Here’s the official description of the event:

“BarCamp Nashville is an open-source gathering of technology enthusiasts who come together for one weekend to share what they know and learn what they don’t. It is an intense event with discussions, demos and interaction from attendees. Anyone with something to contribute or with the desire to learn is welcome and invited to join.”

It was kind of like an open source technology conference.  It was really cool. (The people running it kept calling it an “un-conference”.)

There are other BarCamps out there. There might be one in your area.

[BarCamp Nashville 2008 was 4 entire rooms full of seminars, presentations, and demonstrations of all the latest tips, techniques, and strategies to use in today's tech world. For contractors: free knowledge.]

What does this have to do with construction marketing?

Well, my philosophy is, if your’re going to go to events and join associations in order to expand your network, you should try to get outside the box a little bit.

For example, find events you are interested in but that are outside your direct area of expertise.

And, for most builders, a BarCamp style event is perfect for that. You can go and learn a truckload of new information you can use to market your own business.

You can meet people there who could become future customers. After all, these tech people always need buildings and houses to fill with cables, monitors, and servers, right? You can help them with their needs, and learn in the process.

In addition, it’s a great place to meet developers and designers who can help you with your own web projects.

Do a search for a BarCamp in your area.

Oh, and did I forget to mention it was free? Free seminars, free t-shirt, free schwag. And oh yeah, even free beer.

Technorati Tags: Construction Marketing, Networking