GeekUp is a grassroots organization that brings together tech-minded individuals in Sheffield, UK to share knowledge through social meetups. The meetups involve lightning talks by practitioners on topics like coding standards, development tools, and agile practices. They differ from other tech events by being participant-focused rather than commercial, and emphasize sharing and learning over networking over beers. The first GeekUp event in Sheffield was scheduled for May 7, 2008 at the Fat Cat pub.

1. forging GeekUp grassroot geekery in the uk social tech networking in Sheffield

2. ! (geek != social)

3. geek ≠ nerd “ geeks get it done, nerds don’t”

4. (by & for) geeks web designers and developers tech-minded community

5. grassroots practitioners involved engaged

6. grassroots people not companies independent local

7. northern manchester liverpool leeds

8. sheffield 123k digital workers > 5,000,000,000 quid unquantifiable potential

9. social refactoring joining the dotcoms more than beers patterns

10. pattern #1 function GeekUp (Social, Knowledge_Sharing, optional Networking)

11. pattern #2 GeekUp = Not (AfterWork, BarCamp, OpenCoffee)

12. BarCamp unconference “ no spectators, only participants”

13. OpenCoffee startups networking commercial

14. pattern #3 20:20 lightning presentations free stand up

15. pattern #3 round table chaired discussion panel

16. pattern #3 talks talking sharing

17. user stories coding standards development tools agile practices

18. pattern #4 beer beer beer

19. geek wisdom "Wherever you work, most of the smart people are somewhere else."

20. doEvent.Sheff(1) Fat Cat Wed 7 May 2008 6pm