Originally posted on PenguinSpark

How parenting turned into a passion – Jen Lee Reeves @JenLeeReeves

Why your password sucks – Jerry Gamblin @JGamblin

Marketing stuff – J Michael Roach @JMichaelRoach

I’m a hacker and you probably are too – Clint Shryock @CTShryock

Google+ Hangouts and the future of TV news – Sarah Hill @KOMUSarah

Startup Weekend Columbia MO – Kelsey Meyer @Kelsey_M_Meyer

Originally posted on PenguinSpark

How Parenting Turned Into a Passion by @JenLeeReeves

Why your password sucks by @JGamblin

Originally posted on PenguinSpark

New E-AV Lottery!

I’m doing more giveaways but changing it up. I will pick a shareholder every 2 weeks to win $50. The person must own 200 shares to win. There is also a $10 bonus if the shareholder has recommended (e)PenguinSpark.

Originally posted on PenguinSpark

Contest Details:

1. You must own 200 shares in (e)PenguinSpark to win the prize.
2. If you have also recommended Penguin Spark on Empire Avenue you will win an extra $25!
3. The drawing will be no earlier than May 24, 2011.
4. You must be 18 years of age.

How the drawing will be done

1. The drawing will consist of the total number of shareholders at the time. (Ex: If it’s 1050 I will draw from 1050)
2. The number will be drawn from this number randomizer
3. Shareholders will be sorted by number of shares owned. The shareholder that falls on that number wins the $100 Amazon gift card, or $125 if they have also recommended Penguin Spark.
4. Winner will be notified via Empire Avenue mail.

Penguin Spark on Empire Avenue


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Originally posted on PenguinSpark

Originally posted on PenguinSpark

1. Foursquare

If you don’t already have a Foursquare account get one. You don’t have to use it anywhere else but a conference is the best place to start. All you have to do is check in at the conference then look at who else is checked in. Go through the list and add invite all these people. This exposes you to them and creates an opportunity for them to look at your twitter profile.

2. Hashtags

Every conference has a hashtag if it has tweeters. It is usually the name or truncated version. For example: Nardisgras is #Nardigras & 140 Conference is #140conf. Find out what it is and create a twitter search on your smart phone (if you don’t have a smart phone get one). Save the twitter search and look at it every now and then. Respond to what other people have tweeted and retweet anything interesting. You also need to send out tweets with the hashtag in them. Share the experience of whatever you’re doing. If a speakers says something you really like quote it, if you see an awesome gadget on the floor take a picture and tweet it. Remember to put the conference #hashtag on everything!

3. Tweetadder

TweetAdder(affiliate link) is an automated Twitter follower/following tool. TweetAdder allows you to search for users in many different ways and then load them into a list to be followed. Use the keyword search ability and search for the hashtag for the conference. Add the search to the automated search list. TweetAdder will slowly follows these users. You can also set TweetAdder to unfollow people that don’t follow you back after the conference is over.

Using these three tools people have the potential to see you in several places. The more places they see you the more likely they are to follow you. When you get home from the conference you can go through your following list and get rid of anyone you don’t like. What else do you do at conferences to gain followers?

Originally posted on PenguinSpark

I attended #140conf small town in Hutchinson, KS. I went prepared to take rigorous notes but it turned out I was not at all prepared. The presentations are so fast that if you take notes you will miss something. However, this isn’t a bad thing. Even though it’s only a 10 minute speech you still retain the important information, you just don’t waste time trying to remember the “other” stuff.

This is a conceptual conference. Rather than leaving with a bunch of tips, tools, and systems, I left with a bunch of ideas, concepts, and connections. These resources are more valuable because they inspire thoughts that lead to comprehension and understanding. There were topics ranging from networking on the farm to reconnecting with long lost family. Through the wide range of speakers I was able to see the same networks and technology I use every day from many different perspectives.

The hands down show stealer was Kevin Honeycutt. His presentation Educators and the Real Time Web was electric and inspiring. I can’t explain it so I recommended watching it:

There were about 250 people attending the conference and even more than that watching the live stream online. As I was giving my presentation on creating micro communities on Twitter I had individuals from those micro-communities cheering me on from their homes and offices. I’m grateful that 140 conference small town gave me the opportunity to share my voice. I’m even more grateful that they gave so many other wonderful people an opportunity to share their voice with me.

Originally posted on PenguinSpark

Everything for this event was donated or volunteered by people that want to improve Columbia, MO internet. Many local news organizations picked up the story. 16,000 signs with voting instructions were passed out at the sold out Mizzou vs Kansas basketball game. The Columbia Public School board responded by submitting their own nomination as well as encouraging all schools, teachers and parents.

How it went down

Monday: The concept for #comoflashmob is discussed by @CommercialScott and@CoMOFiber members.

Tuesday: An email goes out with the plan and instantly spreads throughout Columbia like wildfire. People promote on Twitter and Facebook to make sure everyone knows what’s going on.

Wednesday: Shakespeare’s Pizza offers to donate pizza to the sign party scheduled for the night before the flashmob. First grader students at Fairview Elementary make signs for our flashmob.

Thursday: Boone County National Bank approaches us to donate 16,000 signs.

Friday: The press is going nuts! KFRU’s David Lile talks about it on his morning show, Simon Rose & Renee Hulshof discuss it on the their show, and  93.9 The Eagle discusses the event on their morning show. KOMU, KRCG and the Columbia Missourian all promo the event in their evening news and publications. That night we held the sign making party that was a blast!

Originally posted on PenguinSpark

Jean (@RCAtweet), Me (@commercialscott), and Mandy (@Mandy_Vavrinak)

Dealmakers Magazine hosted the first tweetup ever held at the 2010 International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) RECON convention held in Las Vegas, Nevada. ICSC is a global organization of retailers, shopping center developers, brokers, attorneys and anything else that has to do with the shopping center industry. The estimated attendance for the conference was 35,000.

PenguinSpark had the privilege  work with Dealmakers in the planning and promotion of the event. The tweetup was a great success. I got to meet many tweeters from the commercial real estate industry including. Representatives from the Realtors Commercial Allinace (@RCAtweet), Retail Traffic (@RetailTraffic), the Houston Association of Realtors (@infosam) and many others were in attendance. The tweetup was a success and I look forward to next years as I know it will grow even larger.

Originally posted on PenguinSpark