October 2010 Social Media Breakfast: Meet Ford’s Dan Pierce

This WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20 beginning at 8am (for test drives!), Join Social Media Club-DC at Busboys and Poets for an exclusive opportunity to hear about Ford’s upcoming next move — electric vehicles — and to learn more about the social media efforts that Ford will unfold as an integral part of the company’s marketing strategy.

Social Media Breakfast guests will participate in a brainstorm session with Ford’s Dan Pierce and will get to be the first to take a spin in one of Ford’s prototype electric vehicles!

See you at Busboys and Poets (14th and V — U Street Metro) this WEDNESDAY, October 20, 2010.

Details of what we have in store

• 8am: Electric vehicles test drive opportunities before the doors open
• 8:30am:
  • Ford discusses the importance of social media in its marketing
  • Brainstorm and feedback session with SMCC members and Dan Pierce
  • Ford digs deeper into its social media outlook
• 9:30am: More test drive opportunities following the event

Meet our speaker: Dan Pierce

Dan Pierce manages environmental communications at Ford Motor Company.  In this role, he raises awareness for Ford’s Blueprint for Sustainability; the company’s plan to build great products, a strong business and a better world.  A major part of the company’s sustainability plan is the development of electric vehicles.

Since joining Ford, Pierce has been working with the product development teams on educating consumers on the five electrified vehicles Ford will launch over the next three years.  These vehicles include the Ford Transit Connect Electric (2010), Ford Focus Electric (2011), two next generation hybrid vehicles (2012) and a Plug-In Hybrid vehicle (2012).

Outside of electric vehicles, Pierce works closely with Ford researchers on the company’s efforts to use recycled or biomaterials materials within its vehicles.  Ford’s vehicles are more than 85 percent recyclable due to the use of soy foam in seat cushions as well as recycled threads and cloth inside the car.

A special thanks to Busboys and Poets, the OFFICIAL venue of Social Media Breakfast DC!

Busboys and Poets is a restaurant, bookstore, fair trade market and gathering place where people can discuss issues of social justice and peace. Each Busboys and Poets location should enhance the community — allowing us to bring together a diverse clientele reflective of the surrounding neighborhoods. Busboys and Poets creates an environment where shared conversations over food and drink allow the progressive, artistic and literary communities to dialogue, educate and interact. Follow them on Twitter and declare your love on Facebook.

Now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for…

Want to get more involved?

If you or your company is interested in sponsoring any one of our monthly breakfast events, please let us know. Email us at socialmediaclubDC [at] gmail [dot] com or send a tweet to @smcdc. Thank you in advance!

September 2010 Social Media Breakfast Recap

Thanks to all who resisted hitting the snooze button this morning and came out to our September Social Media Breakfast featuring bloggers form the @TBD community network! I didn’t tweet at all during breakfast (WHAT? Wait for it… ) because I was typing notes like crazy so I could share them with you all in blog post form. If you enjoy it and would like this recap to become a regular thing, leave a comment to let us know!

Another round of thanks to our amazing hosts, @BusboysandPoets, our heads of table, and our guests! See you at the next one! But if you can’t wait to spend some more quality time with fellow social media professionals and enthusiasts…  come to SMCDC’s September 22^nd event: Using Social Media for Customer Service!

Sign up on Eventbrite: http://smcsept2010.eventbrite.com

Speakers: Cindy Cotte Griffiths (@cindycg) and

Brad Rourke (@bradrourke)

Blog: Rockville Central (@Rockville)

Brad and Cindy were blogging before blogging was invented. They posted articles to USENET way back in the day. On Memorial Day 2007, Brad read an article in Washington Post that profiled local bloggers from blogs like “Just Stop the Pike,” which covers Silver Spring. Brad thought there would surely be a blog about where he lived – Rockville – but when he discovered there wasn’t one, he decided to start one – because it was the weekend and he didn’t have anything to do, and what else do you do over the weekend, right? Brad would regularly meet parents and other folks in the neighborhood park and talk about issues of the day, and he eventually created a space like that online for the residents of Rockville.

While Brad’s original thought was that he’d create a little online newsletter for the neighborhood, Cindy encouraged him to think more broadly and do all of Rockville.

Cindy talked to about commenting policies and the role they have played in encouraging people to participate on the blog because they know it’s a safe place where everyone is appreciated and where there is no tolerance for people who want to be nasty.

Brad and Cindy have used Twitter for three years, but they didn’t until they could feed the blog through their Twitter account and help readers find posts in that way. They explained that as more Rockville residents have become comfortable with the blog, and as they get to meet more of their readers in person… more comments are published every time and the blog is more of an extension of their local community, online.

Speakers: Jaime Fearer (@bogrosemary)

and Geoffrey Hatchard (@IMGoph)

Blogs: District Curmudgeon (@distcurm)

and Greater Greater Washington (@ggwash)

The District Curmudgeon started din March 2010 but both Geoffrey and Jamie had history that led to writing this particular blog. Like Brad and Cindy, it was civic engagement that led Jamie and Geoffrey to start their blog. As members of their neighborhood, they needed to find news about what was going on in the community. Jamie started “Stop, Blog, and Roll” in 2005, however, when she moved to Shaw she became involved with “Greater Great Washington” and joined the site as a contributor there.

Geoffrey started blogging in 2006 when he moved to the Bloomingdale Neighborhood. The name of his blog was meant to be temporary because he’d be there temporarily, so after he moved, the blog was shut down and he spent a bit of time trying to figure out what to do next. Soon, he started contributing to “Greater Greater Washington. “

For both Jamie and Geoffrey, the idea, was not to just spit out information, but to start a dialogue and to be able to respond to comments and tweets. The blog was an outlet to let things out and point out things that weren’t happening and try to affect change.

Speaker: Scott Brodbeck

Blog: ARLNow.com (@ARLnowDOTcom)

Scott started blogging in January 2010 after five years in television news in DC. He started the blog because Arlington needed a full-time online news source and despite it being such a large community, it was missing that. He saw the need and wanted to prove to himself that he could take on the challenge of producing a blog. While in TV, he produced a segment called “Meet the Blogger” and thought that what the bloggers were doing was pretty cool – so he went for it.

On ARLNow.com, Scott tries to strike a balance between community news and breaking news. He tries to curate content and not do throw-away posts. He’s at the stage where he’s trying to sell ads and make it a financially sustainable business because, for something of that scale to exist, he needs to pay his rent (story of our lives, eh?). Scott uses Twitter and Facebook – and he shared that Facebook drives THREE TIMES more traffic than Twitter to his blog. While he uses both those tools, the way he measures his success the most is by comments on the blog.

Speaker: Mandy Jenkins (@mjenkins)

Blog: TBD.com (@TBD)

Mandy share a little more about TBD.com – a local news startup launched at the beginning of August, but of course, you already knew that J TBD has a very small staff but they try to cover news all the way from Virginia, to Maryland, to DC – something they couldn’t achieve without their contributors and the community bloggers who, and I quote, “bust their butts everyday to get news to them.”  – (Personal note: Thank you to all the members of the TBD staff!)

TBD tries to gather and curate the news. The staff reads RSS feeds everyday and try to make it so that they can bring as much of everything as they can into the site, but also bring discussion around the news and content they publish. They try to make sure they are on top of what’s going on out there, everywhere, so TBD takes to social networks of all kind – Twitter, Foursquare checkins. Because there is a few of them and tons of us, they use social media to tap into the public to learn what’s going on. (Personal note: Thank you DC-area bloggers!)

Mandy closed saying, “I feel like we come to work every day not knowing what’s going to happen, but somehow they’re going to cover it. “ Respect.

Image courtesy of @mjenkins

Meet Our September 2010 Social Media Breakfast Speakers!

Thinking about starting a blog?   Wish you existing blog had more readers or comments?  Wondering just how the city’s successful bloggers ever have the time to do such good work?

Find out all this and more as recently-launched, local news startup TBD and a few excellent DC area bloggers tell you the secrets to their blogging success. They will talk about how to get started blogging, crafting great posts, using social media to market your blog and how they fit blogging into their day (on top of full-time jobs, families and other commitments).

We have several speakers this time around, which means only one thing — more brilliant brains to pick on. But don’t worry, breakfast won’t run beyond the allotted time. Our speakers will first share their favorite pieces of wisdom with all of us and then, we will open up the floor to make sure you get the opportunity to ask all of your burning blogging questions

See you at Busboys and Poets (14th and V — U Street Metro) on TUESDAY, September 14, 2010 at 8:30am.

Meet the speakers (and their blogs!)

Speakers: Jaime Fearer (@bogrosemary)

and Geoffrey Hatchard (@IMGoph)

Blogs: District Curmudgeon (@distcurm)

and Greater Greater Washington (@ggwash)

Jaime worked in the book industry for over 10 years, dividing that time between bookselling and academic publishing. After living in NE DC’s Woodridge neighborhood for 3 years, where she ran the blog stop, blog, and roll, Jaime decided to formalize her passion for community building and planning by pursuing a Masters in Community Planning at the University of Maryland, College Park. Jaime currently lives in DC’s Trinidad neighborhood and is co-creator and author of The District Curmudgeon with Geoffrey Hatchard and also contributes to Greater Greater Washington.

Geoffrey’s background in geography is what brought him to Washington, DC, and it’s what has helped him develop a deep and abiding love for the city. An life-long obsession with maps brought him to DC for a job as a cartographic editor at the National Geographic Society, and he currently is employed as a geographer with the U.S. Census Bureau. Since moving into the city 6 years ago, he’s strived to stay on top of neighborhood news, leading to the creation of a neighborhood blog for the Bloomingdale neighborhood in 2006. In 2009, he moved to the Trinidad neighborhood with Jaime Fearer, co-creating their current blog, The District Curmudgeon, as a vehicle for both rants and a way to talk about how to change things in DC for the better. He also contributes to Greater Greater Washington.

Speaker: Scott Brodbeck

Blog: ARLNow.com (@ARLnowDOTcom)

Launched in January 2010, ARLnow.com is the place for the latest news, views and things to do around Arlington, Virginia. Started by Scott Brodbeck, an Arlington resident who has spent the past several years working in local TV news in D.C., ARLnow.com seeks to distinguish itself with original, enterprising, up-to-the-minute local coverage.

Speakers: Cindy Cotte Griffiths (@cindycg) and

Brad Rourke (@bradrourke)

Blog: Rockville Central (@Rockville)

Cindy and Brad have been collaborating on Rockville Central since June 2007 when Brad founded the site. Rockville Central covers the news from the second-largest city in Maryland and the county seat of Montgomery County. Designed from the start with the civic goal of being a safe space for all kinds of people to discuss issues in public life, Rockville Central has grown to be in the top five most-read local blogs in Maryland, and is read throughout City Hall and beyond.

Both very active in the Rockville community, Cindy and Brad each bring a unique sensibility to the site. Brad is an expert in civic engagement and has been blogging about public life since before the term “blog” was invented. Cindy has
worked with local nonprofits and shares her experiences about what’s special in the community through blogging, which she hopes will encourage greater public participation.

Speaker: Mandy Jenkins (@mjenkins)

Blog: TBD.com (@TBD)

Mandy is the Social Media Producer for TBD.com, a local news website and TV station in the Washington, D.C. area that launched in early August. In addition to its own reporting staff and a collection of curated local sources, TBD features posts from a Community Network of more than 150 local blogs (and counting). TBD is also active on the social web, using Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare and other tools to gather, share and report news. Before moving to D.C. to work for TBD this summer, Mandy was the Social Media Editor for the Cincinnati Enquirer. She also writes Zombie Journalism, a blog on new media issues.

A special thanks to Busboys and Poets, the OFFICIAL venue of Social Media Breakfast DC!

Busboys and Poets is a restaurant, bookstore, fair trade market and gathering place where people can discuss issues of social justice and peace. Each Busboys and Poets location should enhance the community — allowing us to bring together a diverse clientele reflective of the surrounding neighborhoods. Busboys and Poets creates an environment where shared conversations over food and drink allow the progressive, artistic and literary communities to dialogue, educate and interact. Follow them on Twitter and declare your love on Facebook.

Now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for…

Want to get more involved?

Register as a “Head of Table”! Essentially, you will be volunteering to ignite conversation at your table and let others pick your brain during the Breakfast. Don’t worry, we don’t mean this literally. Heads of Table get 50 % off!

If you or your company is interested in sponsoring any one of our monthly breakfast events, please let us know. Email us at socialmediaclubDC [at] gmail [dot] com or send a tweet to @smcdc. Thank you in advance!

July 2010 Social Media Breakfast-DC: Meet the speakers!

Even though there are two “i”s in “social media,” teamwork is the only way to run an effective social media campaign. Join us for breakfast to hear our speakers talk about cross-departmental work and share tips on how everyone, from any department, can learn to just get along and work towards the common good.

Meet our speakers! Who, this month, will share great ideas for how public relations, human resources, finance, accounting, marketing, etc. can join forces in order to produce more cohesive and successful digital campaigns and lead other organizational social media initiatives in a more collaborative way.

See you at Busboys and Poets (14th and V — U Street Metro) on TUESDAY, July 20, 2010 at 8:30am.

Meet the speakers

Mike Kohn, LEED Green Associate, SmithGroup, @mike_kohn

Mike Kohn is successfully straddling the lines of HR, Marketing and PR at SmithGroup, a national architecture and engineering firm. A graduate of The George Washington University, Mike began working in the HR field and unofficially became a key Social Media Advocate/Enthusiast for his firm. Combining his love of human resources and his unabashed zeal for social media, he co-authored social media guidelines for his firm and helped to create and launch a Facebook fan page for SmithGroup while tweeting activities about the firm from his personal account, @mike_kohn. You can also read his blog, The HR Intern.

Brian Reilly, CPSM, SmithGroup, @reillybri

Brian Reilly is a Marketing Manager at SmithGroup, a national architecture and engineering firm, where he leads the company’s client development, marketing and PR efforts. With over fifteen years of experience, Brian has a broad interest in emerging social media opportunities for business. He has degrees from Salisbury University and the University of Maryland, and an MBA from the École nationale des ponts et chaussées in Paris where he spent three years cruising the Seine and walking the Champs-Élysées. Brian lives in Takoma Park, MD with his wife Jennifer and three children. He enjoys vegetable gardening, bicycling and ultimate frisbee. He blogs at 100percentoverhead.comand can be found on Twitter @reillybri.

Erin C. Orr, CPSM, FOX Architects, LLC, @ErinOrr

Erin Orr is the Marketing Director at FOX Architects. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from Marymount University, Erin has over 10 years of experience under her belt exclusively in the Architecture/Engineering/Construction (A/E/C) industry. She has achieved the Certified Professional Services Marketer denotation and has earned 18 marketing awards at both the local and national level. With a traditional communications background she has actively engaged in digital space and served as a social media advisor for her firm, industry associations, and professionals. With her unruly obsession with social media she is actively working to build awareness and education in the A/E/C industry. These efforts include hands-on educational seminars, speaking engagements, and social media strategy and execution.

A special thanks to Busboys and Poets, the OFFICIAL venue of Social Media Breakfast DC!

Busboys and Poets is a restaurant, bookstore, fair trade market and gathering place where people can discuss issues of social justice and peace. Each Busboys and Poets location should enhance the community — allowing us to bring together a diverse clientele reflective of the surrounding neighborhoods. Busboys and Poets creates an environment where shared conversations over food and drink allow the progressive, artistic and literary communities to dialogue, educate and interact. Follow them on Twitter and declare your love on Facebook.

Now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for…

Want to get more involved?

Register as a “Head of Table”! Essentially, you will be volunteering to ignite conversation at your table and let others pick your brain during the Breakfast. Don’t worry, we don’t mean this literally. Heads of Table get 50 % off!

If you or your company is interested in sponsoring any one of our monthly breakfast events, please let us know. Email us at socialmediaclubDC [at] gmail [dot] com or send a tweet to @smcdc. Thank you in advance!

July 2010 Social Media Breakfast DC ——— Cross-departmental work: The key to an effective social media campaign

Even though there are two “i”s in “social media,” teamwork is the only way to run an effective social media campaign. Join us for breakfast to hear our speakers talk about cross-departmental work and share tips on how everyone, from any department, can learn to just get along and work towards the common good.

This month, our guests will enjoy breakfast and think up more ideas for how public relations, human resources, finance, accounting, marketing, etc. can join forces in order to produce more cohesive and successful digital campaigns and lead other organizational social media initiatives in a more collaborative way.

See you at Busboys and Poets (14th and V — U Street Metro) on TUESDAY, July 20, 2010 at 8:30am.

A special thanks to Busboys and Poets, the OFFICIAL venue of Social Media Breakfast DC!

Busboys and Poets is a restaurant, bookstore, fair trade market and gathering place where people can discuss issues of social justice and peace. Each Busboys and Poets location should enhance the community — allowing us to bring together a diverse clientele reflective of the surrounding neighborhoods. Busboys and Poets creates an environment where shared conversations over food and drink allow the progressive, artistic and literary communities to dialogue, educate and interact. Follow them on Twitter and declare your love on Facebook.

Now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for…

Want to get more involved?

Register as a “Head of Table”! Essentially, you will be volunteering to ignite conversation at your table and let others pick your brain during the Breakfast. Don’t worry, we don’t mean this literally. Heads of Table get 50 % off!

If you or your company is interested in sponsoring any one of our monthly breakfast events, please let us know. Email us at socialmediaclubDC [at] gmail [dot] com or send a tweet to @smcdc. Thank you in advance!

June Social Media Breakfast *DCWEEK* Edition: Save Screen on the Green

If you live in or are familiar with Washington, DC, then you know that there is no such thing as summer without Screen on the Green. There is no greater bliss than laying out on National Mall to watch a classic film with your friends, a box of wine (yes, a box), a potluck picnic, your favorite blanket, the sunset, and the Capitol building on the background.

Since 1999, tens of thousands have attended Screen on the Green (@SOTGinDC). In 2009, right before it’s 10th Anniversary, the event was almost canceled for lack of funding. With Facebook groups and a letter-writing campaign to potential funders, the local community played a key role in helping secure additional sponsorship funding and reinforcing the event’s importance to the community-at-large.

As a tribute to our grassroots efforts last year, the editors of the Washington City Paper selected Screen on the Green as the “Best Thing to Come From a Facebook Protest.”

In Spring 2010, when it was learned that, once again, Screen on the Green was threatened, Jesse B Rauch and Lauren Miller, the creators of the original Facebook groups, combined forces with the D.C. Film Alliance to launch the “Save Screen on the Green” campaign. The campaign has combined traditional organizing and social media tools to help ensure Screen on Green the returns for its 11th Anniversary.

Join us for breakfast  not only to hear more about the campaign, but to HELP AND BE A PART of its continuing success, particularly in the digital front. In the enterprising spirit of Digital Capital Week, the idea is to debrief our guests on “Save Screen on the Green” and to then brainstorm possible ideas for leveraging social media in order to help the campaign gather the community and funding support it needs to live on!

See you at Busboys and Poets (14th and V — U Street Metro) on FRIDAY, June 18, 2010 at 9:00am (NOTE DAY OF THE WEEK AND TIME CHANGE).

Thanks to Busboys and Poets, the OFFICIAL venue of Social Media Breakfast DC!

Busboys and Poets is a restaurant, bookstore, fair trade market and gathering place where people can discuss issues of social justice and peace. Each Busboys and Poets location enhances the community — allowing us to bring together a diverse clientele reflective of the surrounding neighborhoods. Busboys and Poets creates an environment where shared conversations over food and drink allow the progressive, artistic and literary communities to dialogue, educate and interact. Follow them on Twitter and declare your love on Facebook.

June’s Social Media Breakfast is part of Digital Capital Week (DCWEEK) — a 10-day festival in Washington DC focused on technology, innovation and all things digital in our nation’s capital. For updates follow @dcweek on Twitter and the #dcweek hashtag.

Now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for…

NEXT DCWEEK STOP:

HotStart a Business in a day!

After breakfast, head over to the DCWEEK Digital Garage (UMC Conference Facility, 900 Massachusetts Ave, NW, 20001) where the Small Business Administration (SBA) will be hosting a “Hot Start New Business Creation” program to promote the startup ecosystem of our nation’s capital. Aspiring entrepreneurs and current start-up are invited to join SBA and a wide range of partners and business experts who will share advice, practical tips, an more. This event is FREE and open to the public. Panel sessions on start-up basics, the ‘nuts and bolts’ of running a small business, financing options, and real-world case studies will compliment hands-on services provided by counselors, lenders, and local business licensing officials. RSVP here!

Want to get more involved?

Leave a comment, send an email to socialmediaclubdc [at] gmail [dot] com, or send a tweet to @smcdc using the #SMBDC if you wish to be a “Head of Table” at any of our breakfast events. Essentially, you will be volunteering to ignite conversation at your table and let others pick your brain during the Breakfast. Don’t worry, we don’t mean this literally.

And as always, If you or your company are interested in sponsoring any one of our monthly breakfast events, please let us know. Email us at socialmediaclubDC [at] gmail [dot] com or send a tweet to @smcdc. Thank you in advance!

Flickr users voteprime and erin_m

May Social Media Breakfast-DC: Meet the speakers

May Social Media Breakfast is in just two weeks! Click below to register and read on to learn more about our panel of speakers who will be sharing their perspectives on the changing landscape of communications and their thoughts on what current and aspiring professionals need to do to thrive in the industry. Their experiences as senior executives and young professionals are proof that as long as you are willing to learn and adjust, time and age are relative with social media.

Join us at Busboys and Poets (14th and V — U Street Metro) on WEDNESDAY, May 19, 2010 at 8:30am

Meet the panelists

Jack Macleod – Vice President Sales, New Media Strategies

Macleod has been at the forefront of industry innovations such as performance-based advertising, online video and rich media, and social media marketing and measurement. He has established some of the largest partnerships between NMS and clients such as CBS and ABC Family, Sprint Xohm Wi-Max, and several large Washington, DC based trade associations. Prior to joining NMS, Macleod was a top producing sales executive who tapped into new markets for Advertising.com. Macleod started his career conducting grassroots campaigns on telecommunications issues for in the public affairs practice of Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide in Washington, DC. Over the course of his career, he has focused on helping clients capitalize on next generation digital marketing platforms while building sales teams that translate this passion into sustainable revenue growth.

Mitzi Emrich – Vice President Public Affairs, Edelman Digital

Emrich combines her expertise in public affairs and digital communications to help clients integrate social media and online engagement into traditional public relations initiatives. She joined Edelman in 2008 to help clients build strategic online campaigns focused on issues management and sustainability. Emrich has worked with the agency’s diverse client roster to build digital campaigns aimed at decision-makers, influencers and consumers for clients including Walmart, Monsanto, Microsoft, and Norfolk Southern. Prior to joining Edelman, she served as a division manager at a global communications consultancy where she designed and implemented strategic programs to garner political and public support for controversial development proposals in the energy, utilities, and transportation industries.

Meghan Sager – Senior Online Analyst, New Media Strategies

Sager joined NMS on August 2009. She uses her research, marketing and web knowledge to promote and protect the brands of a diverse roster of clients. Prior to joining NMS, Sager worked for a boutique public relations firm in DC where she was responsible for media outreach, assisting with event media logistics and creating media interview opportunities for military, commercial and nonprofit clients. Sager sits on the Board for Washington Women in Public Relations as Marketing and Communications Co-Chair. She has been featured on numerous industry blogs and in PRWeek; her expertise has garnered national media attention for clients in publications including Entrepreneur Magazine, The Washington Post and Men’s Fitness Magazine.

Kate Marshall – Account Supervisor Digital Public Affairs, Edelman Digital

Marshall joined Edelman in June 2006. Her areas of expertise include account management, influencer engagement and Web site creation management. Marshall develops digital communication strategies for a number of sustainability-focused clients, providing counsel on blogger engagement, the use of Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms, and more. She has worked with over two dozen clients in industries ranging from finance to healthcare and agriculture to transportation. In addition to her client work, Marshall helped develop the curriculum for the first Edelman Digital 101 at The University of Georgia in March 2008, and helps manage the digital communication training efforts throughout Edelman’s Washington, DC office. Prior to joining Edelman, she worked as a writer and editor at an e-learning firm in Alexandria, Va. and a public affairs intern at the Voice of America in Washington, DC.

Now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for…

Thanks to Busboys and Poets – The OFFICIAL venue of Social Media Breakfast DC!

Busboys and Poets is a restaurant, bookstore, fair trade market and gathering place where people can discuss issues of social justice and peace. Each Busboys and Poets location should enhance the community — allowing us to bring together a diverse clientele reflective of the surrounding neighborhoods. Busboys and Poets creates an environment where shared conversations over food and drink allow the progressive, artistic and literary communities to dialogue, educate and interact. Follow them on Twitter and declare your love on Facebook.

A special thanks to our event partner:

New Media Strategies is the industry pioneer and market leader in social media marketing and measurement. NMS leverages the power of social media to give our clients a respected and influential voice in that conversation. Now celebrating its 10th year of growth and social media excellence, New Media Strategies has a record unmatched by any other firm: more than 1500 word of mouth campaigns in more than 60 different industries; unparalleled experience in this fast moving industry that gives NMS clients a distinct competitive advantage in the marketplace.Founded in 1999 by former pollster Pete Snyder, who currently serves as CEO and was named one of the Best Bosses in America by Fortune Small Business, New Media Strategies has played a leading role in defining social media marketing, metrics and best practices. Based in Arlington, Virginia, New Media Strategies has been heralded as a “pioneer in consumer communications” by the Washington Post. NMS’ influence on the industry has even changed the jargon of Web 2.0 according to Wired Magazine.

Want to get more involved?

Leave a comment, send an email to socialmediaclubdc [at] gmail [dot] com, or send a tweet to @smcdc using the #SMBDC if you wish to be a “Head of Table” at any of our breakfast events. Essentially, you will be volunteering to ignite conversation at your table and let others pick your brain during the Breakfast. And don’t worry, we don’t mean this literally.

And as always, If you or your company are interested in sponsoring any one of our monthly breakfast events, please let us know. Email us at socialmediaclubDC [at] gmail [dot] com or send a tweet to @smcdc. Thank you in advance!

Flickr user daquellamanera

May Social Media Breakfast — Time relativity and social media

This May, we will have an interactive panel with a senior executive and a young professional from two very well known agencies in the DC area (speakers will be announced soon!). Our panelists will exchange their perspectives on the changing landscape of communications, share their thoughts on what current and aspiring professionals need to do to thrive in the industry, and show us that as long as you are willing to learn and adjust, time and age are relative with social media.

Join us at Busboys and Poets (14th and V — U Street Metro) on WEDNESDAY, May 19, 2010 at 8:30am (NOTE DAY OF THE WEEK AND TIME CHANGE).

And that’s not all! Announcing a special partnership with Busboys and Poets – now the OFFICIAL venue of Social Media Breakfast DC!

We are very proud to announce that Busboys and Poets and Social Media Breakfast DC are partnering to make breakfast even more enjoyable, affordable, and better in as many ways as possible. Now that we have a home (with very comfy furniture and great food I might add), we can make ourselves comfortable and put on events that reflect the curious and all-inclusive nature of the social media community and the creative and diverse nature of our hosts.

This really could not have been a better match. You’ll understand why when you read the mission of Busboys and Poets posted below… We are THRILLED.

Busboys and Poets is a restaurant, bookstore, fair trade market and gathering place where people can discuss issues of social justice and peace. Each Busboys and Poets location should enhance the community — allowing us to bring together a diverse clientele reflective of the surrounding neighborhoods. Busboys and Poets creates an environment where shared conversations over food and drink allow the progressive, artistic and literary communities to dialogue, educate and interact. Follow them on Twitter and declare your love on Facebook (formerly known as “becoming a fan”).

Now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for…

Want to get more involved?

Leave a comment, send an email to socialmediaclubdc [at] gmail [dot] com, or send a tweet to @smcdc using the #SMBDC if you wish to be a “Head of Table” at any of our breakfast events. Essentially, you will be volunteering to ignite conversation at your table and let others pick your brain during the Breakfast. And don’t worry, we don’t mean this literally.

And as always, If you or your company are interested in sponsoring any one of our monthly breakfast events, please let us know. Email us at socialmediaclubDC [at] gmail [dot] com or send a tweet to @smcdc. Thank you in advance!

A special thanks to our event partner:

New Media Strategies is the industry pioneer and market leader in social media marketing and measurement. NMS leverages the power of social media to give our clients a respected and influential voice in that conversation. Now celebrating its 10th year of growth and social media excellence, New Media Strategies has a record unmatched by any other firm: more than 1500 word of mouth campaigns in more than 60 different industries; unparalleled experience in this fast moving industry that gives NMS clients a distinct competitive advantage in the marketplace.Founded in 1999 by former pollster Pete Snyder, who currently serves as CEO and was named one of the Best Bosses in America by Fortune Small Business, New Media Strategies has played a leading role in defining social media marketing, metrics and best practices. Based in Arlington, Virginia, New Media Strategies has been heralded as a “pioneer in consumer communications” by the Washington Post. NMS’ influence on the industry has even changed the jargon of Web 2.0 according to Wired Magazine.

Flickr user daquellamanera

April Social Media Breakfast #SMBDC recap and a BONUS poll!

Thanks to everyone who made it to April’s Social Media Breakfast-DC at Busboys and Poets! We had a fantastic turnout and a great time learning more about some of the communities in DC that are driven by the power of social media and the passion of the people who use it to connect with others who are just as curious and passionate as they are.

Thank you to our speakers

Jill Foster for sharing stories of how, specifically, technology can and has helped communities of content creators in our area. Don’t miss DC Media Makers April Media Mashup event! Thank you to Frank Gruber for sharing his thoughts on entrepreneurship and social media. If you haven’t already, register for May’s Mobile TECH cocktail and this summer’s Digital Capital Week (@DCWEEK). Finally, thanks to Yong C. Lee for sharing what Social Media Club is doing to change the future of education through Social Media Club Education Connection (#SMCEDU).

Please stop by some of our guests’ blogs to read their reactions and see more from the breakfast. Ananda Leeke’s blog post has video interviews with some of our attendees, and L. Wesley Wilson from Hill & Knowlton wrote a reflection on the event.

If you missed the breakfast, shame on you. But because we’re good people we’ll let you check out the live stream and pictures from the event We hope you can attend our event in May. Details and BIG news coming soon via our blog and our official registration page on Eventbrite.

Before you go...We’d love to get your feedback

Please click here to take a three-question poll. Tell us what day(s) of the week work for you, what topics you would like for future breakfasts, and what speakers you would like to hear from. The questions are ALL optional so feel free to give us as much or as little feedback as you’d like.

Thank you in advance! Please share this with friends and peers. We want to make the breakfast AWESOME for you.

Finally, thanks again to our April event partner, Tungle.me, and to our hosts, Busboys and Poets!

Tungle.me makes scheduling meetings easy–across organizations, calendar systems, and time zones. Tungle.me is a free personal scheduling application that eliminates costly double bookings, time zone mishaps, and the endless back and forth of finding a time to meet. Tungle.me synchronizes with leading online calendar systems and does not require registration.

Six degrees of separation and April’s Social Media Breakfast #SMBDC speaker line-up

Have you registered for April Social Media Breakfast-DC yet? Don’t wait! There are only a few second wave tickets left. Third wave tickets are on sale NOW.

Since the topic of our April Breakfast is “Communities Connecting DC,” a quick game of Six Degree of Separation is in order. We used Asterisq to explore our speakers’ Twitter networks and discovered that they know a lot of the same people, use some of the same hashtags… as their networks get bigger, the world becomes smaller. Join us at Busboys and Poets (14th and V — U Street Metro) on April 12, 2010 at 8am to hear how our speakers are harnessing the power of people and social media to build bridges and make a difference.

Our speakers:

Jill Foster: Teaches communications through social media tools and community engagement in the Washington, DC area. Founder editor of Women Grow Business. Co-founder of DC Media Makers. Blogger at Live Your Talk. Named on by Forbes as one of 30 women entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. Winner of the Social Citizen Award on how technology could help communities in Washington, DC.

Frank Gruber: Web product, entrepreneurship, social media, and emerging technologies expert, blogger, and keynote speaker. Contributing blogger at TechCrunch, iMediaConnection, ReadWriteWeb, and his personal tech blog, Somewhat Frank. TECH cocktail and Shiny Heart Ventures co-founder. Digital Capital Week (@DCWEEK) co-producer.

Yong C. Lee: Freelance writer and former software developer for Social Media Club Education Connection (#SMCEDU). Graduate in Information Systems from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Social Media Club blogger. Contributing writer at entertainment site TheCelebrityCafe.com and political site ToTheCenter.com.

Click to see the image in larger size and visit Asterisq to explore yours and other Twitter users’ connections and mentions networks.

Want to get more involved?

Leave a comment, send an email to socialmediaclubdc [at] gmail [dot] com, or send a tweet to @smcdc using the #SMBDC if you wish to be a “Head of Table” at any of our breakfast events. Essentially, you will be volunteering to ignite conversation at your table and let others pick your brain during the Breakfast. And don’t worry, we don’t mean this literally.

And as always, If you or your company are interested in sponsoring any one of our monthly breakfast events, please let us know. Email us at socialmediaclubDC [at] gmail [dot] com or send a tweet to @smcdc. Thank you in advance!

Now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for… click to register!

We look forward to seeing you!

A special thanks to our event partner: Tungle.me

Tungle.me makes scheduling meetings easy–across organizations, calendar systems, and time zones. Tungle.me is a free personal scheduling application that eliminates costly double bookings, time zone mishaps, and the endless back and forth of finding a time to meet. Tungle.me synchronizes with leading online calendar systems and does not require registration.