In the seemingly endless stream of meet-ups, conferences, un-events, random occurrences and edu-tainment of all kinds, there is one event which reigns supreme and I posit is Vancouver's must-goevent.

Anyone interested in: a) social media creation, b) meeting collaborators in an unpretentious environment, c) good times - should really show up for both days.

Northern Voice is a personal blogging/expression conference and attracts friends from all over including some bloggers you've read for sure. The event is thrifty, mellow and inclusive plus includes parties, handy tips, and more fun with new pals.

Rookies in particular will reap great benefit from Moose Camp - a less "formal" first day featuring a Social Media Bootcamp where newbs can go from zero to hero by listening to savvy vets like John Bollwitt, Richard Eriksson and other knowledge sharing geeks at internet bootcamp.

Day Two is a multi-track bonanza of juried speakers covering big picture and philosophical topics around indie/grassroot/personal media creation and distribution as well as practical techie tidbits to help you jumpstart your personal publication imprint.

Northern Voice speaker lineup includes yours truly (Dave Olson) - I'll be batting third in the big hall (following some keynote and lead off speakers that are yet to be confirmed) speaking about the importance of seizing this opportunity to make lasting expressive art and not get hung up on stats as a barometer of success. I'll be following up my Podcast stream of consciousness spiel from last year and really looking forward to paying back to the community which has taught me so much and encouraged my personal creative juggernaut.

Vancouver photographer Kris Krug will carry on his tradition of inspiring photographers - this time with Alex Waterhouse-Hayward providing an old-school perspective and technical knowledge to go with KK's modern aesthetic and street savvy.

This is not a tech heavy event and you will not be bewildered by geekery (OpenWeb will provide plenty of code heavy learning) but rather you can meet lots of people making stuff - or thinking about making stuff - for online publication.

Roland and Boris are again on the committee and will be hosting rooms and - oh yes - participating as the deans of community content.

Did i mention that the event is thrifty? Only $60 for the weekend also it is held out at UBC's Forestry Science Building so plan your transport wisely and I recommend bringing a picnic or sack lunch apparently, lunch will be served.

Sign up at the Northern Voice site and yes, (yawn) there is a Facebook event page too.

Even those who are in blogger denial will find something to enjoy and find they aren't the only one pushing personal boundaries by participating. This is less-businessey/techie and more about expressing your inner-flair ;-).

Now, for the more techie/businessey events, I've mined Miss 604's Vancouver Social Media Scene category and hi-jacked these nuggets of info for inclusion on your calender (along with Launch Party right?).

Thanks to Miss Rebeca for saving me the typing!

Third Tuesday: “…a free monthly meetup for Vancouver area communications and marketing folks interested in learning/sharing more about the practical applications of social media in society, organizations, business and government.”
When: January 28th @ 7:00pm
Where: Opus Hotel Lounge

Vancouver Blogger Meetup: “A group of people in Vancouver interested in blogging - from beginners to experts. We meet once a month, usually around the middle of the month.”
When: January 30th @ 7:00pm
Where: Our Town on Broadway

CaseCamp3:“…a marketing unconference open to anyone. Presenters share case studies of their work, with the goal of creating a commons for discussion, learning and networking.” This is the latest “camp” that I’m aware of and sounds pretty neat. It’s marketing oriented so perhaps it’s a perfect forum for all those Third Tuesday-ers. CCV3 is also looking for sponsors so visit the website to find out more.
When: February, 20th 2008
Where: (TBD)