Andy Kaufman is not only a real estate agent in the San Francisco Bay area, he is also one of the founders of REBarCamp. I asked him to join RETV before Christmas to discuss the past, present and future of REBarCamps. Our schedules did not align until this week, but that difficulty in scheduling turned out to be a blessing because we were able to build off a discussion Rob Hahn started on his blog just a few days earlier.
And and I sat down and discussed:
- How did REBarCamp start
- Has it got to big?
- Does it still meet the goals of the original BarCamp?
- Does it matter if it doesn’t?
- What advice does he have for BarCamp organizers?
Photo credits AndyKaufman via Flickr
Thanks for having me on Dean.
To clarify what I butchered on the video. I tell new organizers these three things.
1. The venue & lunch are going to be your biggest items to nail down. Once you’ve accounted for these two, the planning really comes into focus.
2. Focus on creating an environment that encourages interaction and make sure you’re participants know that the sessions should be collaborative rather than one way presentations.
3. Keep it simple. Some of the best REBC events are the ones with the least number of bells & whistles. Also, if you’re running around like crazy all day, you’ll miss out on what you worked so hard to create.