The Community is Gathering for TribeCon

tribcon-tempTaylor Davidson walked into Launch Pad yesterday, and I knew TribeCon had arrived. I don’t quite know why, but after all the work that has gone into this, having Taylor walk in was a powerful and emotional trigger for me. Not that seeing Nathan Heleine and Michael Karnjanaprakorn was too shabby, having them show up yesterday was great too.

But something about seeing Taylor. Probably because of our shared experience at SXSW and the fact that he has traveled the world since he was last here.

Anyway, TribeCon has arrived, and I am soooo ready for it.

I can’t wait until the other speakers and friends start rolling into town over the next two days. I can’t wait to toast the first NOLA Brew Houpitoulas on Wednesday night here at the Launch Pad and kick off the weekend with our Tribe. I can’t wait until everyone strolls into the Bingo tent on Thursday morning to see what an amazing atmosphere we’ve created for this conference. I can’t wait til you see the t-shirts, stickers, and all the beautiful collateral that Justin Shiels designed. I can’t wait to hear so many of the wonderful speakers take the stage and share their inspiring stories and messages about community building. I can’t wait to break bread (well, actually Jambalaya) with everyone at lunch, sitting at a 200 person picnic table under the oaks in City Park. And I can’t wait to hang with everyone in the TribeCon Lounge all weekend, our very own oasis in the center of Voodoo.

If you are still on the fence, take it from Champ Superstar, (and trust me) TribeCon is going to be an amazing experience. You will learn, share, connect, and be inspired. If you are committed to this community, to our community, to New Orleans, I’m asking you to join us for TribeCon. We’ve worked so hard, come so far as a community. Come share this experience with us. It’s very personal to me, but this is about all of us. If you haven’t yet, I am asking you, please buy a ticket right now and Join the Tribe. If you have, thank you.

Thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to make this a reality. Thank you to all the groups that have supported us along the way. And most of all, thank you for being there with us on Thursday.

7 Reasons Your Boss Should Send You to TribeCon

So maybe you are having a hard time convincing your boss why to send you to TribeCon. We understand. It’s a work day and your time is valuable. And everyone is tightening their belts these days. But this is an experience we can’t see you miss out on. Let us help you make your case.

It’s Friday, everyone’s in a good mood. Make a cup of coffee just like your boss likes it. Take a deep breath, smile, and head into her office armed with the following arguments:

  1. Education: Our line-up of panels will address best practices and useful tools to enhance your professional development. All industries and professions will benefit from learning about how to better communicate with your customer online, build a community around your brand or cause and create advocates that are inspired to take action on your behalf. There will be an opportunity for everyone to learn how to improve their business- whether it is how to generate sales by creating online enthusiasm, how to incorporate new technologies to enhance your product, how to raise start-up capital with crowd sourcing applications, or how to galvanize fund raising support for a philanthropic cause.
  2. Convenience and Cost: Our panelists are nationally recognized industry leaders who regularly speak at conferences across the world. This is an opportunity to learn about cutting edge technology and online practices in your own backyard for a fraction of the cost of other events in national cities like NY, Las Vegas, and San Francisco.
  3. Networking: This is an intimate event that will offer a unique opportunity to meet other like minded professionals and share ideas. We will have break-out sessions and community building exercises to facilitate discussion and collaboration. In addition to making professional connections, you will bring back an experience that you can share with your fellow colleagues to enhance your business performance.
  4. Regional Economic Development: New Orleans has been on the national radar for our success in the entrepreneurial and creative sectors. This conference reinforces the city, state and region’s status as an innovative hub that attracts national attendance for a revolutionary interactive conference. By taking part, you will be building upon the momentum that is propelling our community’s economic success.
  5. Social Media: Your boss watches CNN and heard about this thing called Twitter. She asked you to get on it. You’ve set up a Twitter account and a Facebook page. Did your website traffic skyrocket? Nope! Why not? Because getting up on Twitter & Facebook is not engaging yourself in the conversation. At TribeCon you’ll learn how to authentically connect with your community and actually use these tools to get your message out. If your boss thinks a Facebook page and Twitter account are enough, she better send you to TribeCon.
  6. Passionate People: Are you fired up about your job? Do you need to recharge your creative energy? At TribeCon you can’t help but be inspired, and guess what, this will improve your performance at work. Come get fired up about building a community around your cause. Recharge your passion.
  7. You Will Be Working: This is not a day off. Don’t ask for a vacation day, tell your boss this will enhance your ability to do your job. You plan to take notes and do a presentation on Monday about what you learned. Your company or organization will benefit from you being there. We promise.

Not convinced? Tell us your story and we’ll help you out. Seriously, we will call your boss and get you a day off. And I’m convincing on the phone. :)

Great, it worked! You’re in. So, go buy a ticket to TribeCon now.