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Be2camp hosted a fringe event at the 2011 Greenbuild Expo
http://www.greenbuildnews.co.uk/images/img/articles/297_198/Articles_445_1_1317638788.jpg
Wondering about social media and its role for businesses in the built environment? Well, you could do worse than look at the activities of the social media advocacy movement Be2camp (the name combines Built Environment, Web 2.0, and the participative bar’camp’ approach to events). Just over three years old, the group has managed or supported over 20 events across the UK, always deploying social media to promote interactivity and the sharing of ideas online.
In June, Be2camp supported a half-day workshop at Greenbuild Expo, with speakers and presentations demonstrating how freely available social media and web technology can be used to learn, share, inspire and generally advance sustainability knowledge. It also showcased a number of the leading thinkers and advocates within the world of built environment social media. The opening speaker talked to the Manchester audience (and others following online via streamed video) via Skype live from New Zealand.
Peter Cunningham, chief executive of Constructing Excellence NZ, demonstrated how lessons about sustainability in other countries can easily be shared via a Skype and PowerPoint combination. After he had given his overview, Peter also answered questions posed by the audience, showing that even global time differences can be overcome through technology.
Social media
After Paul Wilkinson had provided and overview of the range of tools available and the current state of Web 2.0 in the built environment, Martin Brown (Fairsnape) took a strategic view of the use of social media for sustainability. He argued that we cannot fix today's problems with the thinking that created them, and that we need to use social media to address communication issues (often the root cause of problems) with a strategic use of new media. This involves greening the boardroom, enabling learning and sharing, opening up conversations and collaborating for sustainable solutions.
Virtual maths
Claire Walker, from Leeds Metropolitan University's Construction Knowledge Exchange, outlined the Be2award-winning Virtual Maths platform and an associated knowledge sharing platform for education currently in development.
Kirstie Colledge from SMPR, described, using a case study relating to air-filter manufacturer Camfil Farr, how powerful PR can be if planned and augmented through strategic use of social media. Another practitioner, David Inman of DIEM Ltd, showed how he used web TV as an educational and promotional tool in his environmental work.
In a powerful example of how technology is changing the presentation game, Bob Leung from Woobius, used his iPad to deliver a presentation demonstrating how mobile apps can be used as an alternative to brochures for promoting business or activities, reducing paper and saving a few trees along the way. Tony Carroll's Garden Gorilla presentation, in his words, focused not on social media per se but on how the Sheffield-based campaign used social media – particularly Google applications - to promote its work. Garden Gorilla helps bring small pockets of wasteland back into use and addresses organisations' corporate social responsibility (CSR) needs. Carroll even managed to tweet live during the presentation, cleverly using pre-timed tweets.
Living Building Challenge
The other two presentations shared during a packed afternoon at Manchester Central both featured speakers talking live from the USA. John Pardue, from Missouri, used Skype and PowerPoint to talk about Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs).
And finally, also using Skype, but this time using a presentation delivered via Googledocs, Eden Brukman, vice president of the International Living Future Institute, presented live from Portland. She shared stunning graphics and challenging concepts of a new and emerging building accreditation scheme: Living Building Challenge. As someone recently described it, if LEED and BREEAM are the Microsoft of environmental assessment, then the Living Building Challenge is more like Apple.
Be2camp showed that new web-based technologies can bridge international boundaries and time-zones and help businesses share ideas and concepts with audiences almost regardless of their location. Greenbuild Expo certainly generated a considerable online buzz from hosting this seminar, and also helped save a few thousand carbon air miles in the process
Further information
On Twitter follow @be2camp @eepaul @greenbuildexpo and @fairsnape
Slides and video content from the event can be viewed at http://j.mp/qZwROE
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