What an experience! I was part of the very first Global Service Jam in 2011 and it’s been an ever growing in awesomeness experience ever since!
The Global Service Jam is a Global event that focuses on bringing people together over a common theme (unknown to them until the start of the jam) during 48h and challenge them to create a service or a product together.

Now, these people don’t know each other and they unit forces in a collaborative and co-creative way that amazes me every time!

The projects that are created during these jams are absolutely mind blowing not only in their creativity and usefulness but also in the prototypes and user tested services! Yes, because the motto of the jam is all about “Doing, not talking!”

This time, I had the privilege of working side by side with one of the co-creators Adam Lawrence at the Global HeadQuarters by the GSJam Turku, that kindly invited the HQ over for the duration of the GSJam!
Now, first of all, the experience of working for the Global HQ is very different than that if the Jam but equally amazing!
The members of the Global HQ – all amazing volunteers – come together over skype, because just like the Jams, we are located worldwide and we give all of ourselves into making the GSJam the best experience ever for all the jammers!

That includes keeping the conversation going on twitter, helping out with whatever difficulties or questions they may have, making sure they keep to the timeline (yes, some do try to “ignore that it’s a 48h event, but we keep them on track ;-)) and most of all, making sure that everyone is having fun, sharing their work & “Doing, not Talking!”.
As Global HQ, the volunteers come to the end of the jam tired, with many sleepless hours and meals lost but feeling extremely happy and invigorated that we were part of making this awesome experience unforgettable to all the jammers! It certainly us to the 8 of us!

If you haven’t been part of a Global Service Jam, I strongly urge you to be! It will change your life! It changed mine! 🙂

Find out more at:
http://planet.globalservicejam.org/