This summer has seen festivals celebrating just about everything: beer, music, organic food, food trucks and more. While most people have been able to find an event related to their interests, one group has been left out: the bloggers. But don’t worry, they won’t be forgotten for long. Word11, the world’s first ever 24-hour blogging festival, is happening at the Center for Social Innovation (CSI) on Aug. 27.
“This is beyond a festival,” says Word11 creator Tm Mahdi. “It’s a celebration for us.”
Aimed at bloggers and those who want to start blogging, the festival will take a very casual approach, which apparently means open discussions around faux-camp fires. “We are treating it as if you are going up north and camping, but you’re doing it in the city,” Mahdi says.
With thirteen guest speakers — including Fernando Fonseca, Mukul Verma and Trevor Mills (don’t worry, we don’t know who they are either) — attendees will be able to learn about, discuss and create blogs.
“We encourage people to bring their own design, and we will take that design and hopefully make it into a blog by the end of the day,” says Mahdi.
Day-time activities and speakers will be hosted in the CSI. Come nightfall, the blogging will continue in the Honest Ed’s parking lot.
Word11 is keeping up with the festival trend of going green by doing everything as eco-friendly as possible. With the help of SwapSity, an online company that exchanges items between members, festival organizers have made a “wish list” of items that can help make the event an eco-friendly one. Solarline portable solar-powered generators will also be used to help power the event.
The festival has a full itinerary that goes from 8:30 a.m. Saturday until 8:30 a.m the next day. Mahdi encourages everyone to “open your mind, learn, engage and make friends.” Don’t forget to bring sleeping bags and, of course, your laptop.
Word11, 720 Bathurst, Aug. 27. Day Ticket: $25, 24-Hour Ticket: $40.
