Building Out Informal Tech Meets
At this time of year, we reach that seasonal pivot point, when Winter retracts into the cold, dark recesses of our memories and Spring strides forth with promise. Just like the turning of the season, the Irish technology community stands at a nexus. We have formal technology events, but what about those social ones that Silicon Valley does so well?
So much has been said about the establishment of organisations and formal get-together for technology people to mix and network. And that’s a great thing. With each passing week, I watch with wonder as OpenCoffees happen, TechLudds are being planned or an industry group decide to hold a mixer. They are a great outlet to network, but no matter how one tries to stir it, these events are essentially business events. “Hi, here’s my card. I do such and such”. Not a thing wrong there. But shouldn’t we be seeding a real Silicon Valley spirit also? Include those informal events where people dip in and out? No pressure, no sales pitch, no business cards. That’s where the idea of a Tweetup came from. Just socialising. Hanging out and having a little food. Perhaps a drink or too. No scripts, no prescribed subjects. Just chatter.
So, I was really impressed this past weekend when Anton decided to take the bull by the horns and kick off another Blogger Coffee Limerick. I put together the last one, but it’s even sweeter to see Limerick take ownership of it’s own informal coffee meet for bloggers. The great thing that Anton and the rest of the coffee crew realised was that the meet was an open forum for anything. Politics, sport, health, education. It was life over a cuppa. I would heartily recommend that other cities and towns around the country kick off their own Blogger Coffee meets just like Limerick has. Even if it’s just a pair of you in a greasy spoon. And Limerick people, get in contact with Anton. Go to Blogger Coffee, blog about it and make it something special. Anton has the seed, let’s see it blossom.
February 11th, 2008 at 11:31 am
Fair play to yourself and Antoin for pushing this forward. It should be noted though that OpenCoffee Limerick has been more informal than you might think. I’ve only been given business cards there when I asked for them, I’ve never been given a sales pitch there and Antoin and myself spent much of one in November talking about football
February 11th, 2008 at 11:36 am
@James: Perhaps they are, but you can’t deny the fact that they are held during the work day. Something that makes it impossible for those with 9-5s to attend.
February 11th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
[...] night that I’ve decided try to get another one going. I really enjoyed the last one and as Alexia points out it was really a slice of life over a cup of coffee. There was no emphasis at all on technology [...]
February 11th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
@Alexia agreed, their daytime setting does tend to narrow down the field of attendees to the self-employed or those with very flexible employment. I just wouldn’t want those who haven’t attended getting the wrong impression that it’s all about sales pitches and pushing business cards.
February 11th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
@James It’s not all business cards and sales pitches, but a fair degree of it is. At least in the Dublin one I went to. Essentially, OC is all about business getting done, but Blogger Coffee doesn’t have that goal. It’s an extra if business gets done. Something value added.