A BarCamp is a conference where everyone is equal, and talks can come from anyone on any topic. It’s different from a typical conference, where the talks are curated, the speakers have apply to speak and all the topics are on a common theme. BarCamps are free and attract talks. BarCamp is for geeks, anyone who is passionate about a topic, or people who just want a fun weekend where they can share their secret passion, or discover something new.

Talks in previous years have ranged from topic such as web development, design, inspiring women, visiting Chernobyl, building a robot for Robot Wars, learning Esperanto, mental health, and making cheese. The organisers of BarCamp coined a new word for this: the unconference. An unconference is a multi-track conference without a set agenda; the lines between attendee and speaker are blurred and all attendees are encouraged to give talks, with the schedule open for anyone to place their own talk in.

BarCamp started in Silicon Valley in 2005. This year the team behind BarCamp Manchester are running an online "Winter BarCamp", using Discord to provide the tracks, with an online grid, and then opportunities for online social games at the end of the day!

The dynamic nature of the BarCamp schedule copies the idea of the lobby track at other conferences. Talks are ad-hoc, and those which go down very well often spin off follow-up talks later in the event. It’s also a great opportunity for those who are not polished public speakers to gain experience in front of a very friendly crowd.