Surfing, Ferry, Bike Rentals & Parking - The REBarCampOC Details You Need to Know

Are you using REBarCamp OC as an excuse for a Southern California vacation (and really, who could blame ya)?  Here are a few details that may help your planning:

• Parking in Newport Beach near the pier (event site) will require quarters, lots of quarters. Approximately $1.00 per hour. There is free parking throughout Newport Beach on the side streets, but may be hard to come by during the summer. Good Luck!
• If you rent a bike, make sure to rent a lock as well. Stolen bikes on the peninsula are as common as Fail Whales.
• Ride your rented bike (and lock) to the Wedge and eavesdrop on the tourists who think they know all about the beach and how the wave breaks. Only the locals really understand the mystery of the Wedge.
• If you are interested in body surfing check out the Wedge - but don’t go in if the waves are big and you really don’t know what you are doing - it can be deadly. Seriously. The best board surfing is at 18^th street and the River Jetties or 52^nd street.
• The best kept secret in Newport Beach is the ferry ride across the bay from Balboa Island to the Peninsula - $2.00 RT on foot and $2.50 RT on a bike. Don’t get caught on the other side because it stops running at midnight.
• 2^nd best dive bar on the Peninsula is The Balboa Saloon - cheap beer, darts and a pool table. The bartenders have worked there over 20 years…tell Eric we said hello.
• www.visitnewportbeach.com does a great job of filling in the rest of the details.

RE BarCamp OC June 25th Schedule of Events

Get ready for a great day!  Although the content of the event will be set that day, the following is the time table for the day:

• 8:30 - 9:30 AM:  Registration
• 9:30 - 11:00 AM:  Keynote Conversation/Set Session Topics (we will be starting on time)
• 11:00 - 11:50 AM:  Session 1
• 12:00 - 12:50 PM:  Session 2
• 12:50 - 2:00 PM:   Lunch/Meter Break
• 2:00 - 2:50 PM:  Session 3
• 3:00 - 3:50 PM:  Session 4
• 4:00 - 4:50 PM:   Session 5
• 4:50 PM +:  Happy Hour @ The Blue Beet (Don’t forget to feed the meter!)

A few notes about the schedule of events.

1. We will begin at 9:30 sharp!
2. We anticipate a capacity crowd and a waiting list.  Waitlisters will be granted access at 9:30 for any RSVP’d attendee who has not checked in.  If you have RSVP’d and not checked in by 9:30, you will be bumped to the wait list and admitted on a space permitting basis.
3. Sessions are 50 minutes long.  If you have hopes of facilitating a session, please plan accordingly.
4. The majority of parking around the venue is meter based.  Bring quarters ($1/hour).
5. Lunch is on your own.  There are ample locations within walking distance to get food.  You may want to bring a beach towel and sit on the beach.

Also, if you are here a day early, please join us for the pre-event happy hour starting at 6:00 pm at Gulfstream.  Further details are posted here.

Post Event Happy Hour

Just because the “schedule” ends at 5:00 doesn’t mean you have to rush off!  Some of the best value of REBarCamp is from the connections and discussion that occur after the event.  And, since REBarCamp OC is being hosted at a bar and restaurant, it is no great surprise that the post event happy hour will occur right there at the Blue Beet.   In addition to a full bar complete with an awesome team of bartenders, the Blue Beet has one of the best dinner specials in Newport Beach.  Along with a full dinner menu, the Thursday special is Pork Chops for $9.95  (2 thick cut pork chops, cooked perfectly and served with mashed potatoes, fresh green beans, and apple sauce).  Plan to stick around and debrief, mingle, and have some fun!

Bar Camp at the Beach is Coming!

Save the Date - June 25th, for Bar Camp at the Beach. We may be setting a record for the shortest advance warning on a RE Bar Camp but we’ll pull it off. The venue is booked, the website is up, and sponsorship is coming in. Registration will be open soon…stay tuned for details. To stay in the loop, be sure to follow @REBarCampOC on Twitter. We’ll be announcing all new blog posts and relevant information via Twitter as it is available.

Our venue is the Blue Beet Cafe, located just steps from the Newport Beach pier (pictured above).  The venue’s not so fancy (maybe we should call this DiveBarCamp?), but the relaxed environment and beauty of Newport Beach should be the perfect backdrop for some great conversations.  And, hey, its finally a BarCamp at a bar!   The half baked session at the end of the day might take on some extra meaning.