Don’t forget about tonight’s PodCamp Pittsburgh meet-up, happening from 7-9 PM @ The Firehouse Lounge in the Strip District (2216 Penn Avenue , Pittsburgh, PA 15222 – parking in a small lot beside the building, or on the street).
It’s been a month since PCPGH3, and we’d love to know who’s doing what – any new blogs, podcasts or social media innovators out there?
(And if you haven’t done anything yet, don’t worry – the meet-up will be a great place to brainstorm over drinks and dessert!)
2006 was Podcamp Pittsburgh’s first year of bringing the public together with bloggers, podcasters, social media and audio/video experts…and Wizzard Media’s Libsyn (Liberated Syndication) had already been in the business of bringing podcasts to the public for two years. Libsyn started here in Pittsburgh in November 2004 to provide storage space and a distribution service for audio podcasters. Four years later, under the leadership of Wizzard Media, Libsyn is now providing storage and distribution, as well as analytics, workflow management expertise and integrated advertising to both audio and video podcasters.
If you’re a podcaster seeking to deliver a sound or video segment to your audience with episodic regularity, Wizzard Media and Libsyn were designed for you. When you produce a podcast, you need to store it someplace. You can certainly set up your own webserver through a local hosting company…but why go through the hassle of organizing all that when all you want to do is produce your show? Wizzard Media is in the business of providing storage and distribution capacity for your show, whether it’s a 5-minute audio snippet or a 60 minute video production.
Wizzard Media is, however, now much more than just storage and distribution. Whereas the Libsyn Indie level will give you storage and distribution, the Libsyn Pro service gives you fine-grained control over your post-production and distribution, recording statistical data about your audience, providing an advertising campaign management system, and guaranteeing nearly 100% uptime for the servers your media is stored on. Once you’re producing high-quality output, it’s nice to know that you have a player in your corner like Wizzard Media to help smooth the wrinkles we all see in media distribution.
Go to Wizzard Media to see the types of audio and video podcasts using Wizzard’s services — your podcast also could be amongst those billions of shows being downloaded.
PodCamp Pittsburgh would like to thank Viddler for signing on as a new sponsor this year — and for helping to promote this year’s event! (Check our Home Page to see all of our PCPGH3 videos on Viddler.)
So what is Viddler? On the surface, Viddler is a website that allows users to upload and share digital video quickly and easily. But perhaps the coolest feature on Viddler videos is the ability to leave text comments, links and other responses right inside the video itself. I could explain how this works, but the video below shows it off better than I can:
Viddler has been highly involved the new media community, including sponsorships of several previous PodCamps around the US, and PCPGH3 is thrilled to have Viddler powering our videos this year! You can learn all about Viddler’s services — and try it out for yourself — by visiting their website.
The Pittsburgh Technology Council is the largest regional technology trade association in the United States with 1,400 member companies within its geographic territory of 13 counties in southwestern Pennsylvania. Its mission is to contribute to the success of the region’s technology businesses, and it focuses on developing the economic strength of several industry clusters, including information technology, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, advanced materials and environmental technology.
Since 1983 The Council has been the principal point of connection for these areas of the technology industry, and the list of their associations and networks is constantly growing. As the technology industry changes and more individuals and businesses develop new ways to incorporate technology into their daily lives, The Council remains a ready source of information and assistance to individuals, technology start-ups, and innovators. With such strong and long lived ties to the technology industry in Pittsburgh, it is no wonder that PTC chose to sponsor Podcamp Pittsburgh 3. Their strong support of the growing interest in technology in the Pittsburgh region makes them a valued part of our PCPGH3 sponsor family.
The Council’s principal function is to provide technical, administrative and economic assistance to advanced technology companies in both the manufacturing and service sectors. PTC achieves this by facilitating entrepreneurial activities, conducting and publicizing industry research, promoting the technology industry and providing advocacy and public policy services. The Council also develops cost-saving plans, provides recruiting and human resource assistance, and continues to build an identity for the region’s entrepreneurial technologies.
The relationship between the Pittsburgh Technology Council and the Pittsburgh technology community has always been important for both parties, and their sponsorship of Podcamp Pittsburgh 3 this year ensures that those relationships have an opportunity to grow.
Podcamp Pittsburgh is in the business of getting you acquainted with today’s new media: blogging, social media, podcasting, video, etc. Pittsburgh’s AlphaLab is in the business of getting fresh technology ideas acquainted with today’s realities of starting a business: fostering in a 20-week intensive incubation, located on AlphaLab’s premises, the growth of a fledgling company’s product, marketing strategy and customer focus, with a boost of $25,000.
Part of developing a company is meeting people in social and business settings, and AlphaLab helps to stimulate those activities through many events such as the OpenCoffee Club, DevHouse Pittsburgh and, of course, Podcamp Pittsburgh. The opening event for Podcamp Pittsburgh will be the Meet-n-Greet at AlphaLab’s offices Friday, October 17.
AlphaLab is a program of Innovation Works, and is now accepting applications for its Winter/Sprint 2009 cycle. The deadline to submit applications is October 30. Go to AlphaLab’s application page to submit your application today.
Also, if you would like to test new apps before they lunch, stay plugged in to what’s happening in the software and Internet community, you can sign up for the AlphaLab community and receive early invites to participate in private alpha and beta tests. If you have a FaceBook account, simply follow this link and become a fan of AlphaLab! If you would prefer to receive notification via email, just send an email to
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Elastic Lab is a 10-month-old digital content company that is experimenting in crowd-sourced video for web, cable VOD and mobile. They are developing original programs and collaborative work processes to meet the rising demand for video content that is both compelling and well-produced.
At the heart of their business is a talented multi-tier filmmaker network. In just 5 months, more than 230 people in over 100 cities across the United States and Canada have signed up to film for Elastic Lab. Assignments are offered by email according to location, access to equipment, experience and interests. Elastic Lab is responsible for post-production — color, editing, graphics and music — in order to bring elements together cohesively, and all assignments are paid.
Social media is playing an enormous role in Elastic Lab’s growth. For example, their Community Evangelist, Marina Martin, often uses emerging services like Twitter to recruit new filmmakers and spread the word about the company. ElasticLab looks forward to furthering their ties to the social media community as a sponsor and presenter at PodCamp Pittsburgh 3.
VisitPittsburgh is a nonprofit organization dedicated to generating convention, trade show and leisure travel business for the Pittsburgh region. Based in downtown Pittsburgh, VisitPittsburgh works in partnership with nine counties to build a positive image for western Pennsylvania and increase publicity and awareness of the many diverse attractions and amenities available in the region. VisitPittsburgh is the primary booking agent for the David L. Lawrence Convention Center and works around the clock to bring conventions and meetings to the area.
VisitPittsburgh’s partnership with PodCamp Pittsburgh is a natural fit. Looking to enhance social media outlets as an additional publicity generator for the region, VisitPittsburgh teamed up with the PodCamp crew and is working to show the city in a different light. For the first time in PodCamp Pittsburgh history, visiting speakers were invited to a 2-day “new media tour” of Pittsburgh that showcases the city’s finest museums, tech centers and other cultural landmarks. Participants will also experience the unique flavors of our many restaurants and hit the hot spots in the area.
VisitPittsburgh is excited to team up with PodCamp Pittsburgh and looks forward to getting feedback on the region from all attendees!
It’s a question debated everywhere from casual discussions to PodCamps around the country — is it really possible to monetize social media?
If you’re a podcaster, Blubrry says the answer is yes.
Blubrry, one of the podcasting communities of RawVoice, helps its client podcasters connect with advertisers and track user statistics with detailed free and premium tracking packages. It’s not just for podcasting veterans, either; Blubrry can help newbies with hosting and publishing services, giving first-time podcasters the tools they need to build a successful show.
If you’re a dedicated podcast listener, you’ll find a seemingly endless list of content at Blubrry’s podcast directory. With shows organized into well-defined categories, it’s easy to discover your new favorite podcast.
We’re going to spend a lot of time talking about podcasting at PodCamp Pittsburgh 3, and we’re happy to have an industry leader like Blubrry supporting our efforts as one of this year’s sponsors.
We knew something was up at the start of PodCamp Pittsburgh 2, when Mike Woycheck strolled into the first session wearing…a parking chair t-shirt?
Woy was coy about his plans, but we found out just a couple months later, when he launched WearPittsburgh, his line of t-shirts that gently — or not so gently — lampoon some of the things that make the Pittsburgh region unique. WearPittsburgh’s designs feature local designs, by local artists, produced — you guessed it — locally. They cover the city’s neighborhoods, its colloquillisms and even its lousy baseball team.
WearPittsburgh designs are in demand, not only for the company’s customers but for groups like the American Heart Association, which used the “Reserved Parking,” “Pierogi” and “Mon Valley Mullett Reserve” shirts as auction items at its annual Heart Ball in February. And PittGirl, Pittsburgh’s favorite anonymous blogger, used the promise of one of the limited-edition “PittGirl Says Drink” shirts to raise more than $1,000 for Pittsburgh Action Against Rape.
You’ll see WearPittsburgh at PodCamp Pittsburgh 3 in October — they’re sponsoring the Loungy Lounge, where our attendees can head between sessions for a breather, a cappuccino and, on Sunday, a glimpse of the Steelers game. And it’s a pretty good bet that you’ll see a few WearPittsburgh shirts on the backs of our organizers and attendees this year.
Two years ago I got an email from this guy named Justin about a thing called PodCamp that was happening in Pittsburgh. At that point I had been podcasting about a year and had just moved back to Pittsburgh from an agonizing six years in the NY metro area. That was our first PodCamp and I even gave a class about dealing with global listeners. It was thrilling to see that enough people in Pittsburgh were interested in social media like I was. Of course, being the stereotypical computer programmer I was quite shy that first year and didn’t meet too many people. Now I know that there is nothing to be afraid of.
To me, PodCamp is a place to meet people with a common goal, which is to find alternate avenues in which to express our ideas and art. Even if I publicized a discussion on gay and lesbian issues (the center of my show) at a venue in the ‘burgh there is no way that I would have over a thousand people attend. That is truly the power of this medium. I also never thought that people in China would be interested in hearing what I had to say or that I would be featured in a magazine (Out in New Jersey)!
I’m able to reach literally thousands of people with a message that raises their awareness on a wide variety of social issues that I am passionate about. You also get to hear the real life stories of people who have been in similar situations. It’s my goal to
hopefully help at least one person through their life’s struggles by using the power of information. The greatest feeling is hearing from someone in a rural part of South Africa that they don’t feel alone and isolated anymore because others have gone through the same experiences. That’s what it’s about, for me. It’s not about fame or glory… and it’s certainly NOT about the money. I’m happy to sponsor PodCamp Pittsburgh for the third year in a row to provide this valuable learning and networking experience, for free, to all those who attend.
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