Ignite Bend

Ignite Bend 3 is only a few days away! We’re looking forward to seeing everyone at the Tower Theater this Wednesday, October 14. There will be some great presentations and other fun stuff planned… don’t miss out! Here’s the scoop…

Doors will open at 6:30pm. Anyone holding advance tickets will be admitted immediately. We’re requesting a $3 donation at the door, or you can donate online. Kousefly will be warming up the crowd with some tunes.  Twist Cocktail Catering will be selling adult beverages. After some brief announcements at 7pm the first round of presentations will begin:

Kate Gronemyer – What is Ignite?
MI6 — Can you use Lego people to model Bend area vehicle vs pedestrian crashes?
Brenda Gessner — Ignite Your Fire
Todd Friesen — Buncha Crap I Didn’t Know
Jen Floyd — Couch to 5k – It didn’t change my life, but it did change my butt…

There will be an intermission, during which Kousefly will entertain us with another short set. Twist Cocktail Catering will also be open for business again. Then the second round of presentations will begin:

April Witteveen — Nobody Here Except Me and My Alter Ego
Greg Bold — Diabetes… Yeah It Sucks
Michelle Barry Franco — It’s All Story
Kris McBride — Transformation by Beer
Judy Shasek — Walking on Water in the High Desert

Immediately following the event we hope you will join us for an “after-party” at 900 Wall where there will be Ignite specials.

See you at Ignite Bend 3!!

It’s the moment that you have been waiting for… here are the speakers that were selected to present at Ignite Bend 3!

Judy Shasek — Walking on Water in the High Desert
April Witteveen — Nobody Here Except Me and My Alter Ego
Robert Kieffer — Porn on Two Wheels – Beauty & Craftsmanship of Handmade Bicycles
Kris McBride — Transformation by Beer
Todd Friesen — Buncha Crap I Didn’t Know
Jen Floyd — Couch to 5k – It didn’t change my life, but it did change my butt…
MI6 — Can you use Lego people to model Bend area vehicle vs pedestrian crashes?
Brenda Gessner — Ignite Your Fire
Meri Glade — Stories From the Camera Phone of a Technomad

Alternates:

Andy Blackledge — How to solve a Rubik’s Cube, in under 5 minutes
Greg Bolt — Diabetes…Yeah It Sucks
Brian Hinderberger — Open Mic Etiquette

Thank you to everyone that submitted a proposal! We are looking forward to a great show!!

~Tom Wilson

But this Monday is jam-packed with good stuff for Ignite Bend. Stay tuned… we’ll be posting the speaker lineup as soon as results are tallied and certified by our independent auditing firm. (Well, not really… we’re crunching numbers in Excel. The other thing just sounds more official!)

Also… advance tickets will be available starting today at noon. Sponsors, speakers, volunteers, and planning committee members do NOT need to reserve tickets… we’ve already set yours aside!

Happy Monday!!

WOW! We have so many great submissions for Ignite Bend 3… now we need your help. Please tell us who you would like to see on stage at Ignite Bend 3! There are two ways to share your opinion:

First … fill out our online ballot.

Second … cast your vote in person at a Ignite Bend 3 “Selection Election”
Join us for a no-host mixer and cast your ballot at a “Selection Election”. Times and locations are:

October 1, 2009 5-7pm – Brother Jon’s Pub (1227 NW Galveston Ave., Bend)
RSVP on Facebook

October 4, 2009 1-3pm – Abbey Pub (1740 NW Pence Lane, Bend)
RSVP on Facebook

We are still looking for sponsors for Ignite Bend 3! For more information about sponsorship levels, check out the Sponsorships page or contact Jen Floyd.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us. See you at a “Selection Election” or at Ignite Bend 3!

We are looking for sponsors for Ignite Bend 3! Ignite Bend is a free community event organized by a bunch of Bend locals. 100% of sponsor dollars go toward venue, refreshments, and other costs of putting on the event. We need your help to put on this amazing event!

For more information about sponsorship levels, check out the Sponsorships page or contact Jen Floyd.

Thanks for supporting Ignite Bend 3!

If you had five minutes on stage what would you say? What if you only got 20 slides and they rotated automatically after 15 seconds? Around the world people have been putting together Ignite nights to show their answers.

Ignite Bend 3 is coming… October 14th at the Tower Theater! Ignite Bend 3 speakers will receive an exclusive Ignite Bend coffee mug (from Mug Revolution) … plus the fame, glory, and nausea that are part of speaking in front of a large crowd!

Would you like to present at Ignite Bend 3? Submit your proposal on the Proposal Page! Tell us about your topic, and why you’re passionate about it. Tell us a little about yourself, and why you want to be part of Ignite Bend 3. Heck, give us links to your blog, a youTube video of yourself, your Twitter… any other info that will help us make our decision!

Ignite Bend Why Present from Matthew Hand on Vimeo.

We’d love it if you could join us in person… but if you can’t make it to the Tower Theatre we don’t want you to miss out. Check out Ignite Bend 2 live… right here! You can even chat with other online viewers, and leave feedback for the organizers.

Ignite Bend 2 is tomorrow night, 7pm at the Tower Theatre. If you don’t have tickets yet… don’t wait much longer as they are almost sold out! If you don’t have a ticket, there will be a standby line, and we should have room for quite a few people. But why risk not getting a seat for this exciting and energetic FREE event? Let’s fill up the Tower Theatre!!

If you are one of our friends from afar and you just can’t make it to the event, be sure to catch the live stream, provided by Pinnacle Media. The broadcast will be recorded, so you can also catch it at a later date and replay your favorite talks over and over…

Whether you are joining us at the Tower Theatre or via the live stream, we want you to share your experience and help us spread the word about Ignite Bend. Here are some helpful hints and recommendations^* for enjoying Ignite Bend 2 to the fullest:

• » DO bring your camera, your phone, your sketchpad, or any other way of capturing the event.
• » DO bring your eePC, iPod Touch, or other wifi capable devices. Free wifi will be provided but we will NOT have power available in the audience seating area.
• » DO tag anything and everything (Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, etc.) ib2 and/or ignitebend. That way, we can find it.
• » DON’T forget your ticket (or bring a device that will allow you to show your ticket electronically).
• » DO get there early. Really early. I’m serious. Early. Did I say “Early”? Seating is general admission, and while there really aren’t any bad seats in the Tower Theatre we would HATE for you to miss out on the pre-Ignite fun we have planned for everyone.
• » DO fill out and stick on a name tag. We’ll have blank ones available in the lobby. If you’re too cool for one of those make your own at home (especially if you have lots of creativity and some spare time).
• » DO be prepared to give everyone and anyone your Twitter name. (Don’t use Twitter? Get on it.)
• » Now that you’re on Twitter, DO try to tweet about the event and hashtag it #ib2. That way, we can see what you’re saying.
• » DO be nice to all the Ignite folks and volunteers. (They’re all volunteers. And they’re doing this in their free time.)
• » DON’T be the assholes who heckle presenters. They’re volunteers (and people) too.
• » DON’T be a wallflower. Talk to people in line while you’re waiting to get into the Tower Theatre. Talk to people while you’re waiting to buy a raffle ticket from one of those adorably annoying children in the lobby, or something to drink from the snack bar.
• » DO try to get in front of Buck’s or Jen’s cameras. Their pictures have a way of getting your mug onto Facebook, Flickr, and into your favorite print media.
• » DO take a minute to thank our sponsors. Their support keeps Ignite Bend a FREE event, and we couldn’t do this without them!!

Tomorrow’s the big night! I hope everyone has a terrific time. We owe a HUGE thanks to all of the volunteers, speakers, and sponsors who are making this second edition of Ignite Bend possible. This event would be nothing with the community behind it, and their love and effort.

Let’s have a great time at Ignite Bend 2!

^*Adapted from a list written by Portland blog rockstar, Rick Turoczy.

Your votes have been counted, and we are proud to announce who will be on stage at Ignite Bend 2!

Kousefly — What is Ignite?
Marlee Norr — Facing the Consequences
Leslie Camacho — How Dungeons & Dragons Made Me the Boss
Brad Cohen — Eggs. Nature’s … well … everything really.
Kate Gronemyer — I like you but I wish you would stop talking for a minute: Introverts exposed.

Intermission and Raffle

Collin Robinson — People will pay me to do that?
Barb Troyer — How cupcakes inspired a conversation about pregnant cows & milk at my wedding party; or the joys of a Vegan (plant-based) diet.
Beth Patterson — How to walk around your life as if you were awake
Brett Golden — Take My Money. Please!
Shannon Hinderberger — Being a “natural mother” doesn’t work for everyone

This should be a really great event, with some excellent talks. There were TWENTY great proposals, and it was really a very tight race at the end. Thanks to everyone who submitted a proposal!

Tickets will be available online soon! (You’ll just have to keep an eye on this site and our Twitter feed to find out when!) Hope to see everyone at Ignite Bend 2 on June 4th!

WOW! We have so many great submissions for Ignite Bend 2… now we need your help. Please tell us who you would like to see on stage at Ignite Bend 2! There are two ways to share your opinion:

First … fill out our online ballot.

Second … cast your vote in person at the Ignite Bend 2 “Selection Election”
Join us for a no-host mixer and cast your ballot at our “Selection Election” at The Wine Shop (55 NW Minnesota Avenue, Bend) on Friday, May 22 at 4:30pm. We’ll be collecting ballots until around 6:30pm but you are welcome to stay and mingle. There will be beer and wine specials and… of course lots of socializing! For more information and to RSVP visit the Facebook site for this event!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us. See you at the “Selection Election” or at Ignite Bend 2!