source: http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/BarCamp

Abstract: BarCamps designate kind of augmented workshops increasing the possibilities of interaction between large numbers of participants. The innovation process consists in mixing on-line and off-line discussion (participants exchanging at the same time by voice and through computer), physical co-presence of participants during an immersion-like session of one or more days, preparation and after event conversations on the web. The objective is to encourage a bottom-up, participative structuration of the creative conversation and a maximum of interaction between diverse and numerous (i.e. 50 to 200) participants to foster cross fertilization of ideas.

Driver 

Social

People are now slowly confident enough with social computing tools and efficiency. BarCamps encourage multidisciplinary experts/laymen informal creative interaction in the spirit of social computing.

Technological

Involve the use of social computing tools like wiki, blogs, instant messaging…

Indication

Change in current innovation patterns

BarCamps reveal a trend of involving a larger number of diverse participants and intensify the possibilities of interaction between them to enrich creative/reflexive processes and results obtained

Sector specifics / cultural specifics

Not specific to any sectors although more popular in IT/web communities

Source

Internet

Many references such as en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barcamp