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General Information About ProductCampAustin Sessions

Proposing a ProductCamp Session

To Proposed a session for ProductCamp, please think about what participants have told us (shown below) and submit the following information:

• Session Title
• Description of Session
• Short Bio (around two lines)
• Topic area (choose from one of the broad categories).
• • Marketing Programs (demand gen, advertising, PR, events)
  • Social Media
  • Brand Management
  • Market Research
  • Pricing
  • Positioning & Messaging
  • Product Strategy
  • Product Life Cycle & Portfolio Mgmt
  • Requirements
  • Agile
  • Career
  • Other (Doesn’t fit one of the categories)

If you're looking for topics that past participants are wanting to see, check out this list.

To submit a session, please submit it online here, or, if you have question, send an email to Tom Evan

Session Formats

You can structure a session however you wish, but to help align expectations of session leader and attendees, we offer the following descriptions of formats that have been well received in ProductCamps and similar events.  It is not necessary to follow these formats, but experience has shown them to be popular and using the descriptions will help match expectations.  In general, the sessions that have been most enjoyed and talked about have been very interactive.  This list is not intended to be limiting, so feel free to be creative.

Town Hall     The leader presents a short (20-30 minute max) informative topic, open-ended question or premise and opens the floor for expansion, comment, questions and general discussion.

Roundtable Breakout     Similar to Town Hall, except that audience breaks out into small groups and typically shares findings, comments, or team responses with the room at the end of the session.

Workshop     In this format, the audience is actively involved, collectively or in groups, in an exercise or application of a technique or process which has been presented by the session leader.  The description should mention the portion of the session spent in the exercise and what the attendees will produce.  Proposers are encouraged to have knowledgeable assistants to help answer questions and support the exercise.

Panel Discussion     Popularly seen, this format has several people qualified to talk about the subject of the session, preferably from diverse or even counterpoint perspectives or roles.  A moderator facilitates questions from the audience or a series of prepared questions for the panelists, but a significant part of the session is still interactive Q&A with the audience.

Ask the Expert     This format is most successful with a recognized authority on a subject of wide interest, or a direct participant in some particularly interesting event or phenomenon.  The expert or a moderator introduces the topic and frames some appropriate discussion and then opens the floor for questions, including those that might be somewhat specific as long as they are applicable to more people than the individual questioner.

Presentation     Having already suggested that this traditional one-directional delivery is less popular among the ProductCamp community, there are some exceptional topics and presenters who can make this work.  Session proposers are advised to consider this carefully and be honest in citing this format if it is actually what will be delivered.

Lessons Learned from Previous ProductCamps .... (by listening to participants)

 There is nothing like leading a session at ProductCamp - it will be the most fun you can pack into a 45-50 minute conference session.  Because ProductCamp is completely user driven, there are no "talking heads" or "keynotes."  There is just you and your peers.  That lends a realism to the sessions that you can't get anywhere else.  Presenting at ProductCamp is fun, and an experience you will remember forever.  Use this opportunity to polish your presentation and facilitation skills in a non-threatening environment, talking about problems that matter with people who "get it."

We learned at the previous ProductCamp events that certain types of sessions work better than others.  These are guidelines, but feel free to break the mold and bring something new to the table.

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