BarCamp Omaha reflections
I can honestly say BarCamp Omaha was like nothing I'd ever attended. Right from the get-go, there was this indescribable energy pulsing through every rafter of the Nomad Lounge.
Maybe it was all that collective entrepreneurial brainpower. It also could have been the nigh inexhaustible supply of free Red Bull Cola.
At any rate, there were innovations aplenty at BCO, and I did my best to document my favorites. Anyone who claims there are no new ideas just isn't looking hard enough.
The first revolutionary concept belonged to Peter Thomas, a man practically taking out a hit on online ticket vendors, such as TicketMaster.
Along with a few friends, he plans to launch his startup Show Ignitor very soon, a company that hopes to take the third party out of concerts by connecting bands directly to their fans.
Watch the video below for a more in-depth look at Thomas' master plan!
There's that old saying, "Don't reinvent the wheel." While it's true that some of the greatest innovators made something out of nothing, there's something to be said for a person who can find new uses for existing technology.
Joe Frost is integrating Twitter into his business model, hoping to take the social media tool's utility to the next level. His newest venture Tweet While You Eat lets diners sound off to all their Twitter followers about whatever meal they happen to be enjoying, and receive tasty rewards for it.
Check out the video below for more information about Tweet While You Eat!
Admittedly, I found myself in the creative's corner for the lion's share of BarCamp. Something about their optimism and bold ways of thinking was highly infectious.
And as something of a technophile, I spent a generous portion of my weekend in the technology corner, as well. The presentations I took in blew my mind, not because the tech itself was so amazing, but because they showed me applications of existing technology I'd never even considered.
I'm afraid that's all the videos I have, but trust me: Everything I encountered at BarCamp was well worth seeing.
ARCHIVED COMMENTS
Thanks for that interview, Adam! The shadow on me kind of reminds me of Batman's Two-Face. I also recall both you and me trying to control our shivering while you filmed outside...good times.
I had a blast at BCO and after my talk, in addition to talking with people like Matt Linder and John Henry Müller (@johnhenrymuller) who were optimistic about the ShowIgniter application, I also got a huge benefit from talking to those with a more skeptical take like Brad Wogsland and Alexander Grgurich.
There were several good points made critical of the model but two that we're working on in particular are switching from the inaccurate claim that ShowIgniter eliminates the need for a middleman to focusing on being the best middleman possible and secondly going out of our way to demonstrate that it's not about bliking "bands out of profits".
We're planning to host a more interactive talk at Highlight Midwest next week about the state of live music and where tools like ShowIgniter, kickstarter.com, fundable.com, and others fit in. We also have some shows lined up for December that actually use the technology!
Thanks again.