After The Event I knew I would be taking a period of time to recover and re-discover my roots. Around this same time last year, I was clicking around groups on Eventbrite and found Community Pros of London, a (then fairly new) group that was going to be hosting a breakfast networking event – so I decided to get outside of my comfort zone, and go along and meet some new people.
Since that coffee morning last July, I’ve continued getting along to Community Pros events – coworking days, some evening get togethers, an unconference – these have all been really enjoyable, and I’ve made some fantastic connections. I’ve also found myself noting that my own community experience – primarily but not exclusively in Developer Relations – has been heavily oriented to technology (obviously), but that discussions of moderation, tools, policy, inclusiveness, etc. are always relevant. I’ve met a huge range of people from different backgrounds, though, and it has really expanded my network and outlook.
Lots of folks work remotely or have less regular office schedules than prior to the pandemic, but in-person meetups seem to slowly coming back, and through Community Pros I was introduced to a space called Fabrik, which now has locations in London and New York. I’m one of the “Fabrik Founding 50” members in London. They have a great model, reinvigorating under-utilised spaces, making them available to different communities, and bringing different folks together. It’s also a useful space for me to drop-in and work when I’m in the centre of London and not at the studio.
This morning we had a great Community Pros Ｘ Fabrik Breakfast Club – a good way to start my day!
I’ve got a couple of ideas for meetups or events I might to try run with Fabrik in the coming months, for example, around the Fediverse and helping folks to bring their communities to the open Social Web. Watch this space, or let me know if you’d be interested in that.