Whitney Hoffman has published a few blog posts this week relating to the demands put upon conference organizers by last-minute registrations (see Your Failure to Plan Ahead is Not My Emergency, Law of Supply and Demand and What Happened to the Social Contract?).  I’d like to add another component to the discussion: The rule of no exceptions.

This is a hard rule to implement and enforce, particularly since many of us in the social media community know each other very well and in many cases we’re close friends.  It’s hard to say no to your friends.  When it comes to conference planning and public deadlines, you have to. 

I’ll use Podcasters Across Borders as an example since, for some reason, I know it well.

For the second year in a row, we have announced the dates of the next conference nearly a full year in advance (July June 19-21, 2009 in Kingston, Ontario — Canada — in case you hadn’t yet heard).  Last year, we starting making announcements about early registration (with a lower registration rate) a little more than one month in advance.  We made a formal announcement a few weeks in advance, and made regular updates online leading up to and during early registration.  Some people told us that they would be registering on the second last or last day of early registration.  The day following the close of early registration we received several emails requesting that we make an exception in each specific case.

Planning events and conferences for the community is a difficult task.  Registering for an event is an endorsement of the quality of the event and the investment of the organizers.  If an event is worth attending/endorsing, it’s worth doing so within the parameters of the event.

Congratulations to the PodCamp Boston 3 team.  I’m sorry I couldn’t be there this time.

I have received a number of requests to conduct my Audio Editing Techniques and Decisions presentation at PodCamp Boston.  In the session, I highlight five key editing techniques, demonstrate how to do them and discuss when and why you would use each type.

Why am I blogging this?

I am already delivering a presentation called What is the Sound of Your Brand? and I want to attend as many sessions as possible that weekend.  If interest is high (let’s say twenty-five people or more) leading up to the conference, I will present the editing session as well.

If you are attending PodCamp Boston and would like to attend my audio editing session, drop a comment on this post.

A few weeks ago I registered for an account on the PodCamp Pittsburgh website. I may have been click-happy at the time and ended up registering myself. I looked for a way to unregister and when I couldn’t find one, I figured I could let it slide.

Unfortunately, I won’t be able to make PC Pittsburgh. I’ll be following the website to get my fix.

See you at PodCamp Philly and PodCamp Boston2.

Inspired by PodCamp Boston, Leesa Barnes and Jay Moonah are leading the charge on PodCamp Toronto.  There is no specific date or location, yet, other than February 2007 in Toronto.

I’m looking forward to being a part of another great community event.