According to the group's website, http://www.socialwebct.com/, the events are generally centered around bringing people "interested in sharing, learning and interacting with people across social media groups and different sectors" which I think they have managed to do expertly.
The three events I have attended so far have been very well organized with good turnouts and great networking opportunities. I have met progammers, designers, media powerhouses and entrepreneurs and have since exchanged ideas, tweets, Facebook messages, Linked In connections with plenty of laughter in the process.
The first two events I attended were on Monday at the recently opened Irish bar, Kelly's between College and Temple streets. The first was a two-and-a-half-hour networking and brainstorming event, "Technologists and Entrepreneurs Meetup" where some of the organizers introduced themselves and then passed it on to the rest of us to do the same. Then, we each broke out into small chat groups to talk about issues that were of concern to us. Most folks were very relaxed (not the formal corporate types), fun to talk to and highly insightful (as in, I was taking notes!). That session was then followed by a New Media Haven sponsored event featuring a guest speaker from Tutor Trove, a tutoring industry software maker. I ended the day after sharing a couple of beers and yummy sliders with my goofy buddies from the New Haven Collective who happened to have their weekly 6pm happy hour meetup also at Kelly's that night.
Wednedsay, I managed to attend the Social Media Discussion session hosted by the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce with panelists (pictured bewlow), "mega-networker" Bill Sobel of SobelMedia.com, news anchor Ann Nyberg of News 8 and Andrea Syrtash, author of He's Just Not Your Type.
Marketers, business owners and others watched and listened as the three discussed topics ranging from personal branding via social media to managing the sometimes negative consequences that follow this dramatic cultural shift we are undergoing. We also got a chance to ask questions and meet the panelists. I, for one had been looking forward to meeting Ann who voluntarily and out of the blue, took time out of her very busy schedule to send me encouraging and inspiring messages via Twitter and Facebook about my attempts to create awareness of New Haven as the booming, positive city it can be. And so thanks to Jaymes Grace who brought the panelists together, I was able to meet Ann and thank her in person.
There are about five more events between today and tomorrow, so check them out if you can - get event details from the website. If you have already attended any of these events, please share your thoughts here!
This was a great event for all involved. My congrats to all those who worked so hard to pull off 30 events in one week.
ReplyDeleteSo happy to have been asked to be a part of this.
And by the way, I love your blog.
Thank you for coming, Ann. As you can see many of us were inspired by your presence.
ReplyDeleteAnd, yes - fantastic job by the organizers of Social Web!!