The NWITweetup saw its biggest turnout yet despite snowy conditions at the February 2013 get-together, held at Industrial Revolution Eatery & Grille in Valparaiso.
The tweetup saw many familiar faces meeting up with several new ones, and even some new faces that were slightly larger than normal. Rusty the Railcat of the Gary Railcats, the Valparaiso University Crusader, Arnie the Arnell Chevy-Kia Trunk Monkey, Clippy of Direct Mail ADvantage, and Cravin, the face of Family Express, were all on hand to take photos with those in attendance.
“What I love about these tweetups are that they are casual. There’s no formal networking, it’s just people having chats,” said Darlene Cohn, owner of D.Cohn Communications, a new startup in Valparaiso. “We all kind of know each other through social media, so these just give us a chance to come together and say, ‘Oh, you have a face!’”
“Tonight has been great! There are tons of people, a bunch of people with a strong understanding of how social media’s impact on business” explained Nathan Press, Social Media Community Manager at Family Express. “It’s been great to talk and network with that crowd.
Matt Friedman, Director of Broadcasting and Media Relations with the Gary Southshore Railcats, made his tweetup debut to meet with many he communicates with online as part of the Railcats. “I think the tweetups are great. We’ve already had an opportunity to meet a couple of people who we might be able to get into a business relationship with and some who will be coming out to the ballpark this spring." He continued, “It gives us a great chance to talk to people about our discount on our party decks during the month of March where people can save $10 per person, which is pretty big. ”
Dave Woodson, co-founder of the networking group along with Nat Finn, appreciated the turnout of the evening, as the growing group saw many who attended their first tweetup. “The turnout is fabulous, it’s a testament to these events because the weather is so bad outside,” said Woodson. “Industrial Revolution has been a great host, very welcoming. They have some great food and a cool atmosphere for an event like this.”
Mike and Jennifer Leeson, owners of Industrial Revolution, are new to the Tweetup scene and enjoyed the camaraderie they saw in those attending. “Well it’s our first tweet-up and there are a lot of people here,” said Jennifer. “The mascots coming was a great idea, and everyone seems to be enjoying themselves.”
There are some great photos up from the night on the NWIndianaLife.com Facebook page, so be sure to “Like” the Facebook page, check out the gallery, and tag any photos of people you recognize in the gallery!
The next Tweetup will take place on April 4 at Figure Eight Brewery in downtown Valparaiso. For more information, “Like” the NWITweetup page on Facebook and follow the @NWITweetup Twitter account as more details are released!