Today I attended Lunch2.0 @spigit. It was very well organized, even though it happened to be one of the hottest days in SF Bay Area. Spigit is one of our clients and it was great to interact with their enthusiastic Lunch 2.0 participants.

This event, combined with the BarCampBlock Conference, which I attended last week, led me to thinking how the conference landscape is changing dramatically. Earlier, most of us paid very high fees to attend conferences.

Now, conference fees are gradually disappearing! Some are free, yes absolutely free. These new age conferences have evolved into a different, more productive vehicle for professionals. Participants are active players in the industry; there are very few casual spectators. Casual, basic lunches have replaced time-consuming elaborate affairs. The main focus is to network with other professionals in the business and learn about new trends. It’s refreshing to cut out the social noise and pick on the essential stuff.

Here are some examples: O’Reilly’s FOO camp (FOO = Friends of O’Reilly)

BarCamp

Mashup Camp

More power to new age conferences, keep them coming!