Twitter Adds a Search Feature

2755v2 max 450x450 Twitter Adds a Search Feature TwitterA cool development at Twitter over the last 24 hours has been the addition of their new ‘name search‘.

You can search for people either by their username, first name or last name. Results are displayed in order of follower numbers. This is just another way to contact people using social media. I know we just had a post on twitter this week but this development makes it a tad easier to see if people in your network are twittering away!

Results seem to work pretty well and it is better than nothing – Darren Rowse of Problogger uses Twellow if he needs to find someone.

Not sure if this relates to Events & Meetings but keeping on top of the latest technology is always helpful. Merry Christmas!

Link up with me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/mmcallen love to get your ideas on the new year!

 Twitter Adds a Search Feature
 Twitter Adds a Search Feature

How important is Inbound Marketing to your staff?

As MeetingsPodcast rolls into the holidays we are looking forward to starting off the new year with some great new interviews and our of course our weekly roundtable. More and more we are finding technology is changing the ways we do things. Below is one funny video of how the sales and marketing business is changing…..enjoy.

 How important is Inbound Marketing to your staff?
 How important is Inbound Marketing to your staff?

Extra! Interview with Adam Steinberg from EventVue.com

eventvue online marketing meetings events Extra! Interview with Adam Steinberg from EventVue.com

The question has come up many times in recent months. “What web 2.0 tools can I use at my next event?” Adam Steinberg explains how EventVue has an online solution to get event attendees networking at events or meetings. [Read more...]

 Extra! Interview with Adam Steinberg from EventVue.com

Extra! Interview with Chris Brogan from ChrisBrogan.com and CrossTech Media

1473158514 1452cfdb35 m Extra! Interview with Chris Brogan from ChrisBrogan.com and CrossTech MediaImage by mmcallen via FlickrThe Meeting Planners podcast source for what’s new and exciting in meetings and events industry!

Interview of Chris Brogan of www.chrisbrogan.com

Mike McAllen of Grass Shack Events & Media

Chris Brogan highlights-
Chris works for CrossTech Media who he makes sexy events, podcasts and new world media stuff. Social media –puts together the New Marketing Summit Events/ Blogs [Read more...]

 Extra! Interview with Chris Brogan from ChrisBrogan.com and CrossTech Media

Video: Why use Twitter?

If you don’t use Twitter here is a short video which explains some of its uses by some Twitter users. I have been using Twitter for the last year or so and I have 1560 followers. I find it very useful in finding out whats going on, sharing ideas and especially at conferences I attend.


How Do You Use Twitter? from biz stone on Vimeo.

 Video: Why use Twitter?
 Video: Why use Twitter?

Social Networking Wars?

This year I made some changes in my life which have freed a ton of time for me. Email management, staying away from the many social networking sites like Facebook, twitter, second life etc…. I saw this video today and thought it kind of hit the nail on the head.

Though as full disclosure, right now as I finish writing this post I added 2 friends to Facebook and Twittered a few times today. So I am still involved but as the character on the video below I am not a slave to these sites. I was spending much more time following links and responding to folks on these sites before. Where I do see the effectiveness of these sites to get information and share information I also see you can miss out on real life.

Take a peek at this video and tell me what you think.

 Social Networking Wars?

Setting Yourself Apart from the Herd….Moooooo

minicard hand shot Setting Yourself Apart from the Herd....Moooooo

With all this Web 2.0 talk and Social Media events going on, how do you set yourself apart? How about using Moo.com to make a business card which is unusual that people will remember. Every conference I attend I usually come home with a pocket full of business cards. I always try and contact each person I met, with a short note. Why not get a card from Moo, who will take your images from your computer uploaded to their site or from sites like Flickr, bebo, fotolog, livejournal, and even show off your avatar or Second Life creations with a Moo Second Life business card. You just email them a snapshot from your second life camera.

secondlife Setting Yourself Apart from the Herd....Moooooo

 Setting Yourself Apart from the Herd....Moooooo

How do you start the conversation

What is the best way you start a conversation? Through your website? Forum board? Wiki? Through your Blog? Twitter? Through your podcast? Talkshoe? A favorite Social media site like – Myspace, Facebook, Linkedin? Ning? Gather? How about virtual worlds like Second Life or Kaneva? How about Flickr?

So many options to connect. I am interested in your favorite way of connecting?

 How do you start the conversation

Internet widgets & communications

Social Media is taking over my life. Yesterday I sat and worked on Version 2 of a proposal for PepsiCo. In between I twittered, had second life open where I watched Eric Rice build buildings and make music. I attended a Meetup in Second Life for Kiva that I organized with Fiona from Kiva. I sent out some emails to set up more interviews for the Kiva Podcast. I also had Ustream.tv streaming me at my desk. (nobody was watching)I investigated Eric Rices Kyte.tv page and of course dealt with the steady stream of emails. On my list of things to do is work on my Linkedin page, add a flickr.com “what I am looking at” I also am working on redesigning our website with some options for green meetings and a reminder page.

So when Carrie asked me what I did last night I said. I redid the Pepsi proposal. She said good job! I thought to myself- but I didnt really do anything.

So what is the point of all of this? To stay connected? I have to admit I really enjoy learning the new widgets and chatting about them with others. Our job at Grass Shack is to keep pushing the creative. To entertain and inform our clients attendees. If we can provide options to keep the messaging going before and after events then aren’t we adding more value? I guess thast the point for me. I also have that sense like when I was a teenager and I had to go out Friday and Saturday night because I might “miss something” that everyone would be talking about. I read my Bloglines, check twitter, hang in second life all because I dont want to miss something.
I even watched Chris Pirillos boring ustream feed just because.

So as I finished up the Pepsi proposal I added a small New Media option area for Pepsi. All below the line. A show blog, a twitter feed, a podcast, stream the event live. If I am so interested in this stuff would others? Attendees to the events? Options for them to ingest content? I wonder if it will peak the Pepsi clients interest? We will just have to wait and see.

 Internet widgets & communications

Social Media Club San Francisco

bloggslogo Social Media Club San Francisco

 Social Media Club San Francisco

Last night Grass Shack Events & Media co-sponsored the Social Media Club Event held at Cnet in San Francisco. The other event sponsor was WIKIA which is Jimmy Wales company. Jimmy Wales is the founder of Wikipedia. Jimmy gave a short talk which we enjoyed. He told the audience some cool facts about Wikipedia. For one thing Wikipedia is the ninth most visited website on the net. They have only five employees. They have double the visitors of CNN and the BBC sites combined. He talked about the structure and why it works. Pretty cool stuff

After Jimmy finished, the attendees listened to Thomas Kelly give a conversation exercise to them. Thomas is from the World Cafe. It was meant to bring out ideas of Social Media and how we can come together to make them work in the next year. In small groups attendees chatted about ideas then everyone got up and moved to other tables to start the process over again. After this was accomplished, the ideas were then shared with the whole group. A graphic facilitator then transcribed the ideas to be shared later. All in all it was a fun and enlightening experience for all. I look forward to the next meeting and Chris Heuer who is the president and co-founder did a great job facilitating the whole event of around 100 people.

 Social Media Club San Francisco