The Zap Your PRAM Conference

Dalvay by the Sea Oct 16th 2008 — Oct 19th 2008

The Zap Your PRAM Conference is a gathering of creative professionals, academics, and intriguing people from around the world interested in design, the web and emerging technologies. We come together to relax and discuss design, media, art and technology.

To ensure diversity in point of view, interests, approach, and personality, the conference is by invitation only and limited to 50 attendees. If it feels like you should be invited, please ask.

Zap is not just a conference about technology, the internet, or gadgetry. It is not a yearly event nor is it a conference with a clear distinction between “presenters” and “attendees”. There are no paid speakers, no keynote addresses, no plenary sessions, no trade show, and no exhibitors.

Zap is not in a hotel with televisions or phones. You may not even have cell phone reception.

Zap is an opportunity to step outside the day–to–day cacophony, to take a broader view. Zap is intentionally remote and rural and is a conference where everyone is encouraged to contribute something—a session, a story, a discussion, a point of view.

Zap is for people who don't like going to conferences.

Zap is organized by Steven Garrity, Dan James, Peter Rukavina and a few of our friends. Zap is not a business, or a profit-making exercise. Conference fees cover costs, and everyone pays their own way.

Zap Updates

Attendees can join our Zap Your PRAM 2008 Google Group for updates

Location:
The Dalvay-by-the-Sea Hotel is a National Historic site of Canada located on the north shore of Prince Edward Island.Dalvay HotelThe site was originally built as a private cottage in 1895. We'll have the entire place to ourselves. This is about as far from an Airport Hotel conference setting as you can get. Map of the Resort.
Travel:
The Charlottetown Airport – YYG (a 20 minute drive from Dalvay) is a two hour flight from Toronto and about a half-hour flight (or 4 hour drive over the Confederation Bridge) from Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Meals:
The dining provided is that of the renowned four-diamond Dalvay-by-the-Sea restaurant. So, yes, the food will be good. Sample Menu
Internet:
There will be WiFi available in the common areas and anywhere else the signal can reach.
Weather:
The weather in late October on our fair Island can vary significantly. You can have a beautiful day with short sleeves, or you can get light flurries. Plan for cool weather; long-sleeves, pants and a warm jacket (you probably don't need a parka). For more details on the weather, see What the Weather is Like? at our Provincial Government website.
Shopping:
As Dalvay is a small community, shops, grocery stores, and other amenities are most easily found 20 minutes away in Charlottetown.
Cost:
A registration fee of $550 includes the conference, on-site accommodations from Thursday—Sunday and all of your meals.
Contact:
zap@zapyourpram.org

If you read this and think “these guys are crazy”, then you probably don't want to come to Zap. However; if you read this and think “these guys are crazy, but it sounds like this might be a lot of fun”, then you should contact us now, because we'd really like to have you here.

Who Attended in 2008

Deane Barker

Senior Developer from Blend Interactive and Gadgetopia

Tessa Blake

Los Angeles-based filmmaker and writer

Paul Bloore

CTO of Idee, advanced image identification software.

Leila Boujnane

CEO of Idee, powerful visual search software.

Keith Burgoyne

Network and systems administrator for silverorange

Daniel Burka

Creative director at Digg and founder of Pownce

Nick Burka

Founding partner at silverorange, documenting his life with photos

Kelly Burke

CFO for silverorange

Rob Campbell

Blogger and photographer who works on the Firebug at Mozilla

Luisa Carbonelli

Developing a social network for Copenhagen, Denmark

Stephen DesRoches

Designer at silverorange and casual photoblogger

Matthew Domurat

Product Manager for Dow Jones, music lover, and micro-blogger

Hannah Donovan

Lead designer of Last.fm

Steven Garrity

Creative Director at silverorange and host of Acts of Volition radio

Mike Gauthier

PEAR developer and programmer from silverorange

Isaac Grant

Web developer and founding partner at silverorange

John Hawbaker

Internet Marketing and city blogger for Chattanooga

Cal Henderson

Chief architect for Flickr, PHP programmer, and author

Dan James

CEO of silverorange, hiker, traveller and weblogger

Olle Jonsson

Weblogger and programmer from Malmö, Sweden

Jason Keglovitz

Software Developer from ZS Associates in Evanston

Paul Kim

VP of Marketing and blogger at Mozilla and formerly of Adobe

Rob Lantz

City Councillor and weblogger

Patrick Ledwell

Uses comedy to express his fixations and frustrations

Mark Leggott

Librarian for the University of Prince Edward Island

Garret LeSage

Designer, photographer, artist, and computer enthusiast

Suzanne Long

Torontonian

Paul Lopes

Web developer and designer from Loca Lola Design

Iain K. MacLeod

Spectacle Group, a design and communications company

Stephan MacLeod

Writer, producer, recording engineer from Stitch Media

Paul Maloney

Principal with ZS Associates in San Mateo and blogger

Alan McLeod

City Lawyer and blogger for the Beer Blog and Gen X at 40

Sharon McPeake

Illustrator from San Francisco

Dan Misener

Blogger, Band Member, Producer and Host for CBC Radio

Robert Paterson

President of The Renewal Consulting Group Inc.

Charles Pritchett

Comic book lettering artist and web developer

Deb Richardson

Mozilla Corporation Evangelist, blogger, and photographer.

Peter Rukavina

Principal of Reinvented Inc. and Charlottetown weblogger

Jes Sherborne

Head of ZS Associates software development group in Evanston

Peter Sikking

Interaction architect & founding member of openUsability

Michelle Thompson

Innkeeper and our host at Dalvay By-The-Sea

Brad Turcotte

Uses the Internet to spread his music. Brad Sucks.

Rannie Turingan

Photo Junkie and freelance photographer

Charles Waddell

Student and developer at silverorange

Ian Williams

Filmmaker, writer, director and weblogger

Steve Williams

Programmer, developer and tech lead at Digg