07.18.05

blogvention–a few steps in the right direction

Posted in blogvention at 4:03 pm by

I’ll admit, I’ve been rather pleasantly surprised at the favorable response that blogvention has gotten. I’ve gotten a few emails from folks who’ve said that they’d like to be involved in planning our little shin-dig, so that’s been encouraging. As always, if you’re new here and you have no idea what the hell I’m talking about when I portmanteau the words blog and convention together, read these posts.

Running concurrently with the Festival of Faith and Writing–a festival wherein Calvin College in Grand Rapids will play host to various authors (i.e. Marilyn Robinson, Salman Rushdie, Donald Miller, Luci Shaw, and Lauren Winner among many others)–is when Blogvention will take place.

Blogvention should not be confused with the outwardly similar GodBlogCon 2005. I don’t really know exactly how GodBlogCon 2005 is going to shake out but I see it as different in a few key ways from Blogvention:

1. Blogvention is happening in 2006, not 2005.
2. I can’t picture any reality in which, as a key component of planned activities, Blogvention didn’t include significant quantities of adult beverage.
3. I can’t picture any reality in which you’d hear very many ‘curse words’ at GodBlogCon 2005 (though I could be wrong)…you’ll probably hear one or two (thousand) at blogvention.

So, yes, blogvention will be much more fun, hedonistic, and, well, ‘Bad Christian-esque.’

As I envision it, (and when it’s your idea you can do all the envisioning you damn well please) I see the event unfolding in the following manner. The Festival of Faith and Writing, which you’ll need to register for in advance, keeps conference-goers fairly busy. Thus, we’ll probably keep sessions to a minimum–at least for our inaugural blogvention.

However, I’d like to see a session on something like ‘Bridging the Gap: Making the Jump from Self-Publishing to Finding an Outlet for your Writing.’ Or, possibly something on ‘Podcasting: The Wave of the Future.’ I’d be more than happy to hear your suggestions for sessions–though, I’d like to only have one or two so that folks are free to attend the Festival of Faith and Writing (because it costs money.)

As I see it, the meat of blogvention will be a few gatherings where attenders are able to head on out together in Grand Rapids and enjoy several rounds of drink at a drinking establishment (read: local dive). And, probably, blogvention would involve the sharing of meals with one-another–either in a planned out ‘lunching-round-robin’ event where we strategically methodically meet one another–or the less planned ‘que sera sera’ variety.

Much more than simply the sharing of ideas, I propose that blogvention would be a meeting of this little online community we’ve got. Simply put: wouldn’t it be fun to meet? As I see it, more prevalent than a convention where one person presents ideas and others listen, I envision blogvention as an informal time of meeting and the sharing of ideas and life together.

All that capped off with evenings of drinking and other sorts of merriment (read: hookah).

Now, there are plenty o’ bridges to cross yet in the planning stages. Mostly, I’m waiting for a schedule of events so that I can plan around the Festival of Faith and Writing. That said, most meal-times for FFW 2004 were open, as were most evenings. I may have to call a few favors in from friends at Calvin to see if I can’t reserve a room or two, but all told, I think that in the planning department, we’re mostly all set…excepting these things:

1. If you have a good idea for a blogvention-session, or you’d like to present, email me at brandon[at]badchristian.com.

2. If you know Grand Rapids, and can think of some good places to have a group dinner (i.e. parks, etc.) or places to have a drink or several (i.e. bars that are conducive to chatting) I’d be more than happy to begin to chart out some of those options as well. Again, email me with those thoughts at brandon[at]badchristian.com.

3. If you are interested in blogvention and you have let me know (you’ve commented before or emailed me) then you’re all set, I’ve got you. If you haven’t let me know and you’d like to come leave a comment here or email me at brandon[at]badchristian.com.

4. If you live in Grand Rapids and would be willing to host a few of our out-of-town blogventioneers as this would greatly ease costs being incurred by travellers from far-away-places, it’d be great if you could let me know that as well, again, brandon[at]badchristian.com. (And, thanks, Meg, for being willing to open your doors…)

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blogvention–a few steps in the right direction

Posted in blogvention at 4:03 pm by

I’ll admit, I’ve been rather pleasantly surprised at the favorable response that blogvention has gotten. I’ve gotten a few emails from folks who’ve said that they’d like to be involved in planning our little shin-dig, so that’s been encouraging. As always, if you’re new here and you have no idea what the hell I’m talking about when I portmanteau the words blog and convention together, read these posts.

Running concurrently with the Festival of Faith and Writing–a festival wherein Calvin College in Grand Rapids will play host to various authors (i.e. Marilyn Robinson, Salman Rushdie, Donald Miller, Luci Shaw, and Lauren Winner among many others)–is when Blogvention will take place.

Blogvention should not be confused with the outwardly similar GodBlogCon 2005. I don’t really know exactly how GodBlogCon 2005 is going to shake out but I see it as different in a few key ways from Blogvention:

1. Blogvention is happening in 2006, not 2005.
2. I can’t picture any reality in which, as a key component of planned activities, Blogvention didn’t include significant quantities of adult beverage.
3. I can’t picture any reality in which you’d hear very many ‘curse words’ at GodBlogCon 2005 (though I could be wrong)…you’ll probably hear one or two (thousand) at blogvention.

So, yes, blogvention will be much more fun, hedonistic, and, well, ‘Bad Christian-esque.’

As I envision it, (and when it’s your idea you can do all the envisioning you damn well please) I see the event unfolding in the following manner. The Festival of Faith and Writing, which you’ll need to register for in advance, keeps conference-goers fairly busy. Thus, we’ll probably keep sessions to a minimum–at least for our inaugural blogvention.

However, I’d like to see a session on something like ‘Bridging the Gap: Making the Jump from Self-Publishing to Finding an Outlet for your Writing.’ Or, possibly something on ‘Podcasting: The Wave of the Future.’ I’d be more than happy to hear your suggestions for sessions–though, I’d like to only have one or two so that folks are free to attend the Festival of Faith and Writing (because it costs money.)

As I see it, the meat of blogvention will be a few gatherings where attenders are able to head on out together in Grand Rapids and enjoy several rounds of drink at a drinking establishment (read: local dive). And, probably, blogvention would involve the sharing of meals with one-another–either in a planned out ‘lunching-round-robin’ event where we strategically methodically meet one another–or the less planned ‘que sera sera’ variety.

Much more than simply the sharing of ideas, I propose that blogvention would be a meeting of this little online community we’ve got. Simply put: wouldn’t it be fun to meet? As I see it, more prevalent than a convention where one person presents ideas and others listen, I envision blogvention as an informal time of meeting and the sharing of ideas and life together.

All that capped off with evenings of drinking and other sorts of merriment (read: hookah).

Now, there are plenty o’ bridges to cross yet in the planning stages. Mostly, I’m waiting for a schedule of events so that I can plan around the Festival of Faith and Writing. That said, most meal-times for FFW 2004 were open, as were most evenings. I may have to call a few favors in from friends at Calvin to see if I can’t reserve a room or two, but all told, I think that in the planning department, we’re mostly all set…excepting these things:

1. If you have a good idea for a blogvention-session, or you’d like to present, email me at brandon[at]badchristian.com.

2. If you know Grand Rapids, and can think of some good places to have a group dinner (i.e. parks, etc.) or places to have a drink or several (i.e. bars that are conducive to chatting) I’d be more than happy to begin to chart out some of those options as well. Again, email me with those thoughts at brandon[at]badchristian.com.

3. If you are interested in blogvention and you have let me know (you’ve commented before or emailed me) then you’re all set, I’ve got you. If you haven’t let me know and you’d like to come leave a comment here or email me at brandon[at]badchristian.com.

4. If you live in Grand Rapids and would be willing to host a few of our out-of-town blogventioneers as this would greatly ease costs being incurred by travellers from far-away-places, it’d be great if you could let me know that as well, again, brandon[at]badchristian.com. (And, thanks, Meg, for being willing to open your doors…)

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