BarCamp Nairobi
The first Barcamp Nairobi was held on the afternoon of 31st of March 2007 at the University of Nairobi and was attended by 50 brave campers (40 more than the organisers had anticipated!). The first talk at this Barcamp Nairobi was on the then fastest car in the world, the Bugatti Veyron. Other talks that day covered a wide range of interests from software solutions such as AfricaDotNet and Bungeni (an open source system to manage parliaments),
to Equal Opportunity Manufacturing from the team at FabLab Nairobi, residential networking and some business talk with Long Tail Economics of Abundance. Some foresight and wisdom was shared as well; for example, Barcamp discussed how to best prepare for the landing of the
fibre cable network, when that network was still just a concept.
Barcamp Nairobi in 2013
On 24th August, 2013 Barcamp Nairobi celebrates its 7th birthday with pride. The 50 campers
in 2007 have seen their numbers expand dramatically to 600 campers in 2010. From a couple
of hours on one afternoon in a single room in 2007, Barcamp Nairobi now runs morning to
evening, in several rooms simultaneously with live stream online for international audiences.
From 7 bloggers in 2007 Barcamp Nairobi now attracts 100s of the most influential bloggers
and video journalists who make up a key part of the audience. Although parts of the event
have grown beyond recognition the key values remain the same; sessions proposed and
scheduled each day by attendees, all attendees are encouraged to present or facilitate a
session, everyone is also asked to share information and experiences of the event via public
web channels, attendance is typically monetarily free and generally restricted only by space
constraints. More people, more time, bigger venues, same principles.
The last 7 years have been amazing, the next 50 will be even better.
Barcamp Nairobi – The Next 50
The theme for Barcamp 2013 is ‘The Next 50’. We aim to get the conversation going on where
tech in Kenya will be in the next 50 years.
As Kenya celebrates 50 years of independence this year, we have the unique and enviable
opportunity to dream and contemplate what the next 50 years should look like and what role
technology will play. As thinkers, technologists in various sectors, and citizens of this country
we can begin the process of visualizing the future and shaping it.
Challenges such as access to healthcare, quality and equitable education, food security have
their answers in technology and the possibilities are endless. There will come a time in the
next 50 years when these issues will be non-issues so to speak. What will that future look
4like? What technologies will be pervasive? How will people interact and how will lives be
affected and improved?
Come to Barcamp 2013. Let us begin the conservation.
Barcamp Nairobi - beyond 50 will also see the launch of Barcamp Kenya, our vehicle to take
the Barcamp spirit and ideals beyond the capital and into different parts of our country. We
envision at least two Barcamps in Kenya outside Nairobi in 2014 and at least two more on
top of that in 2015. Barcamp Mombasa, Barcamp Eldoret, Barcamp Kisumu, Barcamp Nakuru,
Barcamp Kakamega and so on, the possibilities and opportunities are enormous. Barcamp
Nairobi would provide advice, support, logistical help but the main organisation, theme and
nature of each Barcamp would lie with the local organising committee building their capacity
to organise more events in their own locations.
In preparation for this, there will be good representation from universities and hubs outside of
Nairobi at this years event.
Event details
When: Saturday, 24th August, 2013
Where: iHub and Nailab
Where to stay?
Sponsors
Schedule
Day 1
- Morning
- Lunch
- Afternoon
- Dinner
- Evening/Party
Day 2
Proposed Sessions
Topics I would like to hear about
Planners
Volunteers
Participants (aka Campers)
Task List
(please -cross out- when it's done)
Tech
- Wifi
- Projector, White Boards
- Photo
- Video
- Audio
- Streaming or Stickam or Skype
Non-tech
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Coffee/Tea
- Tables and chairs
Tags for flickr, delicious, ma.gnolia, technorati etc.
Please use the tag (fill in your tag -- usually barcamp{location}) for content related to this event
Who's blogging?
