There were over 20 people at the Syracuse tweetup Thursday at . There is no science to setting up such an event, and getting people face to face is not brain surgery. Here's how this one came about.
Picking a date and time. Ask on Twitter. People seemed generally to think Thursday would be a good evening for them, and some mentioned specific dates. You're not going to please everyone, so you have to just pick a date. Most people get out of work between 4 and 6, so 5:30 seems like a good starting time, figuring that some people will arrive early and some people will arrive late, but nobody has to go home and urge themselves out the door after they've kicked off their shoes.
Picking a place. Again, you're never going to please everybody. But there are things everyone wants in a location: parking, something to eat and/or drink, and – something we learned from the last tweetup – someplace where they don't have to shout over loud music and loud dinner conversations. Since Recess Coffee is smallish, I called them three weeks ahead of the date and asked if they would mind if something on the order of 20 of us showed up (the worst thing we could do for them would be to scare away anyone who would normally be there, if we were going to show up once). They said sure, and most people bought coffee (or peanut butter hot chocolate), and we're good to go back, as long as we give them some notice.
Why? We're already connected on Twitter, why do a tweetup? Personalities and ideas tend to germinate in person, especially when people get to talk for several minutes and exchange business cards. And when great minds get together and create great things, everybody wins.
Who's in to plan the next one? I'll help!
If memory serves, the following people were at Thursday night's Syracuse tweetup. If I missed you (and I likely will miss someone), and I'll get you on the list post-haste. If you're on MySpace, friend our hosts, .
• (Nicole)
• (Bill)
• (Bradford)
• (Brad)
• (Beth)
• (Frank)
• (Pat)
• (Rachel)
• (Jay)
• (Jill, with Tom)
• (Josh)
• (Kelvin)
• (Susan, with Jason)
• (Mitch)
• (Patrick)
• (Phil)
• (Sam)
• (Tim)
• (Todd)
• (Tracy)