Introduction
Quick plug for this event by organised by Codeworks Connect this coming Thursday.
As credited by Herb Kim at the recent TEDxNewcastle, I am helping to ‘produce’ the evening – i.e. Herb and the team were kind enough to adopt my rough concept for the evening – and organise it! :-D
Aims (from my perspective):
- Bring Social Media to a wider audience and into the mainstream of the North East
- Grow the pie for various players in this space – yes, we’re in competition, but that doesn’t mean it’s a zero-sum game out there
- By using these tools, Regional players can help increase turnover and reduce costs.
Codeworks billing
As the Two Ronnies used to say, in a packed programme on [Thursday] night, we’ve got an All-Star line-up (excluding me!).
The following is a cut-and-paste from the Think and a Drink website [n.b. link is probably time-limited].
Date: Thursday 29th October 2009
Time: 17.30 until 22.30
But what’s the truth about social media? Can they really help your business? And how, exactly?
Everyone and anyone is talking up social media right now. Asking you to "join the conversation", "engage" with your customers rather than shouting at them. And telling you that if you don’t use these tools you’re at a major disadvantage.
At October’s Think and a Drink event, you’ll get to see social networking in action and learn about the science behind it. A selection of social media experts – including ‘Twitchhiker’ Paul Smith and Stephen Davies, one of the UK’s most popular PR bloggers – will give you an insight into how social media can be used, based on their knowledge and experiences.
Who’s speaking?
• Professor Malcolm Young. A professor at Newcastle University, Malcolm’s research expertise lies in complex systems analysis and informatics. He was one of 18 scientists worldwide nominated by The Sunday Times as the "Brains behind the 21st Century".
• Paul Smith. A freelance journalist, copywriter and new media "ideas man", Paul is perhaps best known in social media circles as ‘The Twitchhiker’. Together with Newcastle-based developer Jon Nairn, Paul recently launched Never Odd Or Even LLP, specialising in mobile application development.
• Stephen Davies. An online public relations specialist and managing director of 3W PR, an online PR and social media agency based in Sunderland. He also writes PRblogger.com, one of the UK’s leading PR blogs.
• Jason Brownlee. Prior to launching Dollywagon Media Sciences, Jason was the founder and research director of Other Lines of Enquiry, a successful media research consultancy. He has developed several new media research technologies, including eye-tracking, SMS surveys and online media engagement testing.
• Justin Souter. An experienced, customer-facing consultant who recognises the wider context for IT solutions. Justin recently started his own business, Souter Consulting, which offers advisory and consultancy services to customers who want to maximise the return on their technology investments.
• Armin Tali?. Armin has spent the last seven years as a designer, project manager and new media practitioner, most recently putting his experience to use as the community manager for revolutionary web video specialists Quick.tv.
Want to be a guinea pig?
Good. Because if you come to October’s Think and a Drink, you won’t really have a choice. During the event we’ll be running an exclusive networking experiment run by Jason Brownlee of Dollywagon Media Sciences.
Armed with a Think and a Drink delegate badge, some business cards and your sparkling personality, you’ll be ready to experience 3 genuinely useful 60 second business meetings.
The Think and a Drink delegate badges will have 3 names on the back with 3 highly relevant people you are due to meet (and in what order). It will also tell you what you are meeting to discuss and where you will meet – the venue will be split into ‘zones’.
Each meeting will last for 60 seconds. That’s long enough to put a face to a name, break the ice and identify your common interests. You can then arrange to meet later in the evening, perhaps with a relaxing drink in your hand.
After 60 seconds a bell will ring and you’ll dash off to your next meeting. At the end of the speed networking session you will have made 3 new contacts with experience of a specific issue or challenge that you stand to learn from.
We will learn all the information we need to from your registration form.
Register today
Places for Think and a Drink events usually run out quickly. So book yours today at www.thinkandadrink.com
If you have any questions please call Ellie Silson on 0191 556 1127 or email ellie.silson@codeworks.net.
P.S. If you’re coming from Middlesbrough you can hop on a free bus we’re running to and from the event. Please indicate so when booking.
So, hope to see you there and good luck with the networking!
