Commscamp – the annual unconference for communications-types in and around the public sector. I went, I found it hard to choose between the sessions on offer, I listened to interesting people talk about a host of communications topics, I ate cake.
What did I learn?
- the organising team make running an unconference look easy, which takes huge skill considering the amount of time and effort they must have put in to pull everything together – huge round of applause to them all, especially for the work that means tickets are free
- the more you pitch sessions, the less nerve-wracking it gets – feel the fear and do it anyway
- it is impossible to get to all of the sessions you’d like to at an unconference
- I love that nobody is ‘just’ anything, you are you and know your stuff whatever your job title may be
- there are plenty of people out there giving things a try and they’re happy to share their learning
- you will never have time to speak to all of the people that you’d like to, and it’s hard to use real names if you know someone by their twitter handle
- that I can’t condense what I heard in the sessions I attended into one post, so have captured bulletpoints from:
- the unconference format is one I enjoy, and I’m going to find it increasingly difficult to go to traditional conferences and just sit and listen
- I wish there was something similar in East Anglia, and I’m working up the courage to sound people out about viability – starting small
- Pimms cupcakes are pretty easy to make and very tasty indeed