DemoCamp Edmonton 6
Tuesday March 03, 2009
Cam Linke

It doesn't take very much digging in the Edmonton technology community to see that there is a lot more going on that at first glance. Beneath the surface are a lot of incredible projects that people don't know about mostly because it isn't talked about. DemoCamp Edmonton was created to try and help remedy that problem. An informal get together of those involved in Edmonton's technology sector DemoCamp is a chance for people to show off what they are working on and interact with some like-minded individuals.

The way DemoCamp works is that 4-5 people working on tech projects, often startups but not always, come out and they have 10 minutes to show off what they are up to. They have to actually demo what they are working on, generally the rule is "Show Don't Tell", and boring powerpoint presentations are strictly forbidden. After each demo the attendees get a few minutes to ask any questions they might have of the demoers and then it's on to the next demo. Following the event everyone heads to a nearby bar to grab some drinks, snacks, and socialize further.

The whole goal of DemoCamp is to help develop a technology community in Edmonton. If you look at areas that have become technology hubs throughout the world they all have vibrant communities in which people are able to work with each other, get feedback on their projects, exchange ideas, and find others to work on their projects with them. It's hard enough being an entrepreneur and dealing with the struggles that come with it, it's even harder doing that on your own and not have a group to work through what your are doing. This becomes especially acute for technology startups as the struggles that they go through are often unique and are best worked through with someone in the same field. At DemoCamp attendees are able to meet people that are in the same situation as themselves, sharing ideas and building relationships with people in the industry.

The good news is that Edmonton's tech community is growing. DemoCamp started with 60 people and has grown to having 150 attendees at any given event and other social events such as TechWing Wednesdays, BarCamp, and Tweetups have started and given more interactive events. The hope is that these events will lead to the next great tech company to come out of Edmonton and follow in the footsteps of other success stories such as BioWare, Intuit and many others.

For anyone interested the next DemoCamp is going to be held on March 11th at 6:30 PM at the University of Alberta ETLC Room E1-013. It's a free event and is open to anyone regardless of their involvement or interest in the technology sector. More information can be found on the BarCamp Edmonton website, or by joining the Facebook group.

-- Cam Linke

Column ID#: 89

**Opinions expressed by guest columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of Connect2Edmonton members, partners or sponsors.**

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