It’s Not One Presenter, It’s Hundreds – Twitter Changes Conferences

If you’ve been to a conference, workshop or presentation lately you’ve noticed.  If you haven’t been able to make it to an event you wanted to … you’ve noticed.  Twitter is buzzing with links, takeaways, highlights, photos and more everyday, from people at great events.  Twitter is making events better.

Heads Down Is A Good Thing
There was a time when a presenter would shudder at half the audience having their head down.  Now, you expect your audience to have a face glowing from their laptop, netbook, iPad or smart phone, tweeting and sharing the valuable points of your presentation.

Event attendees repeat, regurgitate and push out a ton of great information to their followers. Conduct a quick search using the event hash tag and you’ll quickly tap into a stream of great content.  How solid is that?

Benefits Of Twitter
The way I see it, every aspect of the event wins with this social sharing of the content.  Here are a few things that Twitter has amplified and improved for events:

• The presenters get more exposure & gain new followers.
• Attendees become resources to their followers.
• The conference/event gets much more exposure, LIVE exposure and buzz.
• Attendees find it easier to meet/network with others there tweeting.
• Those back at the office at home, get some GREAT info … FREE.
• Attendees and presenters can further connect and interact during and after the event.

Twitter Round-Up
You can even take a group of tweets from an event and turn them into a tutorial.  Search Engine News contributor Andrew Shotland did this from Local University’s Minneapolis event.  Learning Local Search Via Twitter is a true “crowed sourced” article packed with takeaway tweets from both the attendees and speakers.

What’s Your Experience?
Every event I have attended in the last few years has been made better thanks to Twitter. Big Omaha (#bigomaha), Social Media Breakfast MSP (#smbmsp), MIMA Summit (#Mimasummit) and Local University (#localu) to name a few that are all enhanced thanks to the sharing and communicating on Twitter.

For many events that I can’t make, I’ve still learned and gained from others sharing tips, links and content with me.  Three years ago, that wasn’t likely to happen at all.

Lastly, Twitter is just the tool and connector.  It’s great people that create and share the message.  It’s incredible the amount of great people I’ve learned from and met thanks to this tool. Talk, tweet, or RT you at the next event!