Now that social media has consumed a certain segment of Richmond's sassy professional class, expect a growing number of Twitter, Facebook and other assorted social media themed events to be hitting the calendar -- professional, social and otherwise.
The massive turnouts for the three Social Media Club of Richmond events have been counterbalanced by the street-savvy hashbrownnetworking ("Like Twitter, but in person and with fried potatoes," says The Checkout Girl). Last night, the Virginia Community College System held a roundtable discussion captured on Twitter, video and websites -- not via the traditional press conference.
Get ready for something new -- Richmond Twestival 2009, coming this September to The Camel on West Broad Street. In a sign that Richmond is turning a corner, Richmond's Twestival is being held a mere one year after the very first Twestival (held in London in 2008).
Right now, organizers are looking for sponsors and working to identify a cause for the Richmond Twestival. Because Twestivals apparently are about making real world connections, and doing something meaningful:
A Twestival or Twitter-Festival is a global series of events organized by volunteers around the world under short timescales via Twitter, which bring people offline for a great cause. Twestival is run 100% by volunteers and independently from any not-for-profit; although the organizing teams do work closely to outline an achievable and measurable fundraising target. Twestival also sets out to identify key skills of volunteers and match these with the needs of the cause; particularly communications strategy, tech integration and social media training.
