Well, it's that time again. GeekFest 3.0 is around the corner and we're looking forward to another evening of sublime Geekery at The Shelter in Al Quoz. GeekFest 3.0 is to take place from around 7pm on the evening of the 17th December 2009 and you are more than welcome to join us there!
GeekFest is intended to be an offline social for online people and should be interesting for anyone who's involved in the online world and in using technology to create, educate, entertain, inform or just play around.
The event remains resolutely UNorganised and so nobody gets told what to do, where to go or anything like that. The speakers at the GeekTalks are responsible for starting and ending on time, the TechnoCase people have signed clauses that they won't hassle the geeks so there's no overtly commercial stuff going on, although there is always the invitation to have a chat. Various things have fallen together and we're hoping to have a couple of minor surprises on the night, but it's not like we've done anything clever.
Why bother coming at all? It's a good question, especially as it looks like GeekFest will fall in the middle of a holiday. I can only say that I have been amazed at how many interesting, engaging and smart people I have encountered at the last two GeekFests and can only expect this one to be the same. Oh, and the garden's open at The Shelter so it's a much nicer place to hang out for those of you with vile, disgusting personal habits. Smokers are welcome to use it, too.
GeekTalks
The speakers from the last GeekFest were asked to nominate their successors so that Saadia and I aren't 'gatekeepers'. Two of 'em didn't so we found our own. We have four GeekTalks scheduled to run from 8pm-9pm or so and these will take place, as they did last time, in the funky cinema roomy thing at the back of The Shelter. More details will be shared soon as we're being teases.
The GeekTalks were incredibly popular last time and it pretty quickly got to standing room outside the door poking your head between other people's shoulders only, so if I were you, I'd get a towel laid out on a seat in there early.
TechnoCases
This time around, the Technology Showcases will feature super chip chappies AMD (who will, I think, be playing with some funky video card stuff. If it's the one I saw at GITEX, it'll fill gamers' hearts with stuff) and also consumer electronics supremos LG.
Food and stuff
As usual, food and drink supplied by The Shelter's very own mOre Café will be available and in true Chris Anderson spirit, will be free because we've gouged the TechnoCase people.
Location
The Shelter is in Dubai's Al Qouz industrial area. Here's a map!
Registration
Are you kidding? Just turn up...
If you want to get updates and stuff, you can follow @GeekFestDubai on Twitter and there's a GeekFest FaceBook group too, for no particularly good reason. You can also email either myself or Saadia Zahid at the addresses given on the GeekFest Twitter page if you've got any questions, want to hold a TechnoCase at the next GeekFest (looking like Feb 2010) or just want to blame us for something.
9 comments:
I guess geeks aren't supposed to be Backstreet Boys fans.
Back Street who?
i was about to say the same thing...
Is anyone supposed to be a Backstreet boys fan?
Oh come on guys, what's wrong with the BS Boys?!
Huh? What's Back Street got to do with anything?
Anyway - though I won't be there - beanbags and floor mats in the cinema thingy room. The floor's a bit cold.
How much do you gouge for the Technocases?
We're currently charging $1,500 although that might have to go up a bit if the whole thing stays so popular.
We spend the money on the F&B and have a little left over that we might try and use to fund bringing in a super speaker or something. We'll be seeing how it goes...
Sounds good. Will get in touch with you - might have someone for the next one.
I hope to God/science that my class gets cancelled that Thursday!
I mean, there's FREE FOOD man, FREE FOOOOOOOOOOOD!
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