BlogWell: How Big Brands Use Social Media

ConAgra Foods, US Navy, UnitedHealth Group, IRS, Delta Air Lines, National Association of REALTORS, Discovery Communications, and USA TODAY will share case studies in corporate social media at BlogWell DC: How Big Brands Use Social Media on May 4 in Washington, DC. You’ll learn how to get started, get past roadblocks, and make your social media program phenomenal – all in one afternoon, for just $250. Get practical, how-to advice on creating great content, earning management buy-in, training employees, engaging fans, and keeping everything ethical and legal. Presented by GasPedal and SocialMedia.org. Apply the code SMCDCSENTME to get 20% off your registration.

To register, please visit:

http://www.socialmedia.org/blogwell/dc/

Event Recap: Get Geeky: Smart Social Networking

Guest post by: Liz Glomb, DC Events Committee Member
.

Having to compete with multiple other networking events on the same evening, it was great to see that a large group of people decided to attend the Get Geeky: Smart Social Networking SMCDC event at Porter Novelli DC on February 23, 2011. People were greeted with a warm welcome by Porter Novelli, a fantastic and yummy spread of food, and top notch panelists.

The speakers for the event included Frank Gruber (@FrankGruber, CEO & Co-founder of TechCocktail), Shana Glickfield (@dcconcierge, Partner at Beekeeper Group), and Shonali Burke (@shonali, Principal at Shonali Burke Consulting) and was moderated by Alexander Howard (@digiphile, Govt 2.0 Correspondent for O’Reilly Media).

The topic for the event was centered around how to network in the digital age using various social networking platforms and how to turn an online relationship into a business or job opportunity. Other topics that were discussed included how to manage your offline and online activity as well as the pros and cons of having your personality reflected in your online image. 

The panel brought up many interesting points, and after 2-hours intense discussions and tweets, here were some of the highlights:

• The Line between offline and online is becoming thinner, so you have two choices: wall up completely or be social.
• Your relationships that form online can affect you offline (and vice versa)
• Always be curious (Frank Gruber)
• You don’t always have to be serious (Frank Gruber)
• You are still a person, so use your personality
• Don’t have a personality? Learn to behave (Shonali Burke)
• Don’t ignore opportunities i other social media channels

And that’s the recap for the Get Geeky: Smart Social Networking SMCDC. MANY thanks to Porter Novelli DC for allowing us to use their space for the event and for the delicious food and refreshments. Another thank you goes out to our awesome moderator and panelists for their great content, interactions, and humor. For more information about the Social Media Club DC and other events, please follow the conversation on Twitter (@smcdc) and “like” us on Facebook.

Event Recap: Entertainment and Technology

Despite the iffy weather and a rescheduled session, a bunch of hardy folks made it out to the Entertainment and Technology SMCDC event at the Consumer Electronics Association in Crystal City on February 1, 2011.  They were greeted by a top notch panel and some delicious cookies. The event moderator Joe Gizzi, (@districtjoe) kicked off the evening by introducing the panelists, Megan Pollock (@tech_tarheel), Lyn Slater (@queenofblogs), and Rick Kowalski (@rkowalski7).

CES recap and trends

First off the panel gave a brief recap of this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and shared some of their top tips and trends. Favorite picks included:

@queenofblogs: cars and the ‘green’ factor.

@tech_tarheel: new TV tech and appliances

@rkowalski7: tablets

The reality of CES is that a lot of the technology showcased will not make it to the general market.  Pollock pointed out that CES is more a venue where content providers and tech creators are coming together to make sure that there is content for new tech. Another constituent that was well represented at CES was the movie industry.  More celebrities and creative directors are showing up to the event each year. “Hollywood can’t afford not to be involved in both hardware and social media to keep up with what fans want,” said Slater.

The panel discussed what the implications of the trends we are seeing now could be.  A clearly emerging strategy that many companies are taking is having users create their own content for new technology.  Not all the technology developed however will be for everyone. A prime example of this according to Kowalski is 3D. Interim solutions in the form of set-top boxes and third parties like Netflix are filling the content gap.  Pollock says that consumers will be willing to pay for these services and devices as long as the cost is reasonable. @tracytran tweets “I would pay 4 Hulu as they keep doing newer shows. Netflix stuff is all usually older seasons (on demand).”

The future of Tablets

Gizzi asked the panel where they thought tablets, currently a hot topic with the advent of the iPad, would be going. Kowalski mused that the two key issues that would influence whether people would opt to make the move from smartphones to tablets would be portability vs. pocketability.  Right now Apple and Android seem to have the market on tablets cornered. Pollock said that it would be interesting to see what Blackberry was going to do. “Their playbook will be more business focused.” Pollock added that consumers would also be looking at networks and subscription costs as they made the decision as to what tablet they chose to adopt.  Slater however feels that people have certain preferences and will stick with those regardless of other factors; for example, people who like Apple products will remain on whatever network can support this..

Privacy concerns and their impact on the adoption of new technology

Another big topic of discussion was to what extent consumers need to protect their privacy and how that would affect the adoption of apps that shared their activities and preferences with their friends.  Gizzi theorized that with the mass acceptance of Facebook, users might find it easier to adopt services that predict what they want or would like, based on what their friends are doing.  Slater pointed out that Amazon has been doing this successfully for a while now in the way they suggest products based on a user’s browsing history and what similar users have bought. Referring to the Facebook privacy issues in the past year Kowalski said that as long as services are straightforward about how they are using user data, consumers may not be as disturbed about sharing their information.  The whole panel concurred that where privacy settings are concerned, the simpler they are, the better.

The discussion naturally turned to the use of location based apps.  Both the panel and attendees seemed to agree that users have to weigh the benefits of participating in these, versus the potential threat to their personal safety.  Because of sites that track the whereabouts of users @amyytam tweets “Pleaserobme.com I don’t want in check in on 4 square.” Pollock talked about how privacy, or the lack thereof, now has both personal and financial implications.  For example it is possible that in the very near future you could be denied/ granted benefits by your insurance company based on your level of fitness as determined by what sort of venues and events you check into.  It would be easy to monitor how often you work out.

@DistrictOfAris says that where safeguarding privacy is concerned “Users definitely have a role. As do platform providers. And educators.” Slater believes that ultimately it is the responsibility of the user to educate themselves on how privacy settings work and to learn how to guard themselves on the internet.  Ironically, Gizzi says, privacy on the Internet is schizophrenic; people who will not reveal their names think nothing of posting thousands of pictures of their children.

Social interaction and Apps

While there may not immediately be content that supports new technology, Slater thinks that content providers will most likely take the lead in providing apps that encourage users to interact with one another around certain shows or platforms.  Pollock observed that people seem more interested in having the same content available to them on all their devises.  What people really want, a member of the audience commented, is the ability to share specific clips of shows with friends.  Pollock says that with all the debates around digital rights management, we may not see a way to easily do this soon. Instead, Gizzi says that networks are tapping talent to interact with viewers in real time in an effort to get them engaged in whatever content they have out.

Senior Citizens and social media

It was pointed out that for certain shows targeting an older demographic there might not be as much of a need for widespread app offerings that are social in nature since viewers may not be interested in them.  Gizzi however feels that this may not be strictly be true.  “There is a mass later in life adoption of social media by Senior Citizens.”  Regardless of whether Seniors choose to adopt technology and services that are not social in nature,  Slater believes that there will be more apps that are developed specifically to cater to children and the families of Senior Citizens, allowing them to monitor their older relatives’ welfare virtually, e.g. the status of their medication.

 

And that’s your recap of the Entertainment and Technology SMCDC event.  A special thanks to the Consumer Electronics Association for hosting the event, and to our moderator and stellar panelists for the great content.  For more information about Social Media Club DC events, follow the conversation on Twitter (@smcdc), “like” us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/social.media.club.dc).

Interested in more about consumer tech? Want to be the first in the know? CEA is offering a new Tech Enthusiast membership to help influence the future of the consumer electronics industry. Learn more at www.CEAtechenthusiast.com.

November Event Recap: Politics Gets Social

The midterm elections are behind us – victory celebrations are winding down, wounds are beginning to heal, and Christine O’Donnell jokes are no longer en vogue. As the nation’s capitol prepares for a new political season, SMC-DC took some time to reflect on the election and the role of social media in the political process.

This Wednesday Politics Got Social. The evening started off as any political event should – with networking! SMC-DC members from the left, right, and middle came together to mingle and exchange business cards at our venue, Pillsbury Law, and then to ask questions to our expert panelists, who provided three unique perspectives on politics and social media.

Katie Harbath (@KatieHarbath), Chief Digital Strategist at the National Republican Senatorial Committee shared an insider perspective on social media and the campaign process. Her advice for integrating social media into a political campaign: Start now! Ok, ok, start right after you read this post. She also shared that transparency and authenticity are key and recommended that politicians tweet themselves, rather than leaving it to staffers. Participants also wanted to know – who has been successful in integrating social media into campaigning? Katie offered up Scott Brown as a prime example. He started engaging constituents online early. And even though he initially communicated with a small number of fans, the quality was high, thus increasing loyalty. One way to start growing your online fan base is “after the handshake.” When a politician meets someone in person, they should ask them to become an online follower.

Fundraising also plays an essential role in the political process. Mike Mayernick (@mmayernick) founder of social giving startup, giv.to (@givto), shared his perspective on how social media comes into play. Fundraising is a “call to action” and social media may not be the right forum but with a strategic process it can be a good starting point. His recommendation: start by sharing an article that will stir up support, next create a petition for your supporters to sign. As participants sign up for emails, funds tend to follow. Experience shows this method garners much higher giving rates than generic pitches. Michael also emphasized the importance of an integrated campaign when using social media in politics.

And did you know there is a job that actually requires you to watch The Daily Show and Colbert Report? Well there is, but sorry, it’s taken. Lauren Feldman of American University is one of the nation’s leading researchers in political communications. Participants were eager to hear her insight and findings from a research study she conducted at the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear. One interesting nugget is that 25% of those surveyed said that “political divisiveness” is the most important problem facing our country, distinguishing rally attendees from the larger population. She later discussed that comedy can be used to awaken the political junkie in those who wouldn’t normally participate.

As the evening wrapped up, panelists discussed how social media is still a new phenomena in politics. Many politicians last campaigned in 2004 when these digital resources didn’t even exist. Additionally, “political rules were not written for a new media world.” Although the rules pose some obstacles for politicians, the public is fortunately becoming more forgiving of online gaffes, so not being able to spell a word, like say “potato”, in a Tweet won’t necessarily make you the nation’s laughing stock.

All in all, it was a fun and enlightening event. I know we will all look forward to see what our experts have to say when the 2012 elections ramp up.

Thanks again to our host – Pillsbury Law, our panelists, and to all those who attended. Stay tuned for pictures and video from the event!

A special #SMCDC event: Annie Stela concert at Busboys and Poets on 10/28 to support education in Africa

They say social media can be used for social good.
They say music is good for the soul.
Doing good is generally known to be good for the soul.
Get ready to feel ALL sorts of good, everywhere.

Join is for an event of social media, musical, and philanthropic proportions.
MIND BLOW. A true social media story…

SMCDC  —> Annie Stela in concert —> at Busboys and Poets   —> to support Citizen Effect’s education project

Come out for a night of music when Annie Stela comes to DC to perform on Thursday, October 28th! She’ll be doing a one-night performance at Busboys and Poets at 5th and K St. NW at 9:00 PM. You’ll have the opportunity to hear some of Annie’s work and get a chance to win a signed copy of her CDs AND win free Citizen Effect T-shirts!

The social media story

Through the power of her website and blog, Annie reached out to fans to ask if they wanted her to come to their city to play at their house for their group of friends. Our very own SMCDC leadership member, @Mike_Kohn — a big Annie Stela fan — wrote Annie and asked her to come to DC. And the rest, as they say, is history. Instead of keeping Annie to himself; however, Mike is sharing her with SMCDC and all of DC for that matter – a true social media man.

The Annie Stela story

After a childhood spent writing poems and songs in quiet suburban Michigan, Annie Stela moved to LA at the age of 22. She got a hard core-case of mono and some serious culture shock – but once she recovered, she was signed to Capitol Records. She recorded her debut full-length record, Fool, with producer Bill Bottrell (Sheryl Crow, Shelby Lynne) and, after fear over her label’s stability, released it independently on iTunes in early 2008. Influenced by artists like Billy Joel, Ben Folds Five, and Tori Amos, Fool chronicles Annie’s journey from Michigan to LA and, as such, from childhood to adulthood. After touring with artists like Joseph Arthur, Ron Sexsmith, and Bright Eyes, she later released Little House and Hard City.

Tickets are only $5 (that’s less than a lot of phone apps!), which will go to support education for HIV-affected youth in Rwanda as part of a Citizen Effect project.

The Citizen Effect: Education in Rwanda Story

The majority of youth in the Kirehe and Kayonza districts of Eastern Province, Rwanda, live in extreme poverty and are not able to enjoy their right to an education. The most vulnerable youth are those that are HIV-affected, a large portion of whom are orphans. They have the greatest chance of not receiving secondary schooling or proper HIV treatment.

The FACE AIDS 2010 Back to School Campaign aims to raise funds to send HIV-affected Rwandan youth to secondary school. The Back to School Campaign has the potential to help up to 656 students. By joining the campaign, you are standing in solidarity with HIV-affected students in Rwanda, ensuring that they can enjoy the same right to an education as you do.

A special thanks to Busboys and Poets!

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.

SMC-DC September Event: Using Social Media for Customer Service

SMC-DC is hosting a panel regarding Using Social Media for Customer Service. Panelists will discuss how social media impacted the traditional customer service world, best practices for large enterprises in using social media to connect with customers, and local vs. national difference. Participants include moderator Shashi Bellamkonda, who is currently Head of Social Media and Brand Evangelism for Network Solutions; Munish Gandhi who founded Hy.Ly; Andre Francis who is the Social Media Representative for Pepco; and Tony Hudgins who is the Co-Managing Partner for Public Group/SET Entertainment, which includes DC favorites Public Bar, Sushi Rock, and Lupe Cantina.

Title: Using Social Media for Customer Service

Date: Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Time: 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Location: TBA very soon – watch the Eventbrite page for details!

Who:

• Shashi Bellamkonda (Moderator): Head of Social Media / Brand Evangelism for Network Solutions (@shashib)
• Munish Gandhi: Founder of Hy.Ly (@munishgandhi)
• Andre Francis: Social Media Representative for Pepco (@pepcoconnect)
  
• Tony Hudgins: Co-Managing Partner for Public Group/SET Entertainment (Public Bar, Sushi Rock, and Lupe Cantina) (@tonyhudginsdc)

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

Once the event reaches full capacity, we will start a waitlist. Please email us at socialmediaclubdc@gmail.com if you wish to be added to the list, or to cancel your reserved spot.

In other SMC-DC News:

Mark you for calendars for an October 1 tweetup to see “The Social Network” (a.k.a. the Facebook movie). Theatre locations in DC, MD and VA. Stay tuned for where and what time the movie will be.

In October, our monthly event will be on a Monday instead of a Wednesday night. Mark your calendar for Oct. 25th. It will be part of a national Social Media Club initiative for social media and family.

A message from Jill Foster:

As a way to show appreciation for your continued participation in the social tech community, WomenWhoTech is to donating (2) tickets to two SMC-DC members to attend WomenWhoTech’s telesummit. Think top leaders, movers, shakers, entrepreneurs, and you – all on one telesummit! It’s time for the 3rd annual Women Who Tech TeleSummit that will take place September 15, 2010 with over 800 women (and men) from across the US and abroad in the non-profit, political and business world.  The awesome event will feature an incredible lineup of thought provoking panels including technology change makers.  The TechCrunch CEO, BlogHer’s COO, and more great minds will join this year’s speaker slate with more on panels, events, and how to register at http://womenwhotech.com.

To enter the raffle for free tix, just tweet the below twitter post (definitely include the cited hashtags as to ensure your name is entered to win!).
Hey @smcdc ! Want 2 hear TechCrunch CEO & other greats @WomenWhoTech’s Telesummit 9/15? Tweet this 2 enter 2 win free tix! #smcdc #wwt

And in other social media news:

The WOMMY Awards executed by WOMMA (The Word of Mouth Marketing Association) celebrate excellence in the word of mouth and social media marketing industry and honors those who have created innovative, strategic and (most importantly) talkable marketing campaigns throughout the past year.

There are several categories for entries to the WOMMYs, and both agency and corporate teams are invited to participate.

Eligible Categories Include:

• Social Media: Best use of social media as a communication medium
• Introduction: Best word of mouth communication program to introduce new products/services
• Momentum: Best word of mouth program to juice existing products/services
• Experiential: Best word of mouth program as the result of great customer experience
• Innovation: Best use of word of mouth insights to invent a new product or service.
• Research: Best strategic thinking to measure the impact/success of WOM

The final deadline for entry is Friday, September 17th, so check them out today!

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!

A SHORT! guide to #SMCDC/ #SMCEDU June events, during #DCWEEK and beyond!

With DCWEEK just a few days away and summer already at our doorsteps, we know you have a lot on your plate. SMCDC has a lot going on this month so we thought we’d sort out the madness with a short and sweet blog post to make sure you don’t miss out on any SMC events this June.

For a full list of DCWEEK events, please visit http://schedule.digitalcapitalweek.org, follow @DCWEEK on Twitter, and tune into the #DCWEEK hashtag conversation.

Calendars ready? Here we go!

Social Media in Education Panel of Experts

RSVP: http://dcwgovorg.eventbrite.com (DCWEEK RSVP link for all June 16 events)

When: Wednesday, June 16, 2:15pm  –  3:45pm

Where: UMC Conference Facility, 900 Massachussetts Ave, NW

Metro: Mount Vernon/Convention Center (green/yellow lines)

Details: Social Media Club Education Connection (#SMCEDU) will host a panel of experts from different areas, including government, business, and academia, to discuss social media’s impact on higher education. The speakers are involved in SMCEDU’s initiative in a number of ways and will throwdown like the future of education depended on it. Click here for more info.

Social Media Education Roundtables

RSVP: http://smceduworldcafe.eventbrite.com

When: Thursday, June 17, 1pm – 2:30pm

Where: MLK Library, 901 G St., NW

Metro: Gallery Place/Chinatown (all lines) or Metro Center (red line)

Details: If you have tuned in to any #SMCEDU chat on Twitter, then you know there is a LOT to talk about and even more to do to bring social media and technology into all aspects of education. SMCEDU is hosting a World Café, to harness our collective brain power in small group conversations. This event will be facilitated by Social Media Club founder Chris Heuer. Click here for more info.

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

RSVP: http://socialmediabreakfast-dcweek.eventbrite.com

When: Friday, June 18, 9am – 10am

Where: Busboys and Poets, 2021 14^th & V, NW

Metro: U-Street (yellow/green lines)

Details: We all know there is no such thing as summer in DC without Screen on the Green. In the enterprising spirit of Digital Capital Week, join us for breakfast not only to hear more about the “Save Screen on the Green” campaign, but to HELP AND BE A PART of its continuing success, particularly in the digital front. Click here for more info.

SMCDC DCWEEK Blogger Lounge

RSVP: http://digitalgarage.eventbrite.com

When: Friday, June 18, 1pm – 6pm and Saturday, June 19, 1pm – 6pm

Where: UMC Conference Facility, 900 Massachussetts Ave, NW

Metro: Mount Vernon/Convention Center (yellow/green lines)

Details: SMCDC will be hosting an open Blogger Lounge/Co-Working space during DCWEEK. This space will be part of DCWEEK’s Digital Garage and will be available to bloggers and others who want to camp out, hang out, and/or sit down to collaborate.

Play by Play: Sports and Social Media

RSVP: http://smcdcjune2010.eventbrite.com
When: Wednesday, June 23, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Where: APCO Worldwide DC Offices, 700 12th St. NW, 8th floor

Metro: Metro Center (red/orange/blue lines)
Parking: Street or garages available

Details: SMC-DC is teaming up with sports and social media experts to talk about what happens when sports and social media collide. Our expert panel will discuss the impact that social media has had on the games we love, and what the future of sports in a 24-7 online world looks like. Thanks to DC United’s Bryan Namoff (@NAMOFF) and @CoutureforaCure, we will have a pair of game tickets and a DC United jersey to raffle off. We will also have two pairs of tickets to two different Nationals Games courtesy of Navstar (@navstar / @immunity). Click here for more info.

Thanks to our sponsors

Marketwire (www.marketwire.com)

Potomac Communications Group, Inc. (http://pcgpr.com/)

Our Top Secret Mission … EXPOSED!

Last week, members of the Social Media Club of DC were asked to put their super sleuthing skills to the test, as we challenged them to hunt through the International Spy Museum (@IntlSpyMuseum) to solve a series of clues, while learning about the history of espionage.

SMC-DC’ers gathered in the debriefing room, where Peter Earnest, ex-CIA agent and executive director of the Spy Museum, delivered the mission details.  “At the Spy Museum, nothing is what it seems,” he warned.

• @FiZ: has been decepted by the spy museum. …he should have seen this coming#smcdc

After splitting up into teams of three, SMC-DC agents were set loose to explore the museum in search of answers to questions like, “how many license plates does the Aston Martin DB5 have?” And “What was the purpose of the Berlin tunnel?” Each correct answer earned the team points. Bonus points were awarded to agents who used their social media savvy to record and upload additional evidence of their scavenger hunt (i.e., pictures, video, Foursquare tips).

• @smcdc: Team #1 investigating clues! #smcdc #intlspymuseum http://tweetphoto.com/22161918
• @bethshanna: Spies! @iheartrocknroll and @jdcoffman ponder winning #smcdcstrategy http://twitpic.com/1n9zfm
• @alexpriest: James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5! #smcdc #intlspymuseum http://post.ly/flCK

Special museum informants were on hand to provide teams with their next clues.
Tip: Look for an agent wearing a red carnation. Approach the agent and comment on the spring weather. The agent will hand you an assignment.

After a hard night’s work of sleuthing, Chef Bryan Moscatello (@ChefBryanDC) and crew served up mini sliders at the Spy City Café, where the crowd gathered to wait for the winners’ announcement.

• @ListenToLeon: @chefbryandc Thank you for the awesome sliders! #smcdc
• @laura_schreiber: Awesome event by #smcdc & @intlspymuseum tonight! 1st time to Spy Museum, tweeting video, & eating lobster sliders. So much fun!
• @ChefBryanDC: Yeah @smcdc @intlspymuseum! Enjoy. Slider fans come see us at Zola!

Honors for top SMC-DC agents of the night went to team 6: @nikkirap, @BenBalter and @Nacin.

• @nikkirap: RT @BenBalter: @Nacin and I are apparently the biggest social media dorks in D.C. Won the #SMCDC scavenger hunt at the @intlspymuseum. w00t
• @IntlSpyMuseum: Thanks @smcdc! We hope u all come back to SPY with us soon. Congrats 2 last night’s top agents- @nikkirap @nacin @BenBalter

A HUGE thanks goes out to the Spy Museum as event host. If you weren’t able to make it, the Spy Museum offers similar programming, including Spy in the City, a GPS-guided hunt through Washington, D.C.

Additional thanks go out to everyone for letting us test your spy smarts and social media skills. Check out our video clip, here:

SMC DC May Event: International Spy Museum from AndreaGenevieve Michnik on Vimeo.

*Photo Credits: @alexpriest, @smcdc
*Video Credit: AndreaGenevieve
*Note: We apologize if anyone was upset about the way the event was misrepresented.