Bypass Distances by Doing it Local

I'm a fan of conferences. Not's not always about the speakers or the topics, but sometimes it's about the gold you get in the hallways, lunch chats, and pre- and post the event that really makes the event worthwhile. The chance to see your colleagues at work, exchange ideas, catch up, and build stronger bonds with your network is priceless.

Chances are though, you can't make it to every single conference out there. If you're like me, you have to pick and choose and figure out where you're going to spend your time. Think it's easy? Just take a look at Mashable's list of media conferences.

It can be frustrating when you can make it to where you want to go, but if you can't go to the "mountain", why not make the "mountain" come to you?

Think Local

Yesterday I wrote about a large national conference that started a local initiative called TEDx and how it was coming to lots of cities worldwide by way of dedicated event organizers. I co-host a podcast where we talked about that very topic as well and it seems that more people are opting for local, utilizing the "Camp" model or workshop/seminar route.

Find the right people to work with, set a list of tasks, and start the work of making something where there was nothing. The benefit of this is you get to interact with people you may have never interacted with in the past. You also get the opportunity to be recognized for inspiring others to do like yourself and make conferences and "Camps" around their interests happen.

A lot of us would be surprised at the talent that resides in our own backyard. No need to travel to San Francisco, New York, Chicago, or any point in between.

Think about that and let me know what you think. Could you plan an event and help grow the idea into something major? Every conference you're dying to attend started with an idea, who knows, maybe yours is the next major conference that everyone will want to attend.

Photo Credit frankartculinary