If you are reading this blog post, I suspect you wouldn’t want to miss the IGF-USA this Thursday. It runs all day, 9am – 6pm US EDT (UTC-4) with a fantastic lineup of speakers, including our own Internet Society President and CEO Kathryn Brown, and opportunities for public participation. You can register online to attend in person or watch the webcast (all four tracks will be streamed live).
From an Internet Society perspective, I am pleased to see how the ISOC-DC chapter has stepped up to be a driving force behind the IGF-USA. A couple of years ago, David Vyorst (an ISOC-DC chapter leader) and I realised that the IGF-USA needed an organisational home to ensure its long-term success and sustainability – very much like ISOC serves as an organisation home for the IETF. Thankfully, the ISOC-DC chapter was in a great position to fulfil that role. You might say ISOC-DC is the ‘catalyst’ for the annual IGF-USA; the chapter kicks-off the annual planning process and identifies individuals to serve as co-chairs. I have personally contributed to the IGF-USA by leading the fundraising and Livestream activities. It has been a very rewarding experience, and I would like to encourage you also to volunteer for your national, regional or local IGF events.
If you happen to be in the Washington, DC area and would like to volunteer, we could use your help. Please contact me directly at [email protected] to learn about some last minute volunteer opportunities. One thing you all can do is help us spread the word. Please use all of your social networks to spread the word about IGF-USA. Here is an example on my personal twitter feed:
IGF-USA is this Thursday: http://t.co/LgiPttEz6y #netgov #igfusa #InternetGovernance @internetsociety @igfusa2015 pic.twitter.com/GVAIekuvPn
— Paul Brigner (@paulbrigner) July 13, 2015
As of today, there are nearly 600 people registered to attend the IGF-USA. It is on track to be a record-breaking meeting which will no doubt be a fantastic experience for all involved. Thanks in advance for spreading the word and promoting the IGF-USA. By doing so, you are actively influencing the dialogue on Internet Governance and making the Internet better for us all!