Jump on the Tweetup Bandwagon

I have had a couple people ask me, “What is a tweetup?” A tweetup is when people who interact on Twitter decide to meet in real life. Regardless of whether you use Twitter, I highly suggest you attend a tweetup event. Over the past two weeks, I have had the pleasure of attending two incredible tweetups and wanted to share them with you: #BobBrunchSunday and #theRoofTweetup.

#BobBrunchSunday

It maybe hard to believe, but this tweetup started from a joke! My friend @BlackTsChica was telling me about Bob, her incredibly cool neighbor who goes to the store for her, mows the lawn, etc. I told my friend that I was going to steal Bob from her (who wouldn’t want a Bob around?!). Other people started commenting on how they wish they had a Bob around.

This joke went on for days and then @houseonahillorg took it to another level because I received an invite to a tweetup hosted by Wildfire (@WildfireRest) in honor of celebrating great neighbors like Bob. I could not stop laughing at how this joke morphed into a tweetup at one of my favorite restaurants! Wildfire is an amazing restaurant not only because they have FANTASTIC food, but because Melodie, the person in charge of their social media, is incredibly genuine and fun.

As soon as I entered the area that Wildfire was holding the tweetup at, I was further amazed that WildFire and companies such as Kim  Moldofsky of www.mommyimpact.com created gift bags, @foiledcupcakes provided ridiculously delicious cupcakes for the tweetup (I apologize in advance if I left out any other companies that also contributed to the tweetup). Although Bob was unable to be there (did I forget to mention that Bob just turned 80?!), everyone had a great time and we are intent on making this an annual event. Melodie and @Houseonahillorg did an awesome job organizing the event!It is astounding to me how a joke enabled me to meet so many incredible people while eating so many delicious Wildfire dishes and munching on cupcakes. I had a great time and this tweetup allowed me the opportunity to meet @SamiAri who hosted the #theRoofTweetup at theWit.

#theRoofTweetup

I had the opportunity to attend another fantastic tweetup organized by @SamiAri and hosted by theWit (@theWitChicago). The Wit is an absolutely beautiful hotel in Chicago located on State Street. The Roof Top Garden is the area where the tweetup was held and it offers an unbelievable view of the city. If you haven’t had a chance to chat with @SamiAri I suggest you do because he is an extremely kind savvy social media aficionado that knows how to throw a party!  Words cannot express what an unbelievable job he did in organizing this event.

The venue was awesome, great people and they even had an awesome photographer @erroldunlap on hand to capture the memories of the tweetup.

Now these are just two recent examples of tweetups that I have attended. I love meeting new people and I am slowly but surely finding myself turning into a tweetup fanatic.  So you’re probably wondering, “What is the allure of a tweetup?” I go to a lot of networking event and I have to admit, I prefer attending tweetups more than “formal” business networking events mainly for the following reasons:

Know before you go:  If you are one of those people still struggling with comprehending how it is even possible to connect with someone in 140 characters, this post might give you more incentive to check out Twitter. I believe one of the main reasons people do not enjoy networking events is because they are not sure if the folks attending the event share their same interests and/or would benefit from the services that they offer.

However, tweetups allow you the ability to connect with people before the event occurs through a myriad of ways:

• Hashtags: When someone organizes a tweetup they typically create a hashtag (a hashtag is a way to keep real time track of groups on Twitter i.e. #BobBrunchSunday or # #TheRoofTweetUp) When you do a search on Twitter using the event hashtag you are able to see who is talking about the event.

• Twitter Invite Applications: One of my favorite Twitter invitation services is Tweetvite. Tweetvite allows people to not only RSVP but you can also see the guest list and leave comments about the event.  This is a great way for the organizer and guests to interact before the event (i.e. http://tweetvite.com/event/theRoofTweetup).

No pressure: In my opinion, many of the formal networking events turn into a handing out as many business cards as possible contest and no one really ends up learning much about the other person because they are too focused on getting out what they have to say.  However, a tweetup allows you the ability to reinforce the relationships you have built online by allowing you the opportunity to meet in real life.

Tweetups take the “pressure” off of both parties because you have the ability to interact with folks before you go. Even if you have not had the chance to “investigate” you do not have to worry because tweetups in my opinion are more focused on forming and strengthening relationships (which eventually leads to more business if you play your cards right).

If you are looking to truly add value to your networking time and connect with extraordinary people then I recommend you attend a tweetup. You can find out where tweetups are being held or organize one yourself by checking using sites such as Tweetvite or Meetup. Have you been to a tweetup? I would love to hear about your experience!

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