Pittsburgh To Host PodCamp

Pittsburgh, PA, Oct. 14th, 2006 — On November 11th and 12th, Pittsburgh will host PodCamp: A New Media Conference, a free meet-up for podcasters and their fans, bloggers and their readers, and anyone else interested in the new wave of internet news and entertainment. The event will be held at Pittsburgh Filmmakers in Oakland. For more information and to register, go to www.PodCampPittsburgh.com.

PodCamp Pittsburgh is being organized by Justin Kownacki of Kownacki Productions, LLC and Dave Mansueto of Libsyn with generous support from Pittsburgh Filmmakers and Three Rivers Film Festival. The event will take place at Pittsburgh Filmmakers, 477 Melwood Ave. from 9am-5pm Saturday, November 11th and Sunday, November 12th. It’s free to attend as long as you pre-register at www.PodCampPittsburgh.com. There will also be a meet-and-greet on Friday, November 10th at a downtown location. Check the website for updates.

PodCamp is a free meet-up, sometimes referred to as an “un-conference”, for people who create, enjoy, or are interested in learning more about blogs, vlogs, audio podcasts, web video, content networks and new media monetization (making money on and from the internet). The inaugural PodCamp was held in Boston this previous September and was by all accounts an unqualified success, featuring presentations from the basics of setting up a blog and finding podcasts you like to advanced concepts of helping your small business grow through the use of internet technology and expanding educational techniques online. As an “un-conference”, the content isn’t pre-set or dictated by a select few but is instead customized by the wants and desires of the participants. An interactive website known as a wiki is utilized to let anyone post an idea for a presentation they want to give or one they’d like to see. The focus is on sharing information and creating a tailor-made experience. The concept has already spawned close to a dozen PodCamps across the U.S. and Canada with Pittsburgh’s version leading the pack.

Having internet royalty come to Pittsburgh is big news for local businesses. One of the themes that arose during the Boston PodCamp was the use of blogs, basically online journals, in advertising. According to blog search engine Technorati, there are currently in the neighborhood of 50 million blogs, with two new ones being launched every second. The most popular of these reach millions of readers a day, readers who tend to listen closely to recommendations. Karen Francis, CEO of Publicis & Hal Riney, an ad agency in San Francisco, surmises, "This time, web advertising is for real, and marketers are all looking for new opportunities online." An online presence for a local business can not only attract visitors to Pittsburgh, raise the city’s cache, and inspire greater local loyalty but also dramatically increase orders by phone and internet, especially for specialty products.

Another major theme from PodCamp Boston was the future of video on the web. After having been dismissed years ago as impractical, original internet programming of news and entertainment is now really taking off due to the widespread availability of high-speed internet access, and it’s easier than you may think. Justin Kownacki, creator of Pittsburgh-based web comedy “Something to Be Desired” and co-organizer of PodCamp Pittsburgh, contends that "now each of us can become a radio station, a TV channel, or a newspaper using household equipment -- cameras, phones and computers." Sites like Network2 and Blip.TV have begun compiling shows that can only be seen on the internet, and with Google’s recent acquisition of YouTube, it’s a safe bet that the steady growth we’ve seen in internet video will become an absolute boom in the years to come, possibly soon rivaling television as an entertainment and news outlet. Already, some of the web’s most popular shows like Rocketboom and the show with ze frank are getting better ratings than some cable programming.

PodCamp is also a tremendous opportunity for CMU, Pitt, and other local college students who are studying technology, journalism, or business to learn from some of the top names in internet news and entertainment, people like Andrew Baron of Rocketboom, Brian Conley of Alive in Baghdad, Alex Lindsay of Pixel Corps, and Chris Brogan of Network2 and co-founder of the original PodCamp, to name a few. The price tag is another attraction. Registration is absolutely free at www.PodCampPittsburgh.com, and attendees are welcome to take in as much or as little as they’d like during the two-day event.

PodCamp Pittsburgh is one more step toward making Pittsburgh a major player in the future of internet technology. Already the city has local offices of giants Google and Vivisimo, and students and faculty of local universities, most notably Carnegie Mellon, are constantly making huge strides forward. PodCamp Pittsburghh will attract national movers and shakers and expand the possibilities and capabilities of everyone involved.

PodCamp Pittsburgh is still seeking additional sponsorship and donations. Interested businesses should contact Justin Kownacki at info@podcamppittsburgh.com or visit the PodCamp Pittsburgh Donations Page.

For additional information, Contact:

Justin Kownacki

Kownacki Productions, LLC

info@podcamppittsburgh.com

www.podcamppittsburgh.com

Pittsburgh To Host PodCamp

Kownacki Productions, LLC was founded in 2003 by Justin Kownacki, a 29 year-old Erie, PA native. The company’s primary output is the web series, “Something To Be Desired”.

Libsyn is a Pittsburgh-based company that provides the engine (hosting, bandwidth and distribution) for hundreds of popular podcasts, including “Tiki Bar TV” and “Ask a Ninja”.