I’m becoming social this Spring

This is an interesting change. I’ve probably started experiencing this most recent “revolution” of social media exposure for the past couple of years, but with all the events going on in April and stretching into May, it seems that I’m becoming quite the social person…and it’s all a good thing.

Just last weekend, I was fortunate to attend Podcamp DC for the first time. Some may compare these types of “unconferences” to SXSW or major events that brings the best and the brightest together to share their knowledge, so I think it was definitely a great chance for me to see what other folks are doing, especially in the DC Metro area. In my current work environment, while I “pretend” that my work is in the online/interactive arena, I’m not capable of daily interactions with the tech scene so seeing what other folks who work in the non-profit, government, private sector, or agency settings are doing and how they’re marketing their products to the masses/audience. You may not have seen my earlier posts on Podcamp DC, but you can view some of the videos that I’ve filmed on my laptop and webcam on Viddler.

So my travels next take me to Tech Cocktail DC 2 tomorrow night and I think it’ll be good to have a happy hour environment to shmooze with some of the region’s tech bigwigs and possibly pick their brains. If anything, I think if you have a chance to meet up over there, be sure to network because in the online industry, networking is what will connect you to your next opportunity, whether it’s a new startup, a partner, venture capitalist, consultant, or potential employee. What’s good about these types of events is while you can mingle with folks in a casual environment, the organizers have been gracious enough to have several companies set up “tables” to do demos of their products so you’ll get a sneak peek at what some companies are doing for social applications.

But I think to top it all off, I’ll be looking forward to the continued immersion in the social realm with SocialDevCamp East. Organized by Ann Bernard and Keith Casey of WhyGoSolo fame, and David Troy of Roundhouse Technologies, this barcamp-style conference will bring the East Coast’s region of tech fanatics under one roof for a one-day event that’s sure to continue the momentum that I’ve gathered from the past couple of events. As you can expect, this conference will focus on the dilemmas facing social media and how others are working to make their marketing work. If you want to attend this event, I’m sure there’s still space. I’ll be there and will try and stream whatever I can or at least film some of the sessions for posting on Viddler or YouTube.

Hope to see you this Spring!