Off The Clock Conf is a conference about hobbies, the things you do when you're off the clock. It is a celebration of the time we spend our time outside of work and the activities we fill it with. And it is a place to share those joys with others so that they might expand their communities or find a new hobby they never knew they loved before.
Sound fun? Read on.
Our first edition in 2024 will be an online gathering featuring pre-recorded video presentations, text chat, and potentially Q&A and breakout groups. This is a brand new conference, and as such, we have plenty of opportunity to experiment with the best formats to share our passion for our hobbies with one another. Have an idea that calls for a specific format not listed here? Propose a session anyway, and we'll see what we can do.
That's up to you! The call for proposals will open in early November, so get those ideas ready, and join the mailing list to make sure you don't miss the announcement. Any topic is welcome, as long as it's not your work. Some examples may include (but are not limited to):
If there's a hobby you're passionate about, and you'd like to share that with others, it's (probably) fair game.
Watch the presentations, chat with the community, and find yourself a new hobby. If you want to go the extra mile, propose a session to the conference. Remember that feeling all those years ago when you first [fill in activity here] and you knew you'd continue doing it for a long, long time? Use this event as an opportunity to introduce others to that feeling and maybe make a friend or two along the way.
February 29th, 2024. A fitting day to discuss how we'd spend extra time if we had it.
Jon Banafato, someone who attended a community conference many years ago, began organizing them, and never looked back. His hobby is running conferences, so here's a conference about hobbies.
Send an email to organizers@offtheclockconf.com, and we'll get right back to you. Your questions may even wind up on this very webpage!
I've spent the last decade organizing and volunteering at conferences and the last four years hosting and participating in a wonderful group of conference organizers, but I've never put on an event focused on this kind of subject matter before (and I am obviously not experienced with all of the hobbies that I hope people will present). A conference's first year is its most uncertain year, and so I'm asking you to register for the event and propose a session, and to tell your friends to do the same, to help make this a successful event that lives on for years to come. If you know me, I hope you'll trust that I'm bringing the same kind of passion and experience to this event that I have to any other. And if you don't know me, then I'm already thrilled that someone has shared this with you. As I write this, I am looking forward to being part of the vibrant community that we all build together.