A few practical bits and pieces about BarCamp Derry. If you have any other questions, please feel free to drop us a line by email or on Twitter.
- Promoting BarCamp
- Stuff to Bring With You
- Helping Out
- Getting There
- Wifi
- Accommodation
- Sponsor BarCamp
- FAQs for Speakers
- Who’s Organising BarCamp Derry?
Promoting BarCamp
Anything you can do to help spread the word about BarCamp is much appreciated. Please blog about it, talk about it and tweet about it.
We’re putting together some press releases, email invites and printed posters - if you’d like any of these to use, let us know.
What To Bring
- Yourself
- Your ideas
- Your laptop (if you want)
- Biz cards
- Mobile broadband dongle (we’ll have wifi available but if you’ve got one it might be a good idea to bring it just in case)
- Something to tweet with
- If you’re speaking, your presentation and any fiddly bits you might need
Helping Out
If you’d like to help out on the day or in advance, please get in touch. We have warm fuzzies and a free beer for you! In particular we need:
- Anyone who might be free to help us setup on the morning
- People to help on the day with registration and such
- Some technical types to help with AV equipment
How to Get There
BarCamp Derry takes place at University of Ulster, Magee Campus, Northland Rd, Derry. Tel: 0870 040 0700. We’re kicking off in the Great Hall which is the main building, but don’t worry there’ll be plenty of signs and helpers to point you in the right direction. There’s a car park on site.
Google Maps ain’t great with the location so search for ‘rock road derry‘.
By Taxi: From Foyle St Bus Depot it should be around £3ish (taxi rank outside). From the train station it’ll be around £3.50/4. Try Foyle taxis on 02871 263 905.
By Car: Get yourself into Derry city centre and then drive along the quay side southbound along the Strand Rd. You’ll pass the Derry City Council offices on your right and then turn left onto Rock Rd at the next set of traffic lights. Drive up the hill a hundred yards or so and you’ll see the university on your left.
If you are coming in from the Culmore Road, follow the signs for the city centre. You will pass Sainbury’s on your left and then see a petrol station on your right just before the lights. Turn right onto Rock Road.
By Bus: There are buses every 30 mins or so from Belfast, and regularly throughout the day via Letterkenny (Sligo/Galway), Omagh and Coleraine (see Translink for details). From Dublin, Bus Eireann goes to Derry every couple of hours.
By Train: You can get to Derry by train from Belfast, Ballymena and Coleraine - again, see Translink for details. There is a courtesy bus to take you from the station to the Foyle St bus depot when you arrive.
By Plane: You can even fly to Derry with Ryanair (from UK) and Aer Arann (from Dublin). Taxi are available at the airport and should cost about £10-12.
Wifi
The University of Ulster has arranged for free wifi for all attendees but you must register your details in advance (and before lunchtime on October 2nd).
You can do that here.
Accommodation
If you’d like to make a weekend of it or need somewhere to lay your head on Friday or Saturday night, we’re arranging some discounts with local hotels.
- DaVinci’s Hotel - 10% off when you mention ‘barcamp derry’, phone bookings only (028 7127 9111)
- Apartotel Derry - Just 5 mins walk from the venue and 5 mins from the city centre. You can book by phoning on (00 44) 2871 271 574 or preferrably by email to dawn@alwynlong.co.uk quoting ‘barcamp derry’. These are 1 and 2 bed apartments with full kitchen etc…
- One bed (sleeps 2): £50 - usually £80
- Two bed (sleeps 4): £80 - usually £110
- Penthouse: £90 - usually £120
We’re also trying to arrange some ‘couch surfing’ - if you’re interested in offer up your sofa or spare bedroom - or need one - please let us know.
Sponsoring BarCamp
If you’d like to get your brand in front on a whole bunch of enthusiastic web and tech folks, then we’d be happy to take your money.
In particular, we’re looking for sponsors to help meet the costs of teas & coffees, a spot of lunch, video coverage of the event and a few of the social activities on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
If you’d like to help out or would like some more info, please get in touch.
Current Sponsors and Supporters Include:
- Derry City Council
- University of Ulster - venue and support
- Blacknight - hosting and domain
FAQs for Speakers
Who can speak: Anyone.
What should I speak about: Anything web, tech or digital media related. We’re also looking for people to demo interesting projects they’ve been working on.
How long do I get: About 20 minutes.
What format should my talk be in: Up to you really. You can give a talk using PowerPoint, do something more informal like a Q&A session, start a debate or demo a project.
What facilities are available: There should be no problem hooking up your laptop to the projection equipment. We’ll also have plenty of drywipe boards and flip charts available if you’re feeling a little retro. If you have any specific requirements, please let us know in advance. Oh, and try to remember to bring any cables or adaptors that you might need.
I’m a litle shy, how many people will be there: We’re hoping for 100+ attendees but we’ll also be using smaller break out rooms which cater for anything from 20-30 people upwards. You can pick your chosen room on the day.
I might like to speak, but I’m not sure: No problems. You can always decide on the day or simply put down a rough idea of what you might talk about now and firm up the details later on.
Will anyone be interested in my topic: Probably yes. We’re hoping for a good mix of attendees so the more variety in the topics the better.
Who’s Organising BarCamp Derry
BarCamp Derry is being organised primarily by a bunch of local people, most of whom also attend the OpenCoffee Derry networking events. Mark Nagurski is acting as ‘man on the ground’ if you need to get in touch - email mark[at]reallypractical.com.
