurate. It depends on who is doing the podcasting.

Now - should you have events that address them jointly? separately? I don’t know since I am not a new media type. I’m just a finance guy

–Marco

I have to wonder how much experience you have in attenting trade shows in the world of communications? Did you know that most of the CableTV industry grew up in the United States by hosting their events and their core meetings over the weekend? Sure, this year the National Cable Show is taking place on a Mon-Wed but all of the important meetings take place over the weekend.
The CES is famous for holding court over the weekend. Same can be said about the annual PTC events in Honolulu. To be totally dismissive about an industry sector soley based on the timing of a meeting means you are missing out on the real opportunity presented.

And to Whitney’s point - I’m happy to co-host a Summer PodCamp that takes place during the week and see where we go from there. It would be “Summer Camp” for those so inclined for some fun. But that’s what I thought some look at Burning Man for. Burning Man Long Island would never be as much fun…

Reality is that unconferences don’t charge and are organized by volunteers. This is grassroots, this is a passion over profit enterprise.

And I, too, am on my way to Toronto for my second Podcamp, and I would move heaven and Earth to attend, because it’s THAT important. I’ve scheduled the time we spend for the kids’ spring break around hitting NYC April 6 & 7 for Podcamp NYC and have helped organize it from a distance. Why? because if you are serious about podcasting and new media, you have to get to know your peers. We all sit in these little rooms with our computers and mics,but if this is social media, people, we need to actually get to know others, what they’re doing differently and share.

Or we can continue to treat our podcasting like a hobby, like that novel that sits in the drawer, and never take the risks necessary to expand our horizons and make our podcasting a priority.
It may have a name that sounds like a geeks & freaks convention, but there is not a more serious or worthwhile conference you can attend. And the price is right.
Who knows? Maybe more podcast and social media conferences will proliferate- and they certainly will cost more to attend.

But Dave, while I agree making it like a ‘regular conference’ might get some different people to attend, I think giving up weekend time to pursue your passions is identical whether you work in a woodshop, knit, or paint on weekends. If it matters enough to you, you’ll make it happen.