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It’s almost time for Podcamp Nashville 2010, the buzz is building and Paramore|Redd will be out in the force this year. We’re even sponsoring it!

In the last six months, I’ve had the opportunity to attend several conferences, including Barcamp Nashville 2009, where I presented. I wanted to share my experience and tips for making the most out of your Podcamp experience this year!

1) Connect Before The Event

I’ve experienced the good and the bad of not connecting before an event.

Don’t show up lonely.

Podcamp provides an opportunity to meet up with your online contacts. Reach out, starting now, to find out who’s going. Start tracking the #pcn10 hashtag and introduce yourself. Head over to the sessions page, check out the signups, and start following new people on Twitter.

Don’t show up on March 6th without having a few people in mind that you want to meet.

Connect with me and Kate. We’ll both be speaking this year at Podcamp Nashville.

2) Make Plans

This is a follow-up to the previous tip. Don’t just say “I’ll see you there,” because with the hassle of socializing and moving from session to session, it can be easy to miss out on the opportunity to meet and chat with your friends. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to meet that one person you’ve been wanting to meet.

Plan ahead to meet before or after, or just to grab lunch together at the event.

3) Business Cards

This should go without saying. Bring business cards.

When you meet someone new, get their card and make notes on the back after you finish talking. You’ll be thankful that evening. ;)

4) Bring a Sweater / Hoodie

You never know what the temperature at a conference will be like, so come prepared. Personally, I’m pretty obsessed with hoodies. (And flip flops, which you’ll likely see me wearing as well.)

5) Backpack

I didn’t bring one to Barcamp, but I’ll be bringing one to Podcamp. It’s a long day with a lot to carry.

6) Have Power

Be prepared to expend a lot of battery power. Charge everything the night before. Bring spare batteries. Consider bringing a power adapter. Plugs can be hard to come by and they’ll make you popular.

7) Track #pcn10 and Participate

Before, during, and after Podcamp, keep a search active for the official hashtag #pcn10. Make sure your participate in the conversation. It’ll make the experience more engaging and you’ll make a lot more Twitter friends. My Twitter follower count grew significantly around Barcamp Nashville 09.

8) The Rule of Two Feet

Podcamp is about participating, contributing, and learning. It is what you make of it though. If you find yourself not learning or contributing, then get moving! Use your two feet and walk somewhere where you can learn or contribute.

9) Follow Up

It’s an all day event, but it’ll go by quickly. You’ll be stuffing your brain with information, frantically taking notes, and meeting new people.

Don’t let this stop after the event: follow up with your new contacts, review your notes, continue the conversation and share your content.

10) Just Say Hi

This is one I have a hard time with, because I’m a bit awkward with new people. It’s important though to just walk up and say hi to someone you want to meet. We’re all there to learn and meet new people. So just walk up and say hi.

Don’t be afraid to just introduce yourself to speakers and ask questions. They signed up for it. I love chatting about SEO, so stop me and ask away. Be sure to bug Kate with all your social media questions.

11) Socialize

Learning is great, but the biggest benefit I took away from Barcamp Nashville 09 was the relationships. Getting to know the human behind the Twitter account is extremely powerful. Chat with new people, buy someone a drink, and get together after the event.

12) Visit My Session

And if you really want to make the best of Podcamp, then you need to be visiting my sessions.

I had to put it. =)

I’ll be handing out information on Wordpress SEO and answering questions about SEO.

Oh, and I heard Kate is presenting too. You may want to check her out what she has to say about social media. I’ve heard there is a picture of me in her presentation.

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