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CityCamp NC Announces Fifth Annual Civic Technology Unconference

Bookmark and Share Raleigh, NC - May 22, 2015 -

2015 lineup features new location, multiple attendance options

Raleigh, NC - CityCamp NC, an event developed to bring together government, business, neighborhood, non-profit, and academic communities to work toward next generation solutions for local municipalities, has announced Thursday, June 11, 2015 as the official kickoff date for the fifth annual unconference. CityCamp NC starts Thursday evening in downtown Raleigh at HQ Raleigh and moves to the Wake County Commons building for the remainder of the event programming that takes place June 12-13.

Jason Hibbets, CityCamp NC co-chair, notes that the three day, participant-driven event will begin with a kick off event at HQ Raleigh featuring 5-minute lightning talks and “A Taste of CityCamp” to inspire ideas before the unconference and hackathon. “We have speakers from across the region and across North Carolina helping us kick off CityCamp NC,” said Jason Hibbets. “You can expect to hear from Go Triangle, Wake County, and the City of Charlotte - and our topics range from startups like AppCityLife to coding groups such as Girl Develop It RDU. We expect a good mix of ideas and inspiration.” Thursday evening’s events will begin at 6:00 p.m. Registration is free for the lightning talks and networking, but is limited to 200 registered participants (http://citycampnc.org/register/).

"CityCamp is a nexus of civic enthusiasm, technical expertise, and a contagious creative spirit that drives innovation and change,” said Bill Greeves, Chief Information Officer at Wake County, NC. “We are extremely fortunate to have such plentiful talent and dedication devoted to making a positive change in our community. Wake County continues to enthusiastically participate in the event, working shoulder-to-shoulder with entrepreneurs, other governments, and our neighbors, because we recognize the tremendous relationships and outcomes that the event brings year after year."

"One of the keys to strong government is strong public participation," said Caroline Sullivan, vice chair of the Wake County Board of Commissioners. “CityCamp NC brings together smart, passionate people and gives them the opportunity to collectively brainstorm innovative ways to enhance how local government engages with the community. I look forward to seeing the creative, high-tech solutions they develop to improve access, openness, and transparency."

The CityCamp NC program continues on Friday, June 12, 2015 beginning at 9:00 a.m. when unconference pitches begin at the Wake County Commons Building. A panel of GIS experts will discuss geospatial and open data, followed by Twyla McDermott, Corporate IT Program Manager, talking about the City of Charlotte’s experience as a Code for America city. The capstone of the morning session will be keynote speaker Mark Headd, a world class leader in the areas of civic technology and open government. Unconference sessions will be held throughout the afternoon at the Commons. Team submissions for the CityCamp NC competition are due Saturday morning by 10:00 AM.

On Saturday, June 13, 2015, the day will begin at 9:00 a.m. with the CityCamp NC competition. Teams develop their ideas into reality and begin prototyping for the competition. Presentations and judging will be held around 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. For unconference participants who don’t join a build team, the Code For Raleigh brigade will host a civic hackathon that is open for anyone to attend. Additionally, CityCamp NC is partnering with Girl Develop It RDU to deliver hands-on introductory sessions of HTML/CSS and Python. Parking during the event is free. Directions and maps will be available at CityCampNC.org.

CityCampNC remains committed to delivering incredibly high participant value that is not dependent on hefty registration fees. Thanks to the generosity of many sponsors, including Raleigh Economic Development, ESRI, HQ Raleigh, Raleigh For You, Wake County, Rally, My40Ride by GoTriangle, Red Hat, IT-Ology, and WRAL TechWire, registration for the unconference remains only $20.00 for general admission. Government employees receive discounted admission of $10.00. Students with valid identification are free. All levels of registration can be completed online at http://citycampnc.org/register/. Walk-up registration may be available the day of the event as space permits, but is not guaranteed.

As in years past, CityCamp NC will award a cash prize and venture consulting to the team that emerges based on votes cast by panel of judges formed of CityCamp NC organizers. Teams will compete for prize money totaling $2,500.

ESRI will also be awarding an additional $500 prize for Best Use of ESRI technology during the hackathon.

Members of the media are welcome and encouraged to attend Saturday’s award program, tentatively scheduled for 3:00 p.m. In an effort to be conscious of your time, please contact Ashley McClelland (armcclelland@gmail.com) to receive notice of schedule adjustments during the event, graphics, or Creative Commons licensed photography from the event.

Press Contact

Contact: Ashley McClelland
Email: armcclelland@gmail.com