Barcamp

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An informal, participant-driven gathering where attendees propose and organize the sessions on the spot, typically around technology and web topics
2. A loosely structured meeting in which the people who attend decide together what will be discussed, often focused on tech and internet culture
3. An impromptu conference format without a fixed program, where the agenda is built by the participants during the event itself, usually in tech circles

Etymology: BarCamp was created as an alternative to Foo Camp, an earlier model of informal, participant-led gatherings. The name joins "bar" and "camp", and the term now describes a conference whose schedule is written on the day by the people who attend, with sessions proposed and voted on by participants rather than fixed in advance by organisers. The "bar" in the name is widely understood as a nod to the pub or bar where many early unconference-style meetings were held, while "camp" follows the pattern of Foo Camp, the gathering that inspired it. The word is written with capitals in its original branded form, though lowercase "barcamp" is now common for the general type of event.

Synonyms: unconference