The first St. Louis Tweetup of the year was a smashing success. Folks from all over the metro area turned out. Close to twenty people showed up and hung out on Friday night at Pujols 5 in Westport Plaza.
Brad, @javaStL, really took the lead in planning and organizing this affair. We’d bantered around some ideas and the Westport area seemed a good middle ground choice. He found us Pujols 5 to actually have the get together.
The staff at Pujols 5 did a great job all around. Our waitress was quick to take orders, deliver drinks, and get the appetizers on the table. Once in the tweetup was in full swing, she could see it was more than a dozen folks and we were crowded. She spoke to the manager, check the availability on a room, and before long we were back in the depths of Pujols 5 in a private room.
Though there was some mix up on the checks, it wasn’t long before that was worked out and the wait staff jumped in. Food and drinks are a big part of a successful event.
Attendees included both first timers and veterans. There were old school Twitter users and folks new to the fun. Even a few Twitter virgins lurked in our midst. Surprisingly little of the conversation stayed focused on Twitter though.
One of the hot topics of the evening was the economic downturn and how it directly impacted several of us. At least a few people in the room were losing their jobs thanks to lay offs, closings, or otherwise. I might have started this with my comment about the lack of traffic during rush hour these days.
This type of event really provides a chance to get out and get to know people beyond the buzzwords on topics like the economy. Standing face to face or sharing a drink really puts the social in social networking. You can go beyond a 140 characters, beyond the quips, links, and smiley faces.
It definitely pays not be to be a wall flower at such gatherings. There were many interesting folks there, from all types of professions, all the areas across the metro, and differing interests.
Some interesting introductions that people could make included ToastedRav team members, writers, realtors, computer geeks, and Burning Man fans.
Have I convinced you to come join us for a Tweetup yet? Going to go out and organize your own? Do it today!
What’s it take? That’s probably the toughest part is talking it up. To make this first one of 2009 higher in attendance, the biggest thing was getting it announced very early. I’d start two weeks out at least. Also, don’t be shy about telling every local contact you have, via Twitter, email, and your blog. Get them engaged in the planning and you’ll have yourself a party for sure.
Go, plan, do, and come back and share your story and your Tweetup pictures.
Cheers,
Tojosan
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Tags: Pujols 5, social network, Social Networking, sports bar, St. Louis, tweetup, Twitter, Westport
