Tech Fest Manifesto
There are a few mandates which the Tech Fest must follow:
- By and For the Community
Tech Fest's are about the community at large. They are meant to be a place for developers AND IT Professionals to come and learn from their peers. Topics are always based on community interest and never determined by anyone other than the community.
- Always Free
Tech Fest's are always free for attendees.
- Community Developed Material
The success of the Tech Fest's is that they are based on community content. All content that is delivered is original. All presentation content must be provided (including any code and your slide decks). If you have content you don’t want to share or provide to attendees then the TechFest is not the place for you.
- No Fluff
Tech Fest's are about getting to the nitty gritty. Refer to rule #1 if you have any questions on this.
- Community Ownership
The most important element of the Tech Fest is always the community. All are welcome to attend and speak and do so without expectation of payment or any other compensation other than their participation in the community.
- Never occur during work hours
We need to understand that many times people can’t leave work for a day or two to attend training or even seminars. The beauty of the Tech Fest is that they always occur on weekends.
Why not a Code Camp? What's the difference?
Well, a Code Camp is strictly focused on the developer where Tech Fest is all about Technology, any technology and any topics that would benefit the community. We feel that IT Professionals, as well as Developers, should be given the chance to present their wares! Also, do not come to this event and expect all the presentations to focus just on Microsoft technologies. We strive to balance the content.
The last and most important difference between a Code Camp and Tech Fest is the flexibility to allow for and work with Sponsors. Allowing for even greater prizes, content and most importantly - food!