A “mini Convergence” networking event, hosted by a trio of new media content providers, is a first effort “to build an active, flexible new media community where people can help each other with their work,” says Sean McMenemy of Midwest Media Now!
The party will take place Sept. 29 at the North Side studio of Fig Media, an event-based company.
The party is being called “Let’s Create New media in Chicago,” and while it may sound like the bigger, established Chicago Convergence’s mission, their grass roots effort, says McMenemy, is targeted to “the other end of the spectrum.
“That’s where the lonely guy might be producing webisodes, podcasts, websites or other content pieces,” and could use help, or feedback or collaboration on his project.”
Another of their goals is to connect with new media people “we don’t know about,” the way Jahn has brought forward dozens of under-the-radar web-based companies for his “Beyond the Pedway” interview series.
McMenemy is one of the evening’s organizers, along with his partner, Matt Kern, Tim Jahn of Beyond the Pedway, Gregg Jaffe, Big Teeth Productions and James Gustin and Andrew Ettenhofer, Fig Media are the event organizers.
About 100 people so far are expected to show up at Fig’s studio and courtyard. Many of the guests will be “Beyond the Pedway” interviewees who will meet for the first time as a group.
While the party will be card-exchange social, additional “hubbub,” as they call it will be the projection of locally-produced web series on Fig’s studio walls, and a camera will capture responses from guests asked what their take on new media is. Their responses will be edited for a streaming video on the hosts’ respective websites.
Beyond the party, McMenemy says they want to continue to spread their knowledge and help those lonely guys out there with regularly scheduled seminars and other network events throughout the year.
To sign up for “Create New Media,” see
