Ignite Bloomington

We have a lot of great presentations lined up for this event.

Carter Makice – The Stuff in My Utility Belt
Jenn Hileman – It’s How You Say It. . . .
Steve Charlesworth –  Anyone can Cook – The Arduino and Physical Computing
Gagan (@urbanturbanguy) – Online, Social Contract of Value
Steve Volan – How I Learned to Stop Kvetching and Love The Gavel
Christian Briggs and Jenna McWilliams – (working) The Social Beat
Joseph Baird – Bricolage: Studies in Resourcefulness
Daniel Poynter –  Six Degrees of Awesome

We will also hear from Bryan Cogswell about his favorite Supreme Court decisions and Matt Hunckler on cloud computing and entrepreneurship.

Reserve your tickets now!

I’d like to remind all of you (again) to submit your name and topic for Ignite Bloominton 2.  I have spoken to quite a few people who have great ideas for presenting, and there are a few spots left. We are accepting proposals through Saturday, March 20th – that’s just 6 days away!

There are a few questions that keep popping up:

I think I have a good idea but it is still really rough. . . .
Right now we just need your name and a few pieces of information, not a copy of the full presentation. You still have time to percolate on that great idea and refine your presentation.

I have an idea but I am not sure that anyone will be interested in it. . . .
I think people are naturally curious – they want to hear about your idea. If you think you have a good idea for a presentation, you are probably right. Take that idea, come up with a few key points and voila, you have an Ignite presentation. Keep it in mind that people like enthusiasm and we are hoping you will talk about something you are passionate about, something that you can get excited about. If you pick a topic you love, it will be something folks are interested in.

I am not sure that I will be a good presenter. . . .
Well, if you’re asking my opinion. . . I think we are all storytellers. Humans talk about stuff and that is how we share information, create culture and learn. It’s in there, you can do this! If you are nervous about presenting I would encourage you to remember three things:

• First – presenting is a skill that you learn. You listen to other people, you get out there and practice, and you get better at it. The very best speakers have learned a skill and practiced it over and over again. Think back to being born – we can’t speak a single coherent syllable when we are born. It’s all cooing and grunting and crying. We learn to make words and sentences and then we learn how to use this shared vocabulary and grammar to communicate an idea to another person. Telling a story to a group is part of this learning process.
  Second – some of the very best performers and speakers are nervous every time they get on stage. There is a little trick I learned a long time ago – it’s the performer who goes out on stage, not me. I create this mental separation between the two and it is the only way I can stand up in front of hundreds or thousands of people and have them all looking at me. Luckily there won’t be thousands of people at our Ignite event, but you get what I am saying, right?
  Third – the people at Ignite want to hear what you have to say. I am gonna repeat that – they are there to see people (people just like them) get up on stage and speak! No one is going to write a scathing criticism of your presentation, no rotten tomatoes will be thrown. We are all friends who want to have fun!

I have never done it before. . . .
Gonna go back to the kid thing – I was never born before, but I did it. I never walked before, but I started trying and now I can walk for miles. There was a first time that I used a computer, the first time I climbed a mountain, the first time I got up in front of a full room and told them a story. This is your opportunity to cross ‘public speaking’ off your to-do list. Now that I think about it – this might be one of the best reasons ever for you to present at Ignite Bloomington 2.

Send in your idea by Saturday, March 20th!

Let me know what other questions you have about presenting and get those fabulous ideas sent in!

It’s that time! Ignite Bloomington 2 will take place on March 30, 2010 at The Funny Bone. We are currently accepting proposals from folks who would like to present at the event. Please keep in mind that Ignite is focused on sharing your passion. It is an opportunity to tell the world about something you are fascinated with. Self-promotional, shoe salesman type stuff is not what we are hoping to see. We will reject proposals that are self-promoting or selling something in favor of those that show passion and a genuine obsession with a topic. Submit your proposal now!