Social Media Happy Hour – Versus, or in addition to Social Media Breakfast?
A new social network has been created for the purpose of social media happy hours, and it has a few of us buzzing this afternoon.
My instant reaction was that of frustration with another seemingly redundant social network. While the Social Media Breakfast is breakfast, and is a big group, that isn’t to say that the same group of people can’t come together for happy hours (like the Solera meetup) and other smaller events.
Personally, I’d be happier with an umbrella network. Once place to go to check upcoming social media events, whether they be breakfasts, smaller meetings that spin off from breakfasts, or completely separate happy hours – but with the same people. I don’t at all disagree with the fact that happy hours can accomplish something different than the big SMB meetups. I just don’t think there need to be another network to organize these events.
There seem to be different opinions on the issue. What’s yours?
Tags: social media breakfast | social media happy hour | social media minnneapolis | Social Networks
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25 Responses to “Social Media Happy Hour – Versus, or in addition to Social Media Breakfast?”.
Bingo! Thanks for phrasing that so wonderfully.
The issue: more events yes, more networks… eh.
You said it perfectly, Lindsi. Exactly what I think about it.
You’re giving my lots to think about. I don’t mind the multiple groups as much, but I really like the concept of an umbrella network. Ning looses some it’s usefullness when I have to check multiple Ning-networks to stay in the loop. Some of these groups don’t really need a full Ning supporting them. I think meetups and happy hours are a perfect example of the type of events that could be run via Upcoming or some similar service. The umbrella group could simply provide dates and links to events and info. It could be the main place to check in and/or subscribe to.
I have some ides how this could work out in everyone’s favor. Need to flesh them out a little. Anyone want to help?
I agree. One group-social media msp?-to coordinate the SMB’s. SMHH’s, tweetups, etc
Ill help with it Mykl
More events: great, more websites to go to find out about them is wasted time for me. I’m already wasting a lot of time online and figuring out where to cut back. Would rather see a social media group for TC metro with events any time of day listed there.
You hit the nail on the head. I think we had a talk about this when we briefly talked about social media club at SMBMSP a few meetings ago. The comment was made that they would announce things through facebook and people could rsvp on Upcoming and they also have a Ning. I like more events, but subnetworks get confusing. I would love some standardizations. Especially when it comes to RSVP and whatnot.
One network, under twitter. Until the fail whale drowns and we flock somewhere else.
I don’t care if it’s a breakfast, happy hour, picnic, a hike in the woods or a motorcycle rally. The focus is on social media, collaboration and sharing. Generally in person, ironically enough. There’s a whole other post on that behavior…that we meet in person to discuss how useful social media can be in connecting to other people. But I digress.
The group’s purpose [to me] is to connect others. Not “breakfast” or “happy hour”. I agree that this is made simpler by having one place to look for multiple events, a la MIMA and other largish “professional” organizations.
@newcoventry Definitely with you on the annoyance of tracking down any number of various sites to RSVP and track events.
I also think it’s worth acknowledging one of the issues in the current discussion on Twitter: this isn’t *just* Minneapolis and Saint Paul. It’s not just metro, not just Minnesota. But for the sake of organizing and collecting information on events in real life, a geographic bubble has to be drawn somewhere…though there’s no saying we can’t ignore that bubble and hold an MSP-SM* event in Duluth or Northfield or Canadia.
From @desaraev (the creator of Social Media Happy Hour)
@gillianr it wasnt made to be a BIG group, just people I’ve already met getting together… thats why I only dmed the original invites. 11 minutes ago from TweetDeck in reply to gillianr
Changes the subject a bit, but this is clearly still something worth discussing. .
Just to comment really quickly, because it seems to be ignore is that @happyhoursocial is not another social network or mima, adfed, or even an smb or tweetup. This group was dmed to a very small amount of people that I enjoy talking to at different events. They all happen to be brilliant like-minded social media enthusiast that I feel like we never get enough time to talk after each event (and I go to most all of them). Basically the idea was as simple as: “I want to meet with my friends once a month, oh my work friends are also tech geeks like me, well what seems easier than making either a ning/or facebook group for it?”
I would never shun anyone away- I love meeting new people, but just think it needs to be clarified a little better the intentions of this group.
The group:
http://socialmediahh.ning.com/events
Also if you want to follow the LONG thread of conversation about SMB vs SMHH or the “social media fight” I’ve made it easy for you: they are all under : http://twitter.com/favorites
So you don’t have to use summize, tweet search or quotations.
If you have questions: http://www.twitter.com/desaraev
Just to be clear, I hope @desaraev doesn’t feel all of this discussion is an attack on her personally. It’s just brought up the concept of multiple social networks for what is really one large social network (with different sized events). I think the topic merits discussion so that we can all work to prevent this type of “problem” before it really becomes one.
Agreed, Gillian. Desarae – I hope you are not taking personal offense to any of this. If anything, it merely sparked the discussion as Gillian said. Clearly everyone has an opinion on it, and it would need to be addressed at some point anyway as the group gets larger.
Hey All,
I think I might be the one who stirred this pot in the first place (http://twitter.com/craigsanatomy/statuses/894679631)…and first of all I really didn’t mean to, so I truly am sorry to have created this sort of “Sharks vs Jets” mentality!
I think it’s great that Desarae took initiative to start a HH event. SMBMSP is great–and many of us know each other (actually, or twitterally) through that. But it’s strange that a person starting a new Ning to grab a few drinks and socialize would somehow be viewed as a threat to SMB? Isn’t SMB all about encouraging people to connect by using social media?
I also think that this probably brought way more attention to the group than Desarae ever meant, and I have talked to her (and apologized) and I am positive that she didn’t mean for this to have anything to do with SMB, nor for it to become a replacement for SMB. From what I can tell, she’s been very active and involved in that group for a while, and I’m sure she still will be.
Shouldn’t we be encouraging new social groups? tweetups? nings? etc? People will join up with groups that they believe in–some maybe broad, and some may be small niches. But are is SMB going to become some sort of mob-like force policing all other groups in the area who are using social media?
I know the mob-reference is too much–and I really don’t mean that either. I know that no one meant any hostility, and I apologize for my sarcasm (get’s me in trouble way too much!), but I feel like everyone needs to take a step back here and be glad that more people are using social media to connect in new ways/paces/times/etc!
Best wishes to you all!
-Craig
PS Mornings are hard for me anyways, so I was glad that an afternoon event like this popped up. plus i like drinking
Ha. I don’t think anyone is worried about the “competition” aspect. That’s not what it’s about. (I should maybe change the title of this post to not include the word “versus” – because it’s not this versus that.)
It’s a broad topic though that needs to be discussed, as we’ve said. As SMB keeps growing and more and more professionals become interested in Social Media, this will likely come up again.
Nobody’s mad at anybody, so no worries about starting the discussion. I think it’s fun!
here is a thought: Google Cal. It syncs with ical, html (for sites), sms, and is AWESOME. (of course it also syncs with upcomming, but upcomming becomes annoying to setup)
Everyone gets it… then make a calendar just for tc events. Thing is my event was just for the people to connect… and I want to do it monthly (mainly) with people I’ve already met… to finish conversations already started…So come or don’t my group lives.. I will add the details where ever you feel necessary.
@lindsi ok good! Thanks for that–I’m relieved. Maybe I was being a bit melodramatic?
@desaraev good idea with the google calandar!
I am amazed to watch this unfold. Amazed, and also happy to finally not miss something big happening! Usually I see it and have to piece things together
I am also hoping no offense was taken. I very much agree that SMB has become way to crowded to get much networking and conversation to happen at. I loved the first social media happy hour that occurred under the social media breakfast ning site here: http://smbmsp.ning.com/events/event/listByDate?date=2008-08-6
When I read there was another first social media happy hour and a whole new group spawning out of it I was confused.
My initial reaction to this was very much like what @pfhyper said that @saralovesyou said here:
pfhyper Retweet @saralovesyou: @gillianr a note of support for your idea: fractured groups make everything … “insidery”… Well said Sara.
I love that SMBMSP has been open to all (even those of us who are IT Geeks and not marketing superstars or social media experts). I am just a social media participater who likes to meet up with other social media participaters and maybe try and understand why I enjoy this stuff so much.
“versus -or in addition to.”
LOL
Ok…now i’m smiling about the whole thing–hopefully we all are?
What started it: lol
http://twitter.com/desaraev/statuses/894859878
ok i admit it was a little insidery… but it was still very much open to clients, tech people, marketers, pr, and the like… if anyone… anyone read the headline… it hasnt changed… was just a recurring group of people who had happened to meet networking and wanted more time to talk, socialize and learn about one another
http://twitter.com/HappyHourSocial/statuses/894645364
http://twitter.com/HappyHourSocial/statuses/894646248
http://twitter.com/HappyHourSocial/statuses/894706398
http://twitter.com/HappyHourSocial/statuses/894707782
http://twitter.com/HappyHourSocial/statuses/894707881
Basically what those say is:
This twitter is soley for reminding you when the next hh is and where. You can also twitter it for ideas on time/location. about 4 hours ago from
The next happy hour will be sept. 4th. Don’t forget to RSVP at http://socialmediahh.ning.c... about 4 hours ago from web
If you can’t figure out the site or need help with the directions email interactivemedias at g mail dot com dont forget to rsvp about 4 hours ago
Just to clear up a couple things like: http://bit.ly/1u4k4z .. this is not to compete… about 3 hours ago from twhirl
-just everyone keeps wanting to do lunch but its hard leaving work so thought getting everyone together at once would be nice… about 3 hours ago from
-and it would be completey different no speakers informal and just drinks and people talking (just like what happens AFTER every event) about 3
Interesting to watch from a distance. And very interesting that the struggle going on here, is by social media enthusiasts about social media tools.
Desarae – I want to reiterate, for the third time, that this post was not intended to be a personal attack on you. Your new social network merely sparked the conversation that was obviously impending. It was something that would be discussed at some point anyway, so this was a good opportunity to do it.
Multiple people commented here with the specific intention of telling you that no one was attacking you personally. The conversation moved away from SMHH entirely, and went on to the broader idea of an umbrella group/organization/network to encompass all of these types of events.
Anyway – I haven’t even met you in person yet! And there is absolutely no reason there should be any bad blood between us, so I sincerely hope you are clear that neither I nor anyone else was trying to being vengeful in any way, and that we can all live in our happy little social media worlds in peace.
See ya’ll at SMB tomorrow!
P.S. Thomas – come back! Look what is happening to MSP without you!! Haha.
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