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Meet ,Tweet and Greet: What a Mid Year Adventure!
Date: 06.09.2009
Author: Edwards
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When it comes to social media, are you ready to “re-tweet” or RETREAT?
IM, Linkedin, Facebook, Plaxo, YouTube, FlickR, I Phones, blogging, SEO, Blackberries and now the Palm Pre…sometimes the technological revolution is enough to make your eyes glaze over or your pulse race high with excitement.
Whatever category you fit…a techno junkie, guru, novice or complete abstainer, this year’s Chamber Mid-Year Event – Meet, Tweet, and Greet – will capture your attention and take your networking skills to new heights. Should you decide not to bite the technology bugs but to hunker down in familiar territory, that’s fine. Chamber events are known for their effective and personal and one-on-one networking. This year, though, the high tech revolution will transport the mid year to new heights.
As part of its mid-year event, the Chamber is planning to highlight new technologies and tools that can help chamber members increase their business. Attendees are encouraged to bring their phones and PDAs and will have the opportunity to put them to work at the event while trying out other new types of technology.
According to a New York Times article published on June 3 (and spread via Twittering), online social networking has jumped considerably recently and with results for small businesses. The article quoted an April issue of Discover Small Business compiled by Discover Financial Services that 38 percent of the owners were a member of an online networking community, up 22 percent from October 2007. An estimated 65 percent of small businesses which used social networking sites said they felt more comfortable using the technique than last year, and more than half said that they had acquired and retained customers because of it according to Sage North America, a unit of Sage P.L.C., a global supplier of business management software and services.
Already thirteen companies have jumped on board the chamber’s technological revolution to be major sponsors for an event that will include live and silent auctions—and a “twauction” too--, food samplings from chamber members, as well as a tribute for retired Gym Dawgs coach Suzanne Yoculan, who is launching a new career. Potential sponsors are urged to contact the chamber at doc@athensga.com. In addition, the chamber’s Ambassadors, Women in Business members, Mid-Year committee members and others are canvassing the community for enticing items small and large to add to the auction. Persons and businesses wishing to donate items or services are asked to contact the chamber at 706-549-6800 or info@athensga.com.
According to Chamber President Doc Eldridge, the idea for technology networking in addition to traditional networking grew out of a brainstorming meeting for the Mid Year. “The Mid-Year meeting, more informal than our annual meetings, has become more successful every year. The informality enhances conversation and networking, but we also discovered at this year’s annual meeting that getting our attendees to sit down for the program was difficult because they were so busy talking. With all the social networking out there and all the technology members in the chamber, we thought, why not make it a part of Mid Year?”
Because there may be some members not as familiar with the various social media available, the chamber has enlisted the assistance of several companies and individuals to host the technology portion of the event , answering questions and offering on-the-spot mini training.
“There will also be plenty to do for those not interested in the high-tech gadgets,” says Eldridge, but why not take advantage of it? It’s another way that the chamber can meet the needs of its members.
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