Dave O - the newly minted ambassador and erstwhile evangelist for Raincity Studios - chiming in here. In general, you can expect me to spiel forth about noteworthy entrepreneurial endeavors, community building, web-tool usability with an eye towards bridging the gap between the geeks and the suits. Today I am coming heralding a bit of commentary on the Vancouver tech scene.
Living in Vancouver, 'tis easy to get caught up in the natural brilliance and myriad recreation opportunities and miss the big view of the burgeoning local tech sector. Suffice to say, Vancouver is rolling and every indication suggests good times ahead for those willing to conceive, create, and market the goods. Whether producing compelling web tools, digital entertainment and/or the community apparatus to host conversations, Vancouver denizens are brewing up some seriously cool projects.
And this hype about Vancouver isn't just me running my mouth! Here's a few nuggets of proof:
Greatest in many ways - we think
Victoria Revay (dayjob = Now Public, yet another Vancouver stalwart and well-funded at that) published an article in Montreal TechWatch called "Vancouver: Canada’s Greatest Start-Up City?" (much to Montreal and Toronto's ire to be sure). Ms. Revay's interviewees list cost of doing business, wealth of qualified people, and comfortable community vibe as key reasons companies are not just pitching temporary tents in our left coast outpost anymore, but putting down roots and looking towards Silicon Valley and China as markets as readily as looking Eastward. (BTW, If any Montrealers want equal time in this blog, please fly me out for a hockey game with a Caeser and Poutine and we'll talk.)
Step up to the Bar (and other Camps)
Those in the know and blogosphere lurkers alike are clued into the Bar Camp (dareisay) revolution. August was a month of worldwide "unconference" frenzy with these community-grown pow-wows happening and interacting in their chaotic and often analog, splendor. Vancouver hosted what could be a prototype for successful Bar Camp shindig. A core group of volunteers - fueled by enthusiasm rather than obligation - a postcard Pacific weekend with a collaborative Workspace teeming with 3 tracks of peer-taught, participatory workshops producing actual stuff from hacked ads to live vidcasts to KK's (in)famous photowalks into the corners of Gastown. (Yes Virginia, there are plenty of Bar Camp Vancouver photos).
Miss 604 also live blogged the gig.
There's not only Bar Camp though, ... diligent geeks can sign up for Demo Camp, Facebook Camp, Third Tuesday, and Art Camp which are all going concerns - not to mention Northern Voice which is gaining reputation as a must-attend for new web hipsters. As an aside, the success with Vancouver sponsors was suffient to help bootstrap BarCamp Shanghai and Beijing where a couple of local lads are making good by spreading the techie goodness.
Award for, and of, the People
Starting with a brief note of disclosure: Raincity Studios and amigos at Bryght (hear Roland's interview with Lynda Brown) built the site for New Media BC's PopVox Awards but, since i had nothing to do with it ;-), I'll lob out some kudos to this great outreach campaign to celebrate and promote local and international new media projects in some unique categories, i.e. best music score for a video game, (the nebulously named) best Web 2.0 app (which means "just about anything" ), plus the mysterious "Homegrown in BC" award which smells like a winner already. Anyhow, stay tuned for the imminent release of a Raincity Radio podcast with talented Mr. Erik Hermans and effervescent Ms. Rochelle Grayson breaking down this project over coffee.
Get on the Map
Finally, ... I heart maps - collect, hang em, look at em in every which way so this is an easy one for me. Proto-blogger Darren Barefoot of the now (un)local PR agency Capulet, plus the folks over at TechVibes and Blue Line Media, crafted up a neat map to show distribution of local "Web 2.0" companies. The resulting TechCouver map is loosely fashioned after the local transit map but most of the biz'es of note are downtown or close to it.
[Photo of the TechCouver map originally shown here.]
I'll assume their point isn't to be a comprehensive clearinghouse of information (it is designed to look like a fridge which should be your first clue) but rather a fun way to grok what we have going on here in Van. Right? Indeed this map will change. With rents skyrocketing and space rare, more tech companies may follow Microsoft's lead and locate in efficient (but possibly bland) suburban office parks rather than convenient downtown lofts with (sometime too much) character. Of course companies merge, fold, move and change not to mention the wildcard of folks innovating in their garage or camped out in shared spaces. This is why the cartographers invite you to send in your company for inclusion.
With all the fun stuff and blissful distractions of living in the finest city in all the lands, mayhaps we don't much time thinking about the impact of the local tech tribe outside of here, and/or notice that people around the world are watching us and learning from us (gasp) yet we shy from in indulging in self-referetial banter - and frankly, that's probably what makes Vancouver so perfect.