In 2010, the worldwide network of Regional Contacts expanded to welcome 27 new representatives, accommodating turnover in existing regionals, as well as adding additional representatives in the far reaches of the globe. And in a concerted effort to decentralize operations as the network grows, the Burning Man Project invited 12 regional leaders, representing various geographic areas and ranges of expertise, to form a new Meta-Regional Committee supporting the leadership and governance of the regional network. In March 2010, we welcomed over 100 Regional Contacts and community leaders to San Francisco for the 4th Annual Regional Network Leadership Summit, including workshops, panels and talks, along with a new “convectional caucus” thrown in the mix for intensive information sharing.
With an average of over 400,000 views a day, the Burning Man website continues to be the primary source for information about Burning Man and how to prepare for it. While the content team worked to make sections of the site more web-friendly, the Web Team focused on infrastructural improvements in 2010, including overhauling the Galleries, making a number of under-the-hood improvements to the Burning Blog (particularly around the creation of a framework for blog series such as 2010’s Metropol and Digital Rights series), and utilizing WordPress more effectively in the management of website content.
The Print Production team maintained its excellent track record of publishing visually stunning and informative publications for Burners, including the now-annual Burning Man Calendar (this year a coffee-table book), the event ticket, What Where When guide, Survival Guide, the Black Rock City map, event posters and more. This year’s designers brought an incredibly high level of artistry and design to all these materials.
On playa, Media Mecca welcomed over 300 professional media to the Burning Man “Metropolis” event, including a major rise in interest from international news media, as we received registrations from five continents. From April to August, our Media Team reviewed 431 media registrations. Of these, 361 were approved, after an intensive vetting process that helps to ensure the press who come to cover the event have a thorough understanding of our Burning Man culture. The Media Art Team designed three Playa Art Tours especially for the press, and 60+ members of the media boarded the golden dragon art car Abraxas for a grand tour of playa art, providing excellent fodder for their stories.
The media team also collects archive contributions, maintains legal records, responds to an ever-growing number of year-round press inquries, and helps to share the story of the Burning Man community and culture with the larger world.