I had a great night on Tuesday. I attended a tweet up.
I can’t tell you how many friends of mine have asked me, “What the hell is a Human Resources tweet up?”
A tweet up is a modified word that combines Twitter and meet-up. Anyone can use Twitter as a tool to announce an event, such as a party at a bar, and ask people to attend. It’s a very casual way to bring a group of like-minded people together.
In our case, a friend of mine [FrannyO] planned a party and put out the word using Twitter. She sent out a tweet, which is a message on Twitter, and told the universe that a bunch of HR people wanted to get together. Franny picked a time and a place and told us to meet her there if we were interested.
We were.
Franny didn’t advertise the event beyond Twitter. She relied upon the viral nature of the internet and she talked a bunch of sponsors into paying for appetizers and defraying the costs of our drinks. She used a tool called twtvite to track attendees, but she knew that some people wouldn’t show up and others would just appear.
And you know what? The event rocked.
Franny brought together a group of HR generalists, benefits professionals, recruiters, and compensation experts—along with members of SHRM’s leadership team—without much time or effort. The truth of the matter is that HR professionals are on Twitter, and Franny knew that we would spread the word about her party.
We did.
The party was awesome and it’s a testament to how technology + tools + a vibrant community = a fun time. Thank you, Franny, for being so great and embodying the spirit of social media. You are an example of what social media and networking are all about!
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Awww, thanks Laurie!! And much thanks to our sponsors Gerry Crispin of Career Xroads, Kris Dunn and Jessica Lee of Fistful of Talent, and KODA. Also thanks to Austin Lavin of WorkNola for locating and working with Ruth’s Chris. Tweetups are fun and easy. All told I’d say I spent less than 30 minutes pulling this together.
The tweetup gave me a chance to make a (slight) impact rather than just complaining. I had always said that conferences don’t work because the people I really want to hear from, other HR leaders actively in the field doing it every day, are so rarely represented in the seminars, and we’re too busy fielding office calls and talking to vendors during the class breaks to connect up, and so we miss out on the opportunity to learn directly from each other. Holding a quick tweetup was a GREAT way to connect with other people who are asking themselves the same questions and thinking about the same things I am right now. Plus: China Gorman! Fun.
Tweetups are fun because you get a chance to make the human connection that twitter, blogs, facebook, and even the phone can only take so far.
Great seeing you, thank you for introducing me to so many amazing people and ideas!
My new favorite invention is the Tweetup! FrannyO was a genius is organizing this event with everyone from you, Laurie, to Gerry Crispin, to Judy Clark, many HR Bloggers and Tweeters who just wanted to meet face to face. I really enjoyed meeting some of the wonderful people I’ve been tweeting with. Have a name and face (with a big smile on it) to go with the tweets will make all the difference! Thanks, FrannyO.
Well done to all involved. I’m so happy to put real faces to names and not just 100 pixel framed ones. ; ) Long live the tweetup!
Nice job Franny! And thanks for explaining it all so well to the masses, Laurie. Only wish I could have joined you all. Would have loved to meet Kari, Franny and China all in person. (And would have also enjoyed seeing Laurie & Gerry again, too!)
Couple of question that might register with some as unenlightened, and to others blasphemy. Social Media. I understand it allows people to connect in a way never before allowed. It turns us from readers into writers. But how far will this go? How far can it go and still be vital?
I commented the other day on how rude (and self absorbed?) it was that blackberries and cell phones are always a buzz in every men’s restroom I walk into. Be it the airport, a restaurant, or a ball game, if I go pee in the bathroom, everyone is doing their business with one hand and talking on their mobile device on the other. Most people agree that is too much. But would not the diehard social media devotee disagree? Don’t we need to know everything, instantly, regardless of what we are doing?
It makes me wonder if there is a Maslow’s hierarchy of needs protocol established for social media and its content? Could it go as follows:
CONTENT OF MESSAGES
-Not important: Twitter
-Might be important: Blog
-Sometimes important: Facebook
-OMG, did you see that? important: Instant Message
-Outdated technology…please ignore: Text Message
-At work, important: Email
-Spouse is nagging me, important: Phone Call
-I need to get something accomplished, important: Physical meeting with a human
Don’t get me wrong, I love my iPhone as much as the next person, but if you invert all this, from face-to-face meetings, to communication limited to 140 characters, the sound bites get smaller and smaller. What is next? Really? How precise and quick and networked can this all get? I don’t want people to pee with me!
Oh how I WISHED I could have attended! Just to meet everyone and get some story ideas! Looks like you guys had a blast – oh well, there’s always San Diego (perhaps!)
~the Scribe~
twitter.com/1SHRMScribe
@SHRMscribe We’ll see you in a year.
@Dale I’m not the kind of woman who defends social media as the ultimate tool of all mankind. It’s just a tool. Use it or don’t. Make your life better with it or don’t. I feel like I’m developing skills as a more effective communicator and leader because I’m reaching out in new ways. That’s my take.
@Leanne Franny will plan your tweet ups for you. This should be her new business model.
@Kari You shine is 100×100 avatars!
@China So fun to see you there. You were the belle of the ball!
@FrannyOMG You are a superstar!
@Leanne @Laurie you know what? I LOVE party planning. What kind of career would allow me to plan parties all day? Oh, I know, HR~! That’s what HR people do, right?
This was a great event and a real unique way to bring together HR professionals with a similar techno-passion. Certainly no-one let loose with the typical, plaintive Luddite witticism: “I don’t see the point in telling people what I had for breakfast.”
Positioned close to the tail-end of SHRM09, it also allowed people to Tweet Up even if their paths may have not crossed at the convention center. Quite a few movers and shakers and new-thought makers crowded into the bustling Ruth’s Chris bar. Thanks to Franny, Austin and all the sponsors!
I too did not know what a Tweetup was and really didn’t even know what Twitter was until a few weeks ago. What a great way to meet those I’ve been following and learning from on Twitter.
For me the use of social media has enhanced and re-energized me both in my professional and personal life. I love the smart and upbeat messages and how helpful everyone is. I’ve seen more relevant HR information flying across Twitter than I can keep up with.
So, it you haven’t tried some form of social media yet I encourage you to give it a try – you might find that you like it and that it’s a good thing!
@Laurie – the tweetup and the Brilliant HR Tweeps Dinner that followed were the highlight of the conference for me. Of course that was because I didn’t get to see the HR Blogger panel, but I will see it up close and personal from the stage at Hr Florida in August in Orlando!
I had to leave for home and couldn’t make the Tweet Up. SO sorry I missed it!! I would have loved to have seen you all. Deb