Sometimes, you get what you pay for.
And sometimes, you get far far more.
You get a job. A great new employee. An important contact. New business. The tip that helps you solve that problem that’s been keeping you up at night. New friends. Connections. An answer to a question. Or the confirmation that the problem’s bigger than we all might have realized (which, amazingly enough, helps you sleep better at night knowing you’re not out there alone in the wilderness by yourself.)
All this plus breakfast. Plus lunch. Plus snacks (cookies, even, if you’re really lucky.) And that all-important social lubricant: beer.
All this for the bargain basement price of: free. Free? Really?
Yes, really. You see, the Legion of Tech (the non-profit, all-volunteer group behind events like Ignite, BarCamp, WhereCamp and more) doesn’t charge to attend their events. Instead, they want to make sure they’re accessible, so events are always free. Instead, LoT pays for the food and the beverages and the cookies and the rental space by getting sponsors to subsidize the cost. (Then, there’s putting the events together — also done by an all-volunteer team with lives and jobs and families and loved ones.)
This year, though — while there are always people ready to whip out their checkbooks to help sponsor LoT events (and bless them for that!) — well, this upcoming BarCamp (scheduled for May 1-2 at CubeSpace) could use some love. (What is BarCamp, you wonder? See this Wikipedia page for a better explanation than I can give here…)
So if you’ve ever attended (or spoken at) Ignite Portland and had an amazing time? Pay it forward. Found a job (or a gig, or a new client) at last year’s BarCamp? Volunteer at this year’s event. Can’t be there, but have a connection to a sponsor, or someone who can donate food or snacks? Let Legion of Tech know.
This post gives you all the details: Donate, Volunteer or Sponsor to Help Make BarCampPortland a Success.
(Full disclosure ahead)
Yes, I’m on the Legion of Tech Advisory Board (so much for the notion that they just wanted my ‘advice’, no?) And yes, I’ll be going to BarCamp myself. But I’ll be volunteering at BarCamp as well. And I’m willing to put my money where my mouth is and kick in a hundred bucks on behalf of OurPDX (massively cashflow-negative operation that it is, heh) to help support BarCamp.
Can you help, too?
{ 1 comment }
Thanks for posting this. And the kind words.
I’ve got a post of a similar ilk that I’ve been struggling to write. This post said what I was trying to say far better–and far more briefly–than I could.
But I’ll still try to finish it up.
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