Use microblogging to support your conference or event

= Overview = If you work within a big global corporation the chances are that every day, colleagues across the globe attend external meetings and conferences that cover a broad range of topics. Traditionally, the colleagues go to the event, present or listen to presentations, jot down a few notes, and leave with a pretty souvenir or two for their troubles. The knowledge gained by the colleague is seldom shared with anyone else in the company, so one could argue that the only thing gained is some level of personal development for the actual colleague that attends.

What if you set up a site where colleagues who go external would temporarily transform into "iRepoters", submitting news reports back to the rest of the community on what is being presented and discussed so that the concepts and approaches can be shared in real-time with other interested colleagues and, if applicable, stored as "knowledge" in our KM systems?

I'm always amazed by the fact that at these conferences, the media outlet employees are constantly twittering away and updating blogs on the topics, while the corporate attendees listen, eat, and chat with others in the room. Shouldn't it be an expectation that attendees share what they learn, either in real-time (Twitteresque) or summarized daily (full blog)?

Why would you do this?
There are several reasons:


 * To spread awareness and insights about the event - by enabling multiple individuals to report and comment on the aspects that resonate most with them.
 * To encourage and facilitate multiple channels of discussion about the content of the event - thus enabling ideas and themes to be built upon, and for those in the wider organization to share knowledge, insights, ideas and experience.

= How to use microblogging to communicate from a meeting =

Event Organizers

 * First either create an account or log into the microblogging application
 * Second, identify a Hashtag to be used in all posts related to the event - this helps those who are interested focus just on those posts related to your event. To 'declare' your hashtag simply include it in a post, then publicise it in all communications about your event. Using a hashtag in microblogging is really easy, for instance:

Hi everyone - hope you are looking forward to the #realalefest09 event!


 * Next, using an RSS reader subscribe to the event hashtag
 * Use the microblogging application itself to publicise your event, for instance by posting during the build-up, build up anticipation, announce who will be attending, what will be discussed. Start interacting with delegates before they've even turned up for the event. Complementing surveys, microblogs allow the crowd to tell you what is on their mind, raising questions, offering topics for discussion, and surfacing common themes and areas of focus.  Encouraging "retweeting" can help rapidly propogate event information and requests for feedback!

Delegates

 * First either create an account or log into the microblogging application
 * Next, using an RSS reader subscribe to the event hashtag
 * Post to the microblogging site and ensure you use the event Hashtag identified by the event organizers (if they haven't identified one then generate one yourself and notify fellow posters so they can use it too).
 * Post whatever you think appropriate - either as memory-joggers for yourself when you return to your office, as fyi for colleagues in general or members of your network (you can cross-post to other hashtags and microblogging groups if you think there is an item of interest to them).
 * Use the microblogging site to ask questions, for instance if you didn't understand a term or acronym used in a presentation but don't want to ask out loud in the meeting itself - ask the community, the chances are that somebody will provide you with the answer!
 * Spread information quickly by "retweeting" important messages.
 * Consider recapping each day's events in a more traditional blog that is not constrained to 140 characters, including more details, highlighting key themes, etc. Then post a microblogging status update including the link to the blog and, voila!  It can spread like wildfire
 * Also use microblogging to provide feedback to the event organizers. Praise them on the good aspects. Highlight where something might be improved - make all posting constructive.

Other Colleagues

 * Subscribe to the event hashtag using an RSS reader
 * Use retweets to emphasise posts made by fellow posters.
 * Ask questions about the event as you see fit - you may see delegates attending the event reply back to you.
 * Comment on posts made by delegates as you see fit.

= External Links =
 * Twitter Trumps Online Conference – Six Steps For Using Twitter For Your Conference Or Event