Regional Contacts
Burning Man's Regional Contacts are one of the most exciting aspects of the
future of our event. In 54 cities around the world -- in the United States,
Canada, Europe and Asia -- there are participants who have taken on the
task of keeping the flame of Burning Man alive in their region. Many groups
have begun staging events in emulation of Burning Man, such as Burning
Flipside in Austin, Playa
del Fuego on the East Coast and, most recently, Burning
Beach in Santa Cruz. Our regional contacts help to draw these communities
together.
The first regional contact appeared shortly after 1997's event, in Austin,
Texas. The group that coalesced around this contact held their first "regional
burn" in 1998. Shortly after that, regional contacts stepped forward in
Canada, the North San Francisco Bay area, and Los Angeles. Since then,
we've seen events spring in up in Ohio, New York City, Los Angeles, New
Mexico, Utah and Florida (we've even heard of Burns conducted in Antarctica,
Japan, and on a boat in the Baltic Sea).
When participants contact us and ask to be regional contacts, our first
task is to qualify them. Via a telephone interview, we learn about their
experience organizing people, readiness to answer emails, and their reason
for interest in this role. Listening to their stories about how they became
involved with the event gives us an idea of who they are and what motivates
their enthusiasm. If they qualify to be a contact, the next step is to
give them the tools they need to connect with their community, such as
setting up email announcement or discussion lists. We encourage them to
foster local gatherings, and provide them with Burning Man newsletters,
stickers, videos, and other items to share.
This year, a number of regional contacts also helped coordinate local
preparations for the Burning Man event. Our New York contacts, for example,
helped secure a train container. Filled with camping equipment and theme
camp supplies, it was shipped by rail from New York City to Gerlach, Nevada.
Many regionals have also coordinated rideshares and organized pre-playa
planning meetings. We also encourage our regional contacts to communicate
with fellow participants about how the philosophy of Burning Man can become
a part of everyone's daily life. The main goal of our Regional Contact
program is to foster connectivity year-round.
On the playa, our regional contacts are invited to a cocktail party every
year. Participants from several states attended this gathering in 2001,
making it our most successful yet. You can find out more about regional
efforts in your area by checking the regional
email page. 
Photo: Jonzo
The Regional's meet-n-greet playa cocktail party |