Online Community Managers Meet With Tech Giants' Support

Roughly 4,000 tech developers, engineers, and entrepreneurs converged at a convention center in Portland, Ore., on July 22 for OsCon, the annual open-source coding convention, which featured more than 350 sessions over five days, at a cost of $1,395. “Earthling Eatery” snacks like Martian Macaroni and Planet Polenta were served, and yoga was also available.

While OsCon was setting up, an even odder tech convention was happening just down the hall. Now in its fifth year, the Community Leadership Summit is the only U.S. gathering of tech-company community managers and others who spend their days thinking about cultivating online groups. The meeting is free, and there are no preplanned speakers or panel discussions. There’s also no staff, food, vendors, or logos.