ConvergeSouth 2009 is on the table. I’m going to step away from conference organizing and urge Greensboro’s online community to invest themselves and their time in ConvergeSouth’s original goal: creativity online for everyone.
ConvergeSouth is a more than a conference. It has impacted the way the tech world perceives Greensboro, North Carolina, and how our local community of onliners is seen as far away as Silicon Valley and beyond. ConvergeSouth has helped give Greensboro a fairly loud online voice. There should be ConvergeSouth 2009 and it will be organized by new people with new vision, using all our community resources.
After four years, ConvergeSouth, like any community effort, should reflect the changing community. Different people have diverse goals and those should all be converged into a new plan for a better and maybe bigger community conference. New panelists and session leaders should be invited; new topics should be encouraged and new voices must be heard. It’s time for ConvergeSouth to be “re-visioned.” Step up and take part in that role.
It’s been a huge fun ride. I’ve made lifelong friends and tons of acquaintances and know more people from all over. I’ve given a lot but gotten much more. I want to sit in the audience next year and enjoy the discussions, panels and workshops. Heck, I might even volunteer to lead a session. We already have a volunteer firm who will manage the Web site. Contact me for that info.
Look at the homepage for ConvergeSouth and find the link to all the session leaders’ files (as they send them) PLUS the conference documentation zip file. Download it. Step up and become an organizer and build a team to lead ConvergeSouth 2009.
Thanks to everyone who has participated in every role over these four years. I’m looking forward to ConvergeSouth 2009.
Update: I think the ConvergeSouthers who made this conference better each year should be named and no, Ed, you do NOT have permission to go away.
Ed Cone – in varying roles, Ed stepped up each year with his contact list, gentle nudging and wordsmithing.
Ben Hwang – the whole shebang started from his IM post. “Why can’t Greensboro have SXSW?” and he carried the boxes each year
Janet Wright – if you ate at a hosted dinner or conference day, she arranged it. If you got a nametag, she stuffed it.
David Hoggard – and everyone in the Aycock Neighborhood for 4 years’ of free-service barbecues; opening their neighborhood and their homes to everyone at ConvergeSouth
Jay Ovittore – who about killed himself working on CS #1
Willie Rucker, Deborah Williamson, Dr. Nita Dewberry – the 3 women at NC A&T State University who just made everything magically work out
Bill Wood – NC A&T State University’s super-tech-geek who got us wifi access and made all the smart rooms even smarter
JR, Lex, Allen, and lots of other N&Rers who co-conferenced with us for the first 2 years
This post brought to you by the people who have sponsored every year, volunteered, participated, lent us their following, their names & talent, and are now the best category of all: buds.
Sue, thanks for your great work on Converge South. I attended three of them, and your leadership was spectacular. It will not be forgotten. I also made some good friendships and great contacts.
Sue, we can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done for Greensboro and for everyone who’s been even tangentially connected with CS. You are and will continue to be a wonderful inspiration to me and my family. We all owe you a huge debt of gratitude.
[...] surprise from this quarter to hear Sue is retiring from organizing ConvergeSouth after four years. She deserves retirement at full pension plus a [...]
I echo the others. You carried one heck of a load with grace, good humor and efficiency. I’m sorry we have had less of a role the past two years.
Just fyi for anyone still interested in CS2009. After much consideration, I’m currently speaking to some people and setting up the new team. All of Sue’s hard work has really given this a brand of its own, and I think it’s time to push for a new direction. Thanks Sue! If there are those interested, my current thoughts are to push for CS to still be creativity for everyone, but after attending a few of the sessions this year, I realized that many small businesses are starting to look at creative ways to market their business. So we might go down that path.
Obviously, we’ll still be in need of volunteers to kick things off, but we might be going down the path of a spinout. You’ll understand this meaning later on. In any case, if people are interested contact me at bhwang -[at]- firelace.com for more details.
Thanks Sue, for all the years in running with this. I’ll be in touch for sure. :) Sit back, relax, and have a margarita. It’s time to throw a curveball at this baby.
Sue, thanks for all your hard work on this event. This event has been both practical and visionary, thanks mainly to your leadership.
Thanks again! Hopefully, CS 2009 will happen and I’ll be there. :)
Patrick
I just want to echo what the others have said. Thank you.