If you've never caught a BarCamp before, I'd encourage to try to make it to your local edition. Or start one if you don't have one already locally.
Last year it was a great event on several fronts. I learned a bit about several topics and met a lot of great people. The professional networking alone was worth attending, but it was also a lot of fun.
This year's RDU BarCamp is coming up shortly (August 7th), but I won't be able to make this one. But check it out if you have the time. I think you'll find it's well worth the trip.
BarCamp RDU.