Are you seeking professional development or networking opportunities in Jacksonville, FL for online marketing, search engine marketing or website development? If so, here are a few terrific places to start:
Refresh Jacksonville
Sessions have focused on everything from Google Analytics to Javascript Libraries and Social Media Marketing. The networking potential at Refresh is huge as the best and brightest of the local design and developer community is often in attendance. The Refresh Jacksonville organization is volunteer-run and is a terrific opportunity for you to showcase your own skills. If you’re interested in presenting or have questions, contact refresh[at]refreshjacksonville.org.
>> Visit the Refresh Jacksonville site.
Not in Jacksonville? Visit the national site to connect with a Refresh group closer to you.
JaxPHP/JaxWeb MeetUp
The Jacksonville PHP and Web MeetUp group is run by Alan Doucette and offers the community a great networking environment for everyone from newbie designers to advanced programmers. Depending on the monthly topic, you can compare tools, swap ideas, seek industry advice and share your questions. After the meeting they usually go out for a bite to eat to continue networking and expound on really cool techniques, news, etc. This is one of my personal favorites though I’ve only had time to attend one.
>> Visit the JaxPHP or JaxWeb MeetUp groups.
RubyJax
This is an area I know little about, but I have a great deal of respect for its founder, Steven Bristol, one of the world’s best ruby on rails developers. Jacksonville, FL is quickly becoming a major hub for the ruby community in the Southeast. If you want to learn more about it or improve your skills, check out the group. They’re super fun and incredibly welcoming.
>> Learn more about the RubyJax group and check the calendar for upcoming gatherings. You can also join the RubyJax Google Group.
Jacksonville Code Camp
I just recently stumbled upon the Code Camp site, because one of the MPS Group divisions, Idea Integration, sponsored the 2007 event. After looking over the site, this looks like an amazing local conference for developers and programmers with sessions like: Legacy to .NET platforms, Making Technical Presentations, A Beginner’s Session to AJAX and Advanced Code Generation Techniques using Codesmith. The experience levels varied and there were literally dozens of sessions to choose from. This is over my search engine marketing head, but for actual developers it’s definitely a must-attend.
>> Visit the official Jacksonville Code Camp site.
Jacksonville BarCamp
In 2006, the Jacksonville BarCamp group held a one-day mini-conference with a few sessions from local talents like Joey Marchy of nGenWorks. Contrary to the name, the day was beer-free as it was held in a library, but the ideas were flowing. I didn’t attend, but have been eagerly awaiting a follow-up. For awhile, it looked like a 2007 Connect Camp was under way, but there hasn’t been any news of late. Stay tuned, this will be a great group if it gets picked up again!
>> Check out the Jacksonville Bar Camp wiki and subscribe to the Connect Camp blog to receive updates.
AIGA Jacksonville
The largest and oldest national association for the design community. The Jacksonville chapter frequently offers special events, meetings, networking opportunities and local job listings for graphic designers, web designers, web developers, flash animators, marketing specialists, usability experts and more.
>> Visit the AIGA Jacksonville website for more information.
Have an event or group you would like to see included on the list? Shoot me an email at rhea_drysdale [at] yahoo.com.
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