The REBCNY After-Party (or pre-Inman Party)

The after-party for REBarCamp NYC has been set.  This party is open to anyone who will be in town for REBarCamp or for Inman Connect.

Where: Aspen Social Club (Twitter: @aspensocialclub)

157 West 47th Street,
New York, NY 10036
(212) 221-7200

When: Tuesday, Jan 12th, starting at 10PM

What: Drink specials for #REBCNY Attendees — $5 beers / $7 wine / $9 cocktails

After a full-day of stuffing your brains with knowledge and collaborating with other attendees, come join us for a drink or five.

Discounts to Inman Connect (#ICNY) for REBarCamp Attendees

So Inman News first steps up with the key sponsorship for REBarCamp NY by providing us the venue; without them, it would have been magnitudes more difficult to have a REBCNY10.

Then they decide to be super-duper nice and offer a discount to REBCNY attendees.  How cool is that?

If you’d like to take advantage of the offer, go register HERE and use the promo code: REBLOG.  The rate is $499 for the full conference ($399 if you’re an Inman Premium Member) — savings of almost $500 from $939 and $839 respectively.

Especially if you’re new to the real estate technology scene, Inman Connect is worth checking out — even if you’ve had a full day of REBarCamp fun.

Thanks again to Inman News and its peeps!

-rsh

Sponsorship Info

Every REBarCamp depends on the generosity of companies willing to sponsor it, so that everyone can attend at no cost.  We are no different.

Already, we have had companies step up generously, the most important of which is Inman who is providing the space for REBarCamp NY at no charge.

Other companies, such as Redfin, Trulia, Coldwell Banker, and Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, have already committed to sponsoring REBarcamp NY.  We will post a full sponsorship list soon, and keep it updated over the next few weeks.

But we could always use more for supplies, A/V equipment, and other expenses of putting on a REBarCamp.  Here’s what you need to know about sponsoring REBarCamp NY 2010:

• Cost: $250

The badge sponsorship has already been taken by Redfin.

All sponsors will receive:

• Mention on Website w/ Link
• Mention during the Opening Session
• Logo on the Big Board (where sessions are posted)
• Logo on the T-Shirt (Deadline: Jan 4th for logos)
• A place to display materials at REBC site (literature, collateral, etc.)
• Attendee List – Name, Company, Email, Twitter handle (if they have one)*

EDIT: We never imagined the attendee list would be controversial, but in light of feedback, we are making this an OPT-IN LIST only.  Only the information of attendees who might want to hear from sponsors will be provided.  Please see comments for a fuller explanation.

Remember that the deadline for logos is noon, January 4th.  Logos should be high-resolution, and in JPG, PNG, PSD, or AI formats.

Please contact Scott Forcino (@forcinoesq) at forcinoesq@aol.com if you are interested.  Thank you all!

-rsh

REBarCamp NYC 2010 Is Shaping Up To Be Special…

Hello everyone…

Thought I’d take a break from the non-stop organizing efforts going on inside the non-existent offices of Lucky Strike Social Media Club and provide an update on where things are with REBarCamp NY.

We still have some work to do, but it’s shaping up quite nicely.  I think those who end up attending will have found it a useful and fun way to spend a day in New York.  So here’s a brief update:

Sessions

First, the sessions look pretty amazing based on people who have expressed interest.  Thanks to the generous support of the good people at Inman Connect (thanks Matt, Madelyn, Alice and Brad!) REBarCamp NY will be almost four times the size of last year’s REBarCamp NY.  We think that based on four concurrent sessions per room, there will be a total of 80 possible sessions throughout the day.  It could be more.

Second, we are setting up two “tracks” of sessions during REBarCamp NY.

One track will be for Newbies — people who are new to social media/social networking and real estate.  One consistent comment we’ve heard over the past year or so of various REBC’s is that for someone who has no familiarity with this new set of tools for real estate, REBarCamp can be like drinking from a firehose — totally, utterly overwhelming.  We wanted to provide a bit more guidance to such newcomers with five sessions designed to be an introduction to social media, the various tools, and how one might use them for real estate.  No one is forced to go to these sessions — or any sessions — but we felt it would be a service to people attending a REBarCamp for the first time.

Some of the sessions under the Newbie Track we’re thinking about are:

• Intro to Real Estate and Social Media
• Blogging 101
• Basics of Social Networking: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, & Others
• Online Lead Generation
• Bringing it All Together for Business

The second track focuses on an area of the real estate industry that rarely gets discussed at REBarCamps: the MLS.  Without the data that the MLS collects and distributes (well or poorly), without the technology and business and organizational infrastructure of the MLS, the real estate industry as we know it cannot exist.  Even the most tech-savvy veterans of the RE.net may have a hazy understanding of what goes on “behind the scenes”.  Since REBarcamp NY happens to be the day before Inman Connect — the premier real estate technology conference — we thought we’d have a higher-than-usual number of folks who can speak knowledgeably about the MLS to an audience of realtors, brokers, and technology people.

The current thinking for sessions is:

• The Role of the MLS from Past to Now
• Data Sharing, IDX, & VOW
• New York City and the MLS (a hot topic for NYC real estate right now)
• MLS Consumer Websites
• The Future of the MLS

Now, we know these “tracks” caused a bit of controversy among some circles, but we wanted to let you know what we’re doing and why.  Plus, those are but 10 of the 80 possible sessions; the rest of the sessions will be done in the ‘classic’ REBarCamp way: show up in the morning, put your name and session on the Board, and off we go.

In fact, we’re thinking of going back to the original, old-school way from the first REBarCamp in San Francisco in at least one respect.  Rather than we the organizers determining space requirements and assigning sessions to rooms and times, we’re thinking of letting the attendees figure it out.   So while we might think that each room can hold four sessions, if eight people want to hold sessions in a particular room at a particular time, and people want to go hear them, then go for it!  One of the best sessions in the first REBCSF for me was four people sitting around looking at RETS standards; that can happen at REBarCamp NY.

When you combine the two, REBarCamp NY may be far more than 80 sessions; we’ll hold as many sessions as people want to talk and others want to hear.  Until the Fire Marshalls come, at least.   Only 10 out of this 80/100/whatever sessions are “tracks” and for the reasons above.

We’re also not interfering with or making decisions on what people might want to hear, and that includes so-called “vendor pitches”.  A memorable session at REBCSF for me was hearing Zipvo present their product, and having the audience pepper them with questions.  If a company wants to present their product or service, and people want to hear about it, why not?  If someone wants to spend an hour trying to sell widgets, and people want to hear it, why not?

Rather than we organizers deciding who can present what, we’ll let the attendees vote with their feet.  BUT, what we will do is to let people know what sessions are “pitch” sessions by putting those sessions on different colored paper or otherwise denoting them as “Pitch”.

We think by embracing, and indeed enhancing, the community-generated spirit of BarCamps, while injecting just a wee bit of order for newcomers and for a special topic, we’re striking the right balance between “too much” and “too little”.

The People

A REBarCamp is ultimately only as good as the people who will be in attendance.  If you haven’t RSVP’ed on this site (go here), please do so now — even if you have RSVP’ed on the FaceBook Events page.

But there are some great people who know a lot of stuff coming to REBarCamp NY.  For example, we took the Inman 50 Most Influential Online list and compared who’s coming.  So far, we know that the following from the Inman 50 will be in attendance:

• Heather Elias
• Jim Duncan
• Derek Overbey
• Rob Hahn (that’d be me… I’d better be in attendance…)
• Ian Watt
• Jay Thompson
• Joe Ferrara
• Dan Green

And others who haven’t RSVP’ed yet, heh.

But whether on the Inman 50 list or not, the energy, the knowledge, the passion that will fill the Marriott Marquis on January 12th will be unparalleled.  It’ll be cold outside, we can guarantee that.  But we think it’ll be pretty hot inside.

Then… Afterwards…

Although the actual REBarCamp NY ends at 4:30PM, we’re planning some… more festive events afterwards.

First, the January dinner meeting of the Lucky Strike Social Media Club (the folks organizing REBCNY) will take place starting around 7 to 7:30pm somewhere nearby.  You all are welcome to join us, if you don’t have other plans.  We’ll post more on the LSSMC dinner as we finalize the details.  If you’d like, you can always go sign up at the Lucky Strike site for details closer to the event.

Second, because there is no Beer with Bloggers party this year, we thought we might find a cool place for everyone to gather (if folks got no other plans) for cocktails and conversation.  We have a place in mind, and we’re finalizing those details as well.  But just keep in mind that there will be a party later that night as well.

So we’re busy y’all, and will be over the holidays as well.  But we think the day will be special, and we did want to update you a bit on what’s going on.

Thanks!

-rsh

Calling Forth Sponsors & Volunteers

A question for the REBarCamp veterans, who have attended one or more in the past:

If REBarCamp were to charge for the day, how much would you pay?

We have heard various folks say that the REBC experience was the best conference they had ever attended.  There are many veterans who have learned more from REBC than they have from years of attending traditional conferences — many of whom charge many hundreds of dollars.

And yet, REBarCamp is completely, totally free to attend.

This is possible only because of the generosity of sponsors, and the selfless devotion of volunteers, like the team at Luck Strike Social Media Club who is putting on the REBarCamp NY show.

The time is well nigh where we must ask you all for your time and your money.  I know that many of you have already expressed interest in helping out — for that, we are grateful.  But in the spirit of organization, please respond in the comments here, or email Deb Madey (deb-at-peninsulafirst-dotcom) or Rob Hahn (rhahn .at. 7dsassociates – dotcom) if you’d like to help out during the busy day that will be REBarCamp NY.

And if your company is feeling generous, please contact Rob or Scott Forcino (forcinoesq -at- aol.com) to help bring REBarCamp to the people.  Sponsorships start as low as $250, and with the array of events we have scheduled for the day, we can help ensure that the attendees of REBCNY and Lucky Strike January and any other event of the day are made aware of you, your company, and how you are making the entire REBarCamp movement possible.

Thank you very much.

-rsh

PS: We’re also on Twitter.  Deb is @jerseydebmadey; Rob is @robhahn; Scott is @forcinoesq.

RE BarCamp NY 2010 – Topic Suggestions?

Since attendees are at various stages in their knowledge, would it be helpful to have tracks?    Intro tracks in one room, and intermediate or advanced tracks in other rooms?

If anyone has feedback, post here, or reach out to Patrick Healy or Deb Madey.

After RE BarCamp New York 2010

I know…..we just announced REBCNY10, and we are already talking about what will happen after.    We just knew you were going to ask.

Rob Hahn is the driving force behind the Lucky Strikes Social Media Club.  I have been able to attend several dinners with the LSSMC.    After REBCNY10, there will be a LSSMC dinner.    This event will require a paid ticket, and I hear that the venues being considered will hold 100-150 people.

If you were wondering what to do after REBC, this sounds like it will be the place to be.    And, I do so expect that we will hear about Round #3, also.

Whoo Hoo – REBC New York is ON! January 12, 2010

RE BarCamp New York 2010 is just about a month away.   We will be at the Marriott Marquis, in Midtown New York, thanks to Inman Connect.   Let’s give a big shout out to Inman for their support.

 
We will have several break out rooms that hold 40 – 50 people each.   For those of you who attended last year, we had one large room, and created our own groups within that one room.   The space will accommodate 225 people, so be sure to sign up soon if you plan to come.

 
While we want to keep the spirit of the “unconference” alive, and schedule will be completed the morning of, we are asking those who plan to facilitate to give us a heads up.   We will have one room with a projector and screen, so if particular, if your session might need this room, be sure to reach out ahead and let us know.   If there are enough people who say they need a projector and screen, we will work on getting a second set room set up with this.   You can post comments here, or contact Patrick Healy or Deb Madey.

 
Can you believe it has been a year since REBCNY?  It’s almost time for us to be shouting out “congrats” to Daniel and Kari.

 
Follow on Twitter at #REBCNY10.   See you soon.

Using Social Media To Create Develop Offline Relationships

Back at RE BarCamp San Francisco, I kept overhearing a catchy acronym. B.L.O.G. stands for Better Listings On Google. It’s true that blogs are a great way to attract organic traffic from Google. But blogging only for SEO purposes doesn’t fully exploit the power of social media.

As real estate and mortgage professionals, one of our goals has always been to increase our sphere of influence and build a referral network. Ginger Wilcox and I think social media is a great tool for this long established practice. We’re going to lead a discussion on how to use online tools to cultivate offline relationships. We’ll be citing our own experiences, and soliciting others from attendees.

We hope you can make it!

Todd Carpenter

Schedule and Location for RE Barcamp NYC

RE Barcamp NYC is shaping up to be a great event, but it occurred to us that we never formally posted any type of schedule or location information. Now would be a pretty good time to rectify that issue:

First of all, RE Barcamp NYC is going to be located at the Marriott Marquis, Times Square. The room for Barcamp NYC is the Marquis AB. It is the same room for Blogger’s Connect on Wednesday, for those of you attending that, too.

Now that you know where it is, you probably want to know when to be there. Barcamp NYC registration will begin at 9am. Here is our planned schedule:

9:00-9:45 Registration and networking/socializing

9:45-10:00 Introduction and planning of sessions

10:00-10:45 Session 1

10:45-11:00 Break

11:00-11:45 Session 2

11:45-12:00 Break

12:00-12:45 Session 3

12:45-2:00 LUNCH (generously sponsored by Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate)

2:00-2:45 Session 4

2:45-3:00 Break

3:00-3:45 Session 5

3:45-5:00 (or so) MORE sharing/networking/socializing

During each 45 minute session, we should be able to have 2 simultaneous presentations/discussions going on at the same time, if need be. That should allow us to have plenty of great content for everyone. At the very least, there are going to be 5 presentations/discussions that you are NOT going to want to miss.

And don’t forget, the fun doesn’t stop with RE Barcamp NYC. From 6-8pm is another prime networking event, Beer With Bloggers. Beer With Bloggers is the regular kickoff before Inman Real Estate Connect gets underway. Beer With Bloggers is ultra convenient this year, as it is also located at the Marriot Marquis. Join everyone for drinks and socializing at the 8th Floor Atrium of the Marriott. It is going to be a don’t-miss event, for sure.

So now that you know where it is, and what is going on, you have no excuses to miss what is sure to be an awesome event to get your 2009 off on the right foot.

See you in Times Square!