Stars of #LikeMinds 2010 Exeter - photo by kind permission of Benjamin Ellis
Take one utterly brilliant idea, add a few pertinent panels and a couple of cracking keynotes, stir in a few select sponsors, re-tweet relevant hashtag furiously… Et Voilà! You’ll have yourself a real time, world wide trending topic before you can say Social Media Conference. Or will you?
Once upon a time, way, way back in 2008 or 2009, there was still very much a Field of Dreams “If you build it, they will come” feel to the Social Media IRL scene. But now that we’ve all been to more tweet-ups and Twestivals than you can shake a USB stick at, I suspect that the punters are becoming rather more discerning about which gigs they choose to spend the corporate on-line comms budget on. Ergo, organisers are going to have to up their game and that, imho, is going to mean sweating the small stuff.
I write as someone who, not all that long ago, flew halfway around the world, to spend four days in an Antipodean basement, stuffing goodie bags and live-blogging - when I wasn’t abusing interns or doing my own little bit to iron out the inevitable last minute glitches which plague just about every big production.
This week, I had the pleasure of putting away my all areas pass to be an everyday attendee at the really rather fabulous Likeminds 2010. Pundits far more qualified than myself will be analysing what it all means in the cold light of day but I did want to jot down just a couple of my own conclusions about what makes these events rock – or indeed - not.
So, if you want to organise a gig like this:
DO – start as you mean to go on: After pretty painless reg. and warmest of welcomes from Like Minds co-founder Scott Gould, Jonathan Akwue gave the energetic and energising opening keynote, fabulously illustrated and super funny. Jon set the bar high but the standard never faltered. These gigs are always good-humoured but this audience spent a good deal of time roaring with laughter and, crucially, with the speakers, not at them, so…
DON’T - (please please please) put the live Twitter stream on da big screen? I do know opinions differ wildly on this one. Yet, as Jon illustrated eloquently (with a slide of people queuing outside banks) new tech doesn’t always make everything better. Yes, it is vital to monitor the back channel, (as we swiftly discovered at Media140 in Sydney) but we have all now been to gigs where the Twitterwall has simply taken over, sometimes - sadly - because it was actually more interesting than anything happening on the podium beneath. If you want to read the stream, do it on your gadget. You can read an excellent post on just this topic by Alan Patrick of Broadstuff here.
DO - pick the proper venue. Not location per se. Get the programme right and you could probably hold a SocMed gig in a hangar at Heathrow and sell out. The charming city of Exeter is not the most obvious place to hold an event such as Like Minds but the bill of fare at the banquet tempted more than enough people to travel – in some cases – thousands of miles. I am talking about creature comforts.
The days when we were all newbies, happy to pay hundreds of dollars, euros or pounds to sit in airless cellars, swill unacceptable, non-fairtrade, coffee, gnaw on dry sarnies and queue endlessly for the loos, while muttering darkly about band width and the insufficiency of sockets are well and truly over. And, oh yes, did I mention the wi-fi already? (Which worked perfectly in Exeter, I was assured by my non-Luddite mates...)
DON’T – worry too much about giving out goodie bags? If the gig is good, goodies become irrelevant. With good content and smooth organisation, nobody is going to go away, feeling short-changed just because they haven’t got a logo-covered bag-for-life, containing a ball pen, a note pad and a miniature can of some new energy drink (which will all probably be left behind in the bar at the after-party). On the sometimes thorny subject of sponsors, I felt it was well-balanced #likeminds, with co-founder Drew Ellis discreetly announcing individual underwriters at the start of each session.
I could, of course, go on but I suspect you’ve got the general drift by now. Instead I'd like to wrap up with huge thanks to Drew, Scott, all the other stars of the stage and the whole Like Minds team, especially the army of very efficient interns, (none of whom looked in the least bit abused to me).
And finally, a few personal highlights – (many of a surprisingly sartorial nature…)
The irrepressible @ajpape in his magnificent robe (Tunisian Jalabiya) which later inspired both @markofrespect & @lesanto to compete. (Made a welcome change from that old leather jacket, Glenn?) Thanks to perky paparazzo @paul_clarke for letting me use this pic.
The short but moving LikeMinded Endeavour slots including a timely reminder about Twestival from the world’s best-dressed live-blogger, @arengrimshaw.
The now traditional “creative” shirt competition, with a strong showing from @stevebridger, @markofrespect (what again?) & @davebriggs. Won by a whisker of his rather Johnny Depp-esque goatee by chauffeur to the star that is @chrisbrogan, the Tall Man with Glasses - @stuartwitts.
The jeans’n’tie combo sported by Olivier Blanchard which provoked such a heated Twitter debate with “I’m so nervous about attending” @carolinemytton robustly against yet @cosmond resolutely pro..
The now also traditional “Oh my goodness, I completely forgot about the live stream” expletives from the stage. Aforementioned, and, it must be said, charmingly apologetic @cosmond among the guilty on Friday...
Err, that’s it. Same time next year everyone?
