Reflecting on the NewComm Forum

I am finally getting around to reading what people were writing and talking about via blogs and podcasts at the Forum, and commenting madly. I am not done yet, but I had to stop for moment and record the state of mind I am in.

It is hard to write about this because it sounds rather self-promoting, but I'll give it a go anyways, and hope you forgive me if I have overstepped the bounds. 

In some ways I am shocked and stunned by the tremendous outpouring of support for our little conference.  I had to pinch myself onsite when I looked around the room and saw so many amazing people there.  People I have admired, argued with and shared years-long conversations with.  And they were there because I asked them to be or they volunteered to share their thoughts with our audience.

A little history.  The Forum was born a couple of years ago out of a mix of frustration and audacity.  The frustration was two-fold: the first was that established conferences in the comms field seemed uninterested in new technologies while those of us who were early adopters saw in them a potential revolution.  Second, and more self-interestedly, I really wanted to start speaking at conferences, but wasn't getting invited as I had no speaking experience.  So why not launch our own conference, I thought?  In fact, Jen McClure and I had been talking about doing a conference for a long time, and the timing just seemed right.  With the support of Guillaume du Gardier and others, we decided to give it a whirl.

That is where the audacity came in.  With no corporate backers or major sponsors, we just decided to bootstrap it and see what happened.  With roughly 90 people at our first event, we put a stake in the ground, received great feedback and launched our reputations.   When people started asking us when the 2006 Forum would be held we decided, (with a bit of anxiety, honestly) to go for it. Last October we started pulling it together and last week roughly 190 people gathered together to talk about, share experiences, and learn about participatory communications.  The initial feedback has been great.

It is really amazing what can happen when you ignore the nay-sayers and just do something.  Yes, there was anxiety, sweat and not-a-few tears, but the result was worth it.

So what does the future hold?  Certainly more events and other endeavors.  We wrapped the Forum into the Society for New Communications Research (as we wrapped in the New Communications Review a few weeks ago).  That means we won't be going it alone anymore, which is great, as the conference is really too big now for two people plus an intern and some volunteers to program and produce.  We'll be asking many of you to get involved, so stay tuned here or at the Review.

I want to thank my network of friends and colleagues who have supported me through reading and commenting here, speaking at or attending our events, and offering moral support throughout the last couple of years.  None of this would have happened without you.

Comments

[George Carson]

I congratulate you on taking the chance with the forum. As you can see, communications needed this. Although I just found out about this, I look forward to possibly attending next years forum.

[Guillaume du Gardier]

Congratulations my dear friend, I am very happy for you, you made it great, I'll never forget the time we've been working together on the first edition of NewCommForum, wish you the best for the next edition !

[Mason Cole]

However you did it, you did a great job. I loved the event. Wish I'd been to the first one, too.

[Jen McClure]

Hi all -

Well, I am also finally feeling almost caught up after the Forum, and am - like Elizabeth - stunned, humbled and honored by the many positive blog posts, emails, podcasts, video blogging and comments via the Buzzaphone (http://www.buzzophone.com/newcomm/) - thanks Matt Galloway! :-) What a great idea!

It's seems like life has been a whirlwind since October of 2004 when I suggested to Elizabeth that we "just launch our own conference." From that brazen decision sprang not only a promising and growing event, but also New Communications Review (formerly New Communications Blogzine) and the Society for New Communications Research. But most importantly, what has resulted over the last year-and-a-half are new relationships, new friendships, new colleagues and new opportunities for discussion, debate and collaboration with an ever-widening group of really interesting, experienced, smart and wonderful people. Thank you all so much for taking part in this and helping to make it a success. We appreciate your interest, help and support!

I really do want to thank all our sponsors who helped make this year's NewComm Forum possible: Eastwick Communications, Kontiki, Performancing, PRNewswire/ProfNet, qtags, Socialtext, Tekrati, Voce Communications and Stormhoek Wine. (Thanks to David Parmet for arranging that!)

Thanks also to all of our wonderful speakers and instructors - way too numerous to mention - but I think it was absolutely the best, most comprehensive group of apeakers anywhere!

Many thanks go out to Dan Karleen who did an incredible job live-blogging the event on NewComm Review, to Shel Holtz and Neville Hobson for recording an onsite version of For Immediate Release at the conference, and to Eric Schwartzman for all the onsite podcast interviews he conducted with our speakers, and to everyone else involved. I am sure I am forgetting someone, and I apologize!

I am very excited about the fact that New Communications Review and the New Communications Forum will be produced and managed by the Society for New Communications Research. For one thing, it will, as Elizabeth said, be nice to have more help! :-) But really, an event or a publication is only as strong as the content and participation that comprise it. Having the many fine minds that are a part of the SNCR working together will surely result in an even more valuable blog and conference. I look forward to seeing this evolution and hope you do as well.

I hope to see everyone again next year at NewComm Forum '07, if not before at our Fall Research Symposium & Awards Celebration, or at some other wondeful industry event!

(And, if you attended the Forum, and haven't completed the online survey yet, please go do it - we want to hear from you so we can make next year's event even better!)

Best wishes and many thanks to all -

Jen

[Jen McClure]

Oh yeah, I am an idiot and I did forget some people I wanted to thank - two of my dearest friends - both of whom I could not live without! Lisa Fletcher and, of course, my husband Dave. From early morning and late night meetings to help with marketing and promotion, website development, registration, carrying boxes, stuffing attendee kits, and more tasks than I could possibly list, they were there (as was sometimes my 4-year old who is a phenome when it comes to stamps, stickers or stuffing attendee kits!) Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[Lisa Fletcher]

Jen, you are very welcome. I think I speak on behalf of Elizabeth and everyone who follows your lead with the forum, the society and the review: It is a pleasure being a part of your vision and thank YOU for letting us be a part of your projects.