First-ever blog camp on Aug 16

First-ever blog camp on Aug 16
Wednesday July 2 2008 10:23 IST Asha P Nair for EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Though late, Kerala has finally opened its eyes to the enormous possibilities of the blog world. In a major step, the Kerala Tourism has decided to tap the potential power and viral nature of blogs to its favour by hosting the first ever blog camp in the state.

The innovative `unconference’ will happen in a houseboat in Alappuzha, which is another highlight of the event, on August 16.With the blogs in the state already abuzz with the information, nearly 120 bloggers from across the country and abroad are expected to make it to Alappuzha.

Kenny Jacob, a software engineer employed in one of the Technopark companies, is the brain behind the blog camp. He is amply supported by a big number of bloggers based in Thiruvananthapuram, Alappuzha and Kochi. With the holding of the camp, Kerala will join metros like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai, who have hosted blog camps years back.

``We wanted to organise a blog camp which will showcase our state also. We approached the Tourism Department with a proposal which was met with approval. They suggested to hold it in a houseboat, so that it present the participants with whole new experience of Kerala, along with the promotion of the event,’’ Kenny said.

Popular blogs, which is visited by thousands a day, have already posted the information. Already 30 applications have been registered in the site, www.contactvirus.com/blogcampkerala, by bloggers from various places who want to be a part of the big event. The entry is limited to 120 participants.

``The travelling crowd are not the same anymore. They do wide research while choosing a destination. Such a netsavvy group, who make it to the blog camp, will write about the new experience of a gathering in a houseboat, in their blogs. We found that there is a huge potential in it which will only do good for the state,’’said M Siva Shankar, director of Tourism Department.

Unlike bloggers’ meets, the blog camp mainly aims to draw a foreign crowd and explores innovative avenues to make it a class event. The blog camp held in Chennai in 2006 is the last one to have stolen much news space, the success of which, the organisers hope, will be repeated in Kerala.