Davao’s 1st Blog Weekend Bootcamp

Am all set tomorrow to give a one hour talk to the many participants registered in the first Davao Blog Weekend Bootcamp.

Blog Weekend Bootcamp is an intensive 3-day live-in conference with breakout sessions and hands-on workshop on September 21-23, 2012 at the Malagos Garden Resort in Davao City.  It is an excellent opportunity for writers and bloggers to sharpen their skills and maximize growth in the areas of new media creation such as creative writing, video blogging, photo blogging, and Social Media. The organizers, Davao Bloggers, are expecting an estimate of 100 participants.

My topic will be on Photo Blogging, because of my background in photojournalism.  A nice article I’ve read was published in a Singapore online news site written by author below.

More information at www.blogweekendbootcamp.com and www.facebook.com/BlogWeekendBootcamp.  Meet the other cool speakers. 🙂

Blog Weekend Bootcamp launches in Davao City September 21-23

Filipino bloggers from the South and from all around the country are in for a treat, as the Davao Bloggers group is launching an intensive hands-on workshop that deals with all areas of blogging.

Set for September 21 to 23 in Davao City, the Blog Weekend Bootcamp aims to provide an intensive hands-on workshop for Filipino bloggers, and will deal with various aspects of blogging. These include creative writing, video blogging, photoblogging and social media.

The goal in this live-in bootcamp is to help bloggers create an effective online presence, which also includes more advanced discussions, like monetization and ethics. And what better way to help bloggers improve in their craft than topnotch mentors in the local blogging scene? Key mentors will include the following speakers:

• Janette Toral, author and e-commerce consultant
• Jay Frank de Jesus, emerging media specalist at the U.S. Embassy in Manila
• Justin Cooke, Chief Idea Generator at Adsense Flippers
• Jojie Alcantara, journalist, photographer, PR and creative consultant
• Rene Lizada, writer and columnist
• Aileen Apolo-de Jesus, head of outreach at Google Southeast Asia
• Kring Elenzano, director, producer, actress, host and blogger
• Roy Geonzon, Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas Davao chapter president

In a statement, Davao Bloggers president Dulce Rose Lada highlighted the growth of the local blogging community, and thus the need for a better appreciation of the medium.

“It’s more than just one-of-a-kind, it’s truly the first of it’s kind here in Davao city. We wanted to raise the bar of blogging—in terms of content, ethics and maybe even monetization—in this side of the country. We felt that it’s time to launch a truly meaningful and educational event especially now that our members are growing exponentially… and the appreciation for blogging has now approached mainstream consciousness.”

Apart from the blogging workshop itself, Davao will also host the Social Good Summit Meetup in sync with the third annual Social Good Summit, which will take place from September 22 to 24 in New York City. The event organizers have invited netizens from all over the world to help address the question: “How can new technology and new media create solutions for the biggest problems facing my community?”

Agenda

September 21, Friday

• 2 p.m. – Registration
• 5 p.m. – Dinner
• 6 p.m. – Opening Ceremonies
• 7 p.m. – Keynote: Bloggers as Digital Influencers
• 8 p.m. – Blogathon (Blog Setup and Group Formation)

September 22, Saturday

• 8 a.m. – Breakfast
• 9 a.m. – Track 1A: Blogging 101 / Track 1B: Ethics for Bloggers
• 10 a.m – Track 2A: Creative Writing / Track 2B: Niche Blogging
• 11 a.m. – Track 3A: Photo Blogging / Track 3B: Video Blogging
• 12 p.m. – Lunch
• 1 p.m. – Track 4: Social Media Etiquette and Best Practices
• 2 p.m. – Social Good Summit Davao
• 3 p.m. – Blogathon (Mentorship and Idea Formation)
• 6 p.m. – Dinner / Social Night

September 23, Sunday

• 8 a.m. – Breakfast
• 9 a.m. – Bird Show (Malagos Garden Resort)
• 11 a.m. – Awarding and Closing Ceremonies
• 12 p.m. – Lunch / Home
• 1 p.m. Optional Tour to Philippine Eagle Center

Slots are limited and cost PhP 1,500 per track (Beginner or Advanced). Registration is still ongoing at the 1st Blog Weekend Bootcamp registration page. The event is sponsored by Smart, Malagos Garden Resort, Abreeza Mall, Crea8tech, San Miguel, Kaiserwebs Solutions and the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation.