Surrey Tweetup: digital networking in real life

Last night, thebluedoor - Surrey based digital PR agency - hosted the second Surrey Tweetup in Farnham with very generous support from iBundle.

Organised through the power of Twitter - specifically using the recently rolled out lists and geolocation functions - 45 people came along to a very successful Surrey Tweetup. Kindly sponsored by innovation hub, iBundle, those attending were not only treated to drinks but also to an insight into the complex issues surrounding digital data interoperability by iBundle's founder Julian Ranger.

thebluedoor is committing to organising this free digital networking event on a monthly basis (we hope!). We are aiming to ensure that those attending will have plenty of networking (and drinking / social) time. In addition, we hope to source an interesting speaker to start the digital conversations flowing. A significant challenge in the digital world is its massively fast changing nature - cloud computing, real-time web, hyper-local, privacy - therefore each month's expert speaker will provide those attending with a relevant and meaningful update on a specific topic (rather than a business pitch).

The next #SurreyTweetup will be held on 25th March 2010 (venue to be confirmed - although it will be in Farnham). This event will take a slightly different format as it falls on the global Twestival event. Harnessing the power of Twitter, people will be meeting up around the world on the 25th March to raise much needed funds for Concern Worldwide.

So we are bringing Twestival to Surrey in the form of Twestival Farnham, which we're very excited about. As soon as the url and organisation information is released by the Twestival global organising committee, thebluedoor will be launching a dedicated Twestival Farnham blog where everyone will be able to get all the details. In addition, we will keep this blog up to date with Twestival Farnham information, plus there is already a specific Twitter Twestival Farnham feed: @twestivalfarnhm (missing the a because Twitter won't allow a longer Twitter handle). And in April, we will be running a 'regular' Surrey Tweetup gathering.

In the meantime, thank you all for attending last night. As promised, below is a list of everyone on Twitter who came along. Don't hesitate to put those I've missed out in the comments section below. And see you again!! (And next time I will be bringing labels so we can write our Twitter handles on - good suggestion from @k4thybrown.)

@jhhypnotherapy, @mewcenary, @neil_p, @emmafirth, @jamesfirth, @SEOtipsntricks, @rangerj, @benjaminellis, @thelastromantic, @mrmatthamm, @velohub, @emmabandey, @opensourcerer, @k4thybrown, @twentynine12, @suesearle, @4legs, @poldings, @andypike, @1minus1, @georgeLMoore, @projectfive, @pascalw, @asaltbde, @nickykriel, @wiggo, @rachela8, @knockbuckle, @mintytorus, @bhardcastle, @the_jchristie, @jeniferdav, @toni_jane, @guy1067, @rgosc, @abigailh, @sheila_parry

Twestival Farnham: 25 March 2010

On 25th March 2010, cities and towns across the world will be harnessing the power of Twitter and digital media to raise much needed funds for Concern Worldwide. Twestival is a global event organised by a fantastic team of volunteers, and for those interested in hosting a similar event, the UK Twestival office is run by the very helpful @claireatwaves and @arengrimshaw.

In the charity's own words: "Concern’s work is informed by a vision for change and their education programs target the poorest people in the poorest countries in the world, with particular emphasis on reaching out-of-school children such as girls, orphans, street children, working children, children affected by conflict, children affected by HIV and AIDS, and children with disabilities."

Twestival can truly make a difference. The first Twestival event, held just under a year ago, involved 220 international cities and raised over $250,000.00. The money donated funded the building of over 55 water wells in Uganda, India and Ethiopia, positively impacting over 17,000 people.

thebluedoor has decided to organise a Twestival in Farnham, with the generous support and sponsorship of iBundle, the Surrey based innovation hub. We know that there are a fantastic number of people and businesses in Surrey who actively use Twitter to network, do business and have fun. We hope that people will be inspired to support this event by coming along, lending a hand (in kind or in sponsorship), and helping us to raise some funds for a truly wonderful charity.

We have set up a Twitter account - @twestivalfarnhm (yes we know, it's missing an 'a' - Twitter won't let through longer account names LOL) and hashtag #twestivalfarnhm so interested peeps can keep up to date with our progress. Very soon we will be launching a farnham.twestival.com blog as an official source of event information and the global organisers are planning to ensure that tickets will be on sale some time in February. One way or another, thebluedoor will aim to keep everyone up-to-date with our progress.

If you are interested in finding out more, helping or even sponsoring an aspect of the evening's events (give-aways, prizes, music etc), please don't hesitate to let us know - info at thebluedoor dot com. We'd love to have you on board and are committed to creating an interesting, fun and productive event worthy of the main Twestival event.

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Digital PR: my education at thebluedoor

I am thrilled to be starting 2010 with an eight week internship at the Surrey PR agency, thebluedoor. After completing PR placements in London in the travel and tourism sector last year, I am eager to continue my education and learn from a PR agency that is growing rapidly with exciting prospects for the year ahead.

thebluedoor – its clients and its digital PR expertise – offered me an internship which I was delighted to accept. As a relatively new PR agency I felt that I would be able to both learn from their experience as well as significantly aid the team in implementing PR strategies and campaigns for their wide portfolio of impressive consumer, B2B and digital brands. And from speaking to the team, I know that the coming two months will greatly improve my knowledge of PR and the importance of digitised communication for businesses.

And I’ve not been disappointed: on my first day I was I was asked to help organise a Tweet-up, inviting interested Tweeps in the Farnham, Surrey and Hampshire areas to meet and celebrate Twitter and its effects upon the world of PR, communications and business. I’m really excited about this project as it will provide me with first-hand knowledge of digital and social networking tools such as blogs and Twitter, and getting to grips with their power beyond sharing what I’ve eaten for breakfast.I know I’m going to be challenged and supported whilst at thebluedoor, they have committed to ensuring that I learn rather than just being thrown in at the deep end. And having met the team, I know that as well as some hard work, there should also be plenty of fun to be had along the way.

Written by Liam Sherry, Intern at thebluedoor

Twitter: Surrey networking - a review

Last week, we organised the first Twitter networking event in Farnham, Surrey (aka a Tweet-up). On a busy week full of festive gatherings we were delighted with the interest and attendance.

We organised this gathering following encouragement from all sides, led by @emmafirth of the Daily Telegraph. It was great to see quorum of Twitter enthusiasts rocking-up, including: @jamesfirth, @andypiper, @guy1067, @toni_jane, @jeniferdav, @kwright5, @pascalw and rachel_adams88.

There were a good number of conversations including:

• Telegraph expenses story
• Paywalls / free content
• The rise and rise of Google
• The digital goldfish bowl
• Programming: Ruby, Adobe AIR, .NET
• The perils of marathon running (!? - @guy1067 is gearing up to his second Marathon and is tackling London in April 2010)

We will definitely have another evening Tweet-up in the New Year, so the conversations can continue.... currently thinking end of January, beginning of February. Do let us know if you would like to come: info at thebluedoor dot com, and when.

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Social Media and Online PR: Econsultancy's 2009 report

PR has been through a torrid 18 months, as have most sectors across industry. We launched thebluedoor in Surrey 20 months ago and have grown through the eye-of-the-storm. By taking the necessary lean approach, we are winning business, growing accounts but most importantly delivering our clients fantastic results and great service - exactly what we are paid to do.

Key to our offering is integrating online into PR communications strategies, which is why yesterday's report - 'Social Media and Online PR' from Econsultancy has been a must-read for us all.

WPP's Sir Martin Sorrell has been extremely vocal about the role online has in taking PR out of recession - it has an important role within any communications strategy. And this report into the state of the Online PR industry certainly demonstrates that his prediction is more than just crystal ball gazing.

Econsultancy is (in their words) "an invaluable resource for Internet professionals who want practical advice on all aspects of e-business". And, as a word of caution to the results, by its very nature, the people involved and interested in its community and research are digital practitioners or at the least curious about the role online has in business.

Just some useful insights into the social media and online PR industry include:

• Just 10% of businesses are not engaging with any social media activity
• Smaller companies are quicker to jump into the digital space and use the digital tools, due to their inherent ability to be flexible, as well as willingness to experiment
• Twitter's 'darling' status is clearly demonstrated: micro-blogging is the most widely adopted tactic used by 78% of companies
• 59% of respondents do not have social media rules in place for employees to follow

I was interested to see that 24% said that measurement - or lack of - was a significant barrier to more effective social media engagement and direct traffic to sites was the most commonly used metric to measure social media activity. I am currently working with Kate Hartley of Carrot Communications to produce the first online PR measurement guide for the PRCA. To be published in 2010, it is planned to be a useful, practical and informative overview of the best practice methods currently being used.

I have also got a keen eye on the types of agencies delivering social media and online PR for companies - particularly as the SEO industry is going through significant changes. Search is loosing its snake-oil qualities and its value is moving into reputation management, conversations and transparently - the pillars of PR. In Econsultancy's report the highest supplier sector is traditional PR agencies at 15%, followed by Digital agencies (11%), followed by Specialist online PR agencies and Search agencies level-pegging at 8%. (Interestingly 42% responded by saying that no external agency was involved in delivering social media and online PR activities.)

In Econsultancy's 2010 report, I am sure that we will see significant changes in this pecking order, unless traditional PR agencies work harder to up-skill and jump into the digital space properly. And this means using it and doing it rather than simply reading the books, blogs and research papers.

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Festive tweet-up in Farnham

Twitter has taken the world of journalism and PR by storm. With its 1,959% year on year growth, its use in the world of communications is firmly established. Although the world of Twitter is online, I have met some interesting, inspirational and awesome Tweeters in real life.

So to celebrate all things Twitter and Christmas, and with encouragement from fellow Farnham Tweeters @jamesfirth, @emmafirth and @guy1067, we have decided to organise a festive gathering in Farnham, Surrey on 10th December 2009. Kick-off is at 7.30pm, so come along and meet up in person at the Slug & Lettuce on East Street. For those of you driving, there is a handy Sainsbury's car-park on South Street, and for those of you coming by train it is just ten minutes walk from the station.

Let us know whether you are coming by either sending us an email or leaving a comment below. It would be great to meet up with the Surrey Twitter community in person, and of course raise a glass to the festive season.

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Surrey strides out for charity

It was fantastic to take part in the Farnham Stride on Sunday - a 10Km sponsored walk around the beautiful Surrey countryside, taking in the Frensham Ponds area. This local event was just one of the many activities being run in aid of Cancer Research.

It was a great turn out with people of all ages from around the Surrey area taking part. There was real camaraderie amongst the participants and the ladies from the fitness centre, Curves really showed their team spirit by wearing brightly coloured pink wigs and setting the pace for the entire group.

Events like these are an amazing way for groups and individuals to help to support charities, but they don't just happen overnight. Working in the PR industry, we know what a great deal of organisation is needed to make events a success - from the promotional material, through to the administration and logistics. Whether it's a professional events team or volunteers, the organisers play a vital role that requires dedication and hard work.

To co-ordinate a diverse group of people, as well as motivate, cater for their needs and ensure they get the most out of the event takes a lot of effort, which can often go unnoticed if things run without a hitch. But the knowledge of a job well done can go a long way. So that just leaves me to say a big thanks to everyone involved in making the Frensham Stride such a success - and to share some images from the day!

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British Science Festival: #thegreatlookup launches Surrey's celebration of science

Last night hundreds of professional, amateur and curious stargazers gathered together in Surrey at the University of Surrey to marvel at the wonders of the universe.

The Great Look Up - the first event of over 200 planned for this year's British Science Festival - attracted people from all over Surrey and beyond. The evening was opened by BBC journalist Maggie Philbin, and was hosted by both the University and the Guildford Astronomical Society.


On the week that saw the 400 anniversary of Galileo's telescope, as well as being the evening before the latest space shuttle Discovery's mission to the International Space Station, the timing for The Great Look Up couldn't have been better.

And what a perfect evening it was. With barely a cloud in the sky and a half moon providing practically the only light, there were a staggering number of telescopes from the incredibly large to my rather small binoculars. As the night darkened, all trained their lenses up to the wonders of space.

Those with both the knowledge and the telescopes, generously encouraged members of the public attending to view the Moon's craters and seas, Jupiter's rings and even the tiny blue point of Neptune (an incredible 2,000 million miles away).

I found the experience amazing, informative and hugely enjoyable. It opened up the marvels of the night's sky - and what a brilliant start to the British Science Festival!

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Surrey reaches for the stars

The 5^th of September will see the start of the British Science Festival, which is a fantastic opportunity for people of all ages to engage with the latest in science, technology and engineering. Each year the festival takes place in a different location in the UK and I am excited to say this year the festival is being hosted just around the corner from us at the University of Surrey.

As a digital PR agency we’ve been enjoying hearing about the latest event news on Twitter (@TheGreatLookUp). If the enthusiastic support that this year’s festival has already received from Surrey based businesses, members of the community and local organisations is anything to go by, this year’s festival is destined to be a wonderful event. There are over 230 events scheduled, making it the largest festival for at least 10 years and nearly 50% of these events are being run by local organisations.

Reaching for the stars….

As a prelude to the British Science Festival, the University of Surrey and Guildford Astronomical Society have teamed up to host what I think is a really innovative event that literally will get the people of Surrey and the surrounding areas reaching for the stars!

The Great Look Up (taking place on the 28^th of August 2009) is celebrating the 2009 International Year of Astronomy and is an opportunity for people of all levels of interest in astronomy to come along and enjoy the beauty of the night skies.

You can bring your own binoculars or use some of the equipment provided by local astronomers. And for those of you who have a telescope and just haven’t quite mastered how to use it, the organisers are encouraging you to bring it along and get some hands on advice to make the most of it.

The Great Look Up will be a great night out for the whole family with something for everyone to enjoy. There will be guest speakers including BBC TV presenter Maggie Philbin and Dr Stuart Eve from Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd, as well as a large projection telescope and of course a summer BBQ!

To attend you simply need to register your interest on the website.

Event details:

Date: 28 August 2009

Venue: The Varsity Centre, University of Surrey, Egerton Road, Guildford, Surrey

Time: 7.45pm – 11.30pm

So gather the troops, pack a blanket and enjoy the splendour of stargazing. Maybe see you there.

Social networking, Surrey style!

Last night thebluedoor was networking both on and off-line at a fantastic event at Surrey University. Co-presented by Surrey Chambers of Commerce and SCEPTrE, the evening kicked off with short talks on networking by Avalon Solutions and an introduction to Web 2.0 by Casey Cohen from meterorite. After this excellent informative introduction, we were able to join other local businesses and put the networking tips into action, as well as watch demonstrations of social networking technology by local students.

From podcasting to interactive video, through Flickr, YouTube and Twitter, the many tools available were brilliantly presented by students. Talking from their perspective about how they interact with these technologies, they also outlined the potential these tools present companies to develop their business.

In a spooky coincidence, the reality of the use of social networking in business was the discussion topic on Radio 4's Woman's Hour programme today. Heather from Wiggly Wigglers, a small farm in Herefordshire, explained how her farming business won the Dell Small Business Excellence Award for its use of podcasts, Twitter and blogs.

Her comment that, "markets are conversations, and conversations are markets" really struck home to me and echoed the talks from last night's event.

Social media can be a huge influence on a business - to build a brand and gain access to the thoughts and desires of your target market. The overriding advice - take a bit of time to do some research, listen to the conversations taking place, then engage. The key being to share information in the same way you would in face-to-face networking. The results can be astounding.

We wish the students at the University of Surrey well with their studies and future careers. I'm sure everyone who attended came away with something valuable - and I'm sure are spending a bit more time online today than usual!