Lately we've been blogging about some of the great events happening in Washington, DC, and today is no different. That's because we're all very excited about the upcoming Rootscamp, taking place April 12 and 13 in Washington, DC. This is one of the neater conferences out there, partly because it follows the unconference mentality of making the event open for everyone (both in non-limiting admission fees and in open presentations) and partly because it brings some of the biggest players in the world of politics and online communications together to talk about online strategies that work. Anyone can present on something they've tried that's worked - or failed miserably - and about ideas they have. They also serve mimosas for breakfast, which in my book is a big +1 for any conference.
Several of us from Development Seed will be at Rootscamp to talk about news tracking, particularly what the best ways are to follow what's being said about a candidate or issue (or anything really) in social media and how to best engage in those conversations. We'll also have a table at the job fair and will be showing off some tools that we're working on to do just this. So if you'll be at Rootscamp, stop by to see us.
The New Organizing Institute is really doing a great job pulling Rootscamp together. Just check out the wiki to see all that they're planning. I really like how open it is to everyone, no matter what their budget is to attend events like this. Conference admission is free, NOI is helping to arrange ride shares, and there's a place where people can crash at night - as long as they bring a sleeping bag. We're picking up the tab for the sleeping space for the out of towners since it's such a cool element of this event - and something that we wish all events like this had.
Unfortunately, Rootscamp is already filled up, but if you're interested in coming add your name to the list and cross your fingers that someone cancels : ) We'll also be blogging from the conference, so check back to find out how it goes if you can't make it!