Post-Event Report: TownHall 2019
The 2019 Burning Man Portland Townhall event was held on Saturday, February 16 at the TaborSpace Dining Space & Annex. This annual event is sponsored by Precipitation Northwest and organized by Portland's three Regional Contacts (RCs) as part of their volunteer work for the national Burning Man Project (aka BMORG). This event is a way for RCs to share information about the how, what, where, when, and why of Nevada’s Burning Man event, culture, and community. It is also a way for local burners (or those interested in learning more about us!) to meet with others in the community, learn more about local happenings, and get information about the annual regional event, SOAK.
This year's event was was attended by community members both in-person and online via live stream.
The day started off with a social potluck (new this year!) which featured an informal speaker series where theme camps and artists could share about their projects. Break out sessions followed the potluck.
Next was the RC presentation, which included a Q&A and a presentation on topics related to the larger Burning Man culture and Burning Man 2019 in August.
Precipitation Northwest presented next, sharing about the following:
A general overview of the board’s structure
How the board functions internally and gets things done
How the Board is involved with BurnOut and SOAK Producers
How the board works with Regional Contacts (RCs)
Who the new 2019 board members are (welcome Sarah, Dale, and Danielle!)
A brief overview of board finances
A brief overview of business responsibilities as a 501c3
In addition to the presentation, the board also had a short Q&A session to answer questions from the community.
The final session of the day was presented by SOAK*2019 Event Producers (Honeybee, Pablovex, and HugBoss), who did a fantastic job providing information and updates about this year's regional event. This year’s theme is Hive Mind, and will take place May 23-27 in Tygh Valley. Find out more by visiting the SOAK*2019 website or checking the SOAK*2019 Facebook event page.
The board is happy to sponsor this annual event and looks forward to participating next year. This event is not only fun, but it is an important opportunity to improve communication, increase transparency, and foster collaboration with our community about the work we do. We welcome and appreciate those who attend, participate, and provide feedback and support to us at these and other events.
Thank you to Purple Communications for their professional ASL interpretation services. We are glad to have their help to continue to improve accessibility for our beloved and diverse community!
Finally, a special thanks to our three RCs PornStar, Ice Queen, and Tank Girl for organizing the schedule of events. We are so grateful for their continued support of Precipitation Northwest and for their dedication to helping our shared burner community grow and thrive.
Click here to see the full 2019 Burning Man Townhall presentation.