This weekend is Biocamp, an informal community participatory unconference addressing biotechnology in Houston. Leading up to Biocamp over the course of the week several events bring together the members of the biotechnology, medical device, and chemical therapeutic communities. Warm up over the week by meeting some of these people in a relaxing atmosphere and end your week with the main event.

Biocamp is focused on Houston’s biotech sphere and all the shapes and sizes that make up that community. This is a monumental event for Houston to be holding one of the first Biocamps in the nation and we are looking forward to such a transformative event. Biocamp is a different conference than any other science conference because the primary goals are transparency, communication, openness and sharing between the community. Instead of being focused on delivering the current research progress in a specfic thrust, this conference is a state of the union sort, being a better forum for a review presentation on the state of research in a particular vein or an overview of the climate of biotechnology in light of the recent economic situation. To help maximize your Biocamp experience, here are some tips for attending the conference.

How to speak at Biocamp

This is the easiest part. no abstract submissions, no review panel. Simply arrive at the conference in the morning. Check out the presentation board which will have a grid with rooms and times. Put your name and presentation title into any open slot. Note, if you do not arrive early you may not have the opportunity to speak on a given topic. Remember that your topic should be accessible to the general public which in itself should exercise your communication skills.

What to expect at Biocamp

The attendees of the conference should be people in the biotech industry, academics, students, venture capitalists, angel investors, and science enthusiasts. While the talks at regular science conferences are usually hyper-specific, these talks will probably be bigger picture and survey the state of a field rather than dissect a current study. Expect the equivalent of a review paper in presentation form for the conference. Look for investors to give talks about what they’re promoting right now and what they’re looking for in the future.

What this conference could do for your career

If a standard career parth is starting to make you nervous, this conference is a good step towards an alternate path. Community members who usually attend unconferences of this sort are usually more open to change, welcome especially in a firm discipline such as science. Meeting people in your community who think alike could be the first step to launch a company, start a science non-profit, explore your educator interests, or meet people who are doing things that you might think are cool and innovative.

The Goals of Biocamp

Unconferences of this sort are a great way to discuss the arc or direction that a particular community is moving towards. With respect to the Houston biotech community, a meeting of the minds and sharing session will help everyone to discover the state of the community and unique challenges that we face in Houston and elsewhere.

Meetings of this sort can share knowledge that would otherwise be locked up in specific institutions, laboratories or with individuals. Those with a trend of openness and sharing will come away with great returns and those with an open mind will come away with a great deal learned about the community in general and the people who make up the community itself.

The full list of Bioweekend activities:

• Houston Startup Happy Hour and BioWeekend Kick-off Party the BioWeekend festivities kickoff at Saute Bistro with the help of Startup Houston and the Houston Technology Center. April 2, 2009 from 6pm to 9pm at Saute Bistro, 2303 Richmond Ave.
• 6th Annual BioHouston Chili Cook-Off The BioHouston Chili Cook-Off is more than just chili – it brings the life science community together. BioHouston invites you to join us on April 3rd for the 6th annual day of fun in the sun, full of prizes and everyone’s favorite–CHILI! April 3, 2009 from 12pm to 5pmat BioHouston, 2555 Holly Hall St., Ste. 100
• BioCamp The main event. BioCamp Houston ’09 is an informal, participatory, unconference BarCamp event to bring college/graduate students, postgraduate trainees, junior academic faculty, entrepreneurs, would be entrepreneurs and inventors as well as, technology champions from the Greater Houston area together to learn and network. April 4, 2009 from 9am to 4pm at Keck Hall on Rice Campus, 6100 Main Street
• BioWeekend Closing Reception Immediately following BioCamp Houston ’09, the after party is at Vallhala right next door to the conference. Join us for a few drinks and a final adieu. April 4, 2009 from 4pm til 9pm at Vahalla in Keck Hall on Rice Campus

As a community based education model, Bandcamp has been a resounding success. Sessions are led by experts in the particular topic but the open discussion format results in information sharing about some of the best practices and experiences other artists have learned from. Bandcamp organizers have also recently begun to offer one-on-one consultation sessions with bands looking for extra guidance. Regular attendees have reported that Bandcamp has resulted in more gigs, better online presence and a new and richer relationships with members of the Houston Music Community.

Bandcamp’s success is a demonstration of the power of community based education models and what can result from open forums for discussion and idea sharing that ultimately create opportunities for individuals and groups to be more successful. The best part about these models is that they can work for any genre or specialization. For that reason we’ve decided to hold a similar event but this time focused on the Houston Arts Community.

Join us this Saturday, February 28th for ArtCamp. Artcamp is an informal, community-based event to discuss the state of the arts in Houston and develop an informed strategy on how we can collectively support our arts community. The format is open and decided upon by those in attendance but we have several goals that we will achieve through open discussion and peer-to-peer educational sessions:

• Inform participants of available resources online and offline
• Share best practices among organizations, including audience development, fundraising, board and volunteer recruitment, and online outreach
• Share best practices among artists, such as developing their careers, promoting themselves and their work, obtaining gallery representation, and building an online presence

The schedule for the day will include educational sessions and a townhall discussion section just like at Bandcamp. Through this discussion we hope to determine the difficulties that local artists and members of the art community experience, the common solutions to problems, and voice concerns, comments and suggestions for improvement. The final session of the day will be a focused townhall discussion proposing sustainable solutions to educate and deliver resources to members of the community to ensure the improved success and continued communication at all levels.

Check out this great quote about ArtCamp from co-organizer Grace Rodriguez of AYN Brand:

The trigger for this event was Wayne Dolcefino’s scathing editorial (disguised as an investigative report) that derided funding for the arts in Houston. Members and supporters of our arts community were appalled at the lack of factual context and objectivity in his broadcast; and were disappointed that private objection to Dolcefino’s “reports” were not reflected in a unified voice, publicly. Several of us recognized that we need to facilitate better communication and improve relationships among the various arts organizations, stakeholders, and supporters to strengthen our community, so that we could disseminate information and correct misunderstandings more quickly in the future.

We hope to bring the general public and arts supporters together with those directly involved in the arts community to discuss the state of the arts in Houston, share best practices, and develop strategies on how we can *collectively* support and contribute to our arts community. Basically, we want everyone who “hearts” art to get to know each other and figure out how we can best vitalize and support our cultural community.

The signup and event listing is here: http://barcamp.org/ArtCampHouston

For more information, please contact Matthew Wettergreen at mwettergreen@gmail.com or Grace Rodriguez at grace@aynbrand.com.

These speakers gave firm advice on the career for a burgeoning musician or band. They spoke to the determination and the perseverance required to sustain themselves in an admittedly difficult field to achieve even modest success. Dan and Ross spoke about how to develop new tricks for an old game and how to own the concept that your home turf of Houston has something important to offer: “Houston is the shit!” Heather explained that the trick to PR is simply relationships and that if you aren’t talking to people in your community, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Dennis told us “Not to be a dick” by exhibiting professionalism and how that can parlay into future connections among 1st and 2nd degree connections. Paris brought a crew from his management team who spoke of street level promotion as well as inspired the passion required to adapt and continue to introduce yourself to new groups and push through a headwind.  These speakers got everyone sufficiently wound up and ready to provide their own voice and that’s where everyone bared their soul.

People came to Bandcamp expecting firm take aways. After all, we billed the event as a place that, among other things, would be a meeting where you could learn how to book a tour, promote online and offline and discuss management etc. People wanted to be told what to do. The speaking points that met these expectations were apparent, you could chart them with the audible clicks of pens and the visual blur of multiple wrists on paper. Ultimately though, the speakers inspired people to contribute their own thoughts and in the townhall discussion, there was an outpouring.

By the time we got to the townhall portion there was still a respectable crowd, I’d estimate 75 or so, even with the uncomfortably warm environment of the coworking space (thanks for your temperance). For the next two hours (with only one break) we discussed what the Houston Music Community needs and what it could use. There were so many great ideas and many of them were discussed for an ample amount of time with all parties given the chance to weigh in. Sometimes it was unanimous, sometimes there were differing opinions. It was refreshing to see so many people talking about the Houston Music Community. People were there to listen. People were there to contribute. People were NOT there to bitch. The positive energy generated on Sunday is still energizing musicians through the week, as measured by emails and personal communication about the event and looking forward.

What’s next was decided by everyone remaining in attendance. Democratically decided by those who stayed to contribute and participate. Something sustainable and community focused with an eye on peer to peer education. We ALL decided to capitalize upon the energy of the first Bandcamp with regular education sessions addressing ONE skill per session, ONCE a month. With local experts teaching each session. And a mentoring session that following each teaching session where any experts in attendance mentor and reinforce the lesson with advice and planning.

The first session of its kind will be Bandcamp: OFFLINE PROMOTION and will be held on November 2nd from 1-3pm at Caroline Collective. The leaders of the session will be Kerry Melonson of Satin Hooks and B-Boy Craig. Future sessions will be decided by those in attendance at the 11/2 event. Links to the event will be posted in the coming days.

Philip, Ian and I would like to thank sponsors Eventbee, Free Press Houston; the speakers: Dan Workman, Ross Wells, Heather Wagner, Dennis Lee, Paris Eley, Tiffany Cofield, and Erin Stevenson; the music writers of Houston that supported this event especially those in attendance: Chris Gray of the Houston Press, David Cobb of Houston Calling, Jeremy Hart of Space City Rock, Ramon Medina of Free Press Houston, Justin Crane of NonAlignment Pact and Andrew Dansby of the Houston Chronicle. Final thanks goes to those participants of the event who took an active role in the direction for the future of the Houston Music Community.