a different tune

Perth’s first Webjam is just over and I’m already looking forward to the next one. Last night, 15 presenters and an audience of around 100 gathered at the Velvet Lounge, Mt Lawley for a fast-paced evening of geek fun.

Webjam gives each presenter 3 minutes to strut their stuff. The audience votes on their favourite presentations via SMS, and there are prizes awarded at the end of the night for the winners. Meanwhile, everyone enjoys the camaraderie, the drinks, and the chance to network. Webjam is hosted by Lachlan Hardy, ably supported by Lisa Herrod and Tim Lucas, all from Sydney.

First prize on the night went to Richard and Simon from Scouta for a dazzling visualisation of Scouta’s social network. Second prize went to Nick Cowie’s blistering “sledgefest” on web-sites that don’t work on mobile web browsers. Third prize went to Gary Barber’s “Web 3.0″ redesign of his own web site.

Here is some video I shot on the night.

• Richard Giles and Simon Wittber - ICCARUS
• Nick Cowie - Web sites on Mobile Devices
• Gary Barber - “Web3.0″ site design
• Nick Hodge - LOLcode
• Bronwen Clune - Coworking at the Silicon Beach House
• Myles Eftos - Canvas Text Replacement
• Daniel - Web Photo Management App

Unfortunately, the lighting is not good, and I didn’t have the opportunity to pan the camera so the display on the screen is often “washed out” with the extreme contrast. However, it does capture the spirit of the presentations and some of the vibe of the night. Apologies to those presenters who I’ve omitted. Some of the presentations were not very clear on video, especially those with bright backgrounds on the slides.

Here are some other reactions from the night: Kathryn Greenhill (including some great geek shirts), Myles Eftos, Gary Barber, and Scouta.

Thanks to the sponsors and organisers. And thanks to the Webjam team for making the long trek to Perth. Hope to see you back here soon.