Twitter and the #140conf at NYC: My Adventures as a “Character” + Fond Speaker Memories

Posted In Blog,Social Media

Author: Mayra Ruiz-McPherson

Last April, I trekked up to NYC to attend the #140conf held by Jeff Keni Pulver and can tell you it was well worth the trip. The industry panelists and diverse array of speakers all spilling their Twitter tales were highly informative as they were entertaining.

I caught glimpses of various celebs including Ann Curry and Hammer (formerly Mc Hammer) on stage along with a string of other high vis folks, each sharing their sagas of how Twitter impacted their jobs, their lives or their communities. I also had the opportunity to hear from key industry folks (the beauty and high fashion panel with InStyle and People magazine folks was fab!) about how their employees, their marketing folks and their organizations as a whole depend on Twitter for community interaction, promotion and brand awareness.

As I peruse through all my notes taken from last April’s #140conf at NYC, I honestly don’t even know where to start my (very belated) sharing. Should I start with the “cast of characters” I met while there? Should I highlight fabulous speakers like writer and blogger David Carr from the New York Times who described Twitter as “joyful” and confessed that “Twitter makes Starbucks tolerable?”

David also detailed his love for Twitter’s simplicity, stating that Twitter’s streamlined and very simple UI (which he enjoys so much he purposefully avoids using any kind of Twitter clients) is an art form in it of itself. “Simple is hard,” he told the audience (man, ain’t THAT the truth??!).

Or how about the infamous wine aficionado, aka Gary Vaynerchuk, who expressed his love for Twitter, citing it as a special tool where connections are very much real. After humorously mouthing off about anyone who thinks Twitter conversations are “not valid,” Gary added that the real magic of Twitter is in the “DM” (direct message). “That’s where REAL conversations can and do take place.”

Another one of my absolute favorite speakers was author, TV host and Ad Guy Hank Wasiak who presented “Why Madison Avenue Should Love Social Media–The Thoughts of a Mad Man Turned Twitterholic.” I truly ** loved ** Hank’s presentation. It was informative, educational and inspirational for marketing and social media geeks like me.

Hank described social media in today’s marketing mix as a “mosaic in motion” and as “the greatest gift” to all marketers, allowing us to get in touch with consumers on a 1:1 level. “We’ve gone from shouting and selling to sharing and helping.” That, according to Hank, is what today’s marketing is all about. His words of advice for Twitter folks far and wide: “Grow bigger ears. Engage your consumers in different ways.”

I could go on and on … and on and on … (and perhaps I will in a future blog post) but the bottom line is that the NYC #140conf is already looming in the horizon and I can’t wait to return. A lot has happened with Twitter since last year’s #140conf and I look forward to the new string of speakers and presenters who will share their experiences, hopes and visions for the beloved micro-blogging tool.