Internet Geek Girl

During the Webby Awards last week, each winner got exactly 5 words for their acceptance speech. At the time I twittered that the whole thing was very Twitteresque.  I’m going to keep my wrap up post brief as well (since it’s already late).  All these parties have a way of messing with one’s action item list.  Overall, it was an excellent week. Kudos to the Internet Week team and the IADAS (International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences). Given how spread out the events were, it would have been nice to see a more cohesive social media strategy.  The site (and the event overall) needed a “community manager” (in addition to the PR company they had running the show).  It also would have been nice to see more coverage by main stream media.  For a first go-round though, I think they did a good job.  I see a lot of potential with this event.

Check out the following reviews of Internet Week for more details:

Caroline McCarthy of CNET summed it up in three words instead of five: Let it Blend!

PC Magazine also captured some of the best 5-word summaries that winner shared with the audience at the Webbies!

Adam Hirsch of Mashable did a nice recap and thank you post too.

Undoubtedly, one of my favorite parts of the week: The Webby Awards Film & Video After Party 2008: Digital Photobooth presented by Adobe.

But of course, my *true* favorite was the TechSet event at the Gansevoort! Thanks to all who participated. The TechSet *Hearts* New York!

New York Tech knows how to glam it up. Watch out Fashion Week, here come the real L337!

Pictured above (Top to Bottom):Pic 1: Stephanie Agresta, Pete Cashmore (Mashable), Michelle DeForest (NextNewNetworks)

Pic 2:George H. Ruiz (ICM), Alex Albrecht (Revision3)

Pic 3: John Hamilton and Kevin Chan - both from Barbarian Group; with the fabulous Aubrey Sabala (Digg) in the middle.

Internet Week New York (IWNY) starts tomorrow. Since I can’t go to everything, I wanted to highlight my “Top 5 Picks” of the week.

Live from New York, it’s Diggnation!  Hop the L train out to Brooklyn on Wednesday night at 6 pm and join Kevin Rose and Alex Albrecht for a live taping in front of a New York Audience.  All the cool kids will be there.  Plus in addition to Kevin and Alex, the Revision3 folks got Brian Brushwood, host of the smash hit Scam School to shock and amaze the crowd with his dazzling array of bar tricks - can you stand the heat? DJ Bears and Bears Repeating will be performing as well for all you music fans. Rock on!

Pete’s back in NYC, time to get caffeinated! Join Pete Cashmore and his rockin’ band of Mashable staffers at Touch on Friday evening at 6 pm for the Mashable Exihibit Hall Extravaganza.   Over 14 showcasing exhibitors, and a large mix of attendees including local New York startups and entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, Web 2.0 companies and old-skool New York institutions will be there. Wouldn’t miss it for the world!

The TechSet does Manhattan!  Join me and Brian Solis as we celebrate the people who are actively defining the new Web landscape and contributing to the lucrative and industry-defining social economy along the way. We’ll be hanging on the rooftop of the Hotel Gansevoort (ooh la la) on Saturday afternoon beginning at 4:30 pm.  Please RSVP on our Facebook event page!

Old media meets the Social Web. Federated Media’s Conversational Marketing Summit will have some of the biggest names from Madison Avenue to Silicon Valley in attendance.  There are still tickets left for the conference which is June 9th and 10th. You can use the code GeekGirl15 and save 15% on registration!

If your tux is at the dry cleaners and you can’t fit in a Webby Award gathering, I’d suggest you check out the New York Software Industry Association (NYSIA) party on Monday night from 6 - 8 pm at JPMorgan Chase (270 Park Avenue).  The top technologists, developers, web 2.0 practitioners, and people from the professions that support them will be there. This event features an open bar, and Hors d’ Oeuvres will be served. $20 in advance, $30 at the door. Event starts at 6pm sharp.

The fact is I probably will party hop and also hit a few impromptu TweetUps as well so follow my Twitter.

Let’s get this party started!

As you can see, I’ve got my Internet Week mojo on. The week is chock-full of parties and yes, I will be attending a bunch of those. Stay tuned for my “must-do” list of Internet Week social events. Again, the full list of events is here. I’ll also be posting my flickr shots and providing Twitter coverage throughout the week, so please follow.

I think it is really important to recognize that there are many substantive gatherings planned, in addition to the networking events and parties. Internet Week is shaping up as an opportunity for “old media” New York to come face-to-face with the movers and shakers that are driving the evolution of the social media economy. Brand managers and media planners will get to meet with the start-ups and social media”rock stars” that are pushing the envelope of online marketing. I think this connection is critical. The geeks are coming to NYC and as Hugh MacLeod reminds us, it’s important for all marketers to “think geek.”  According to Hugh:

“Whatever industry you are in, there’s somebody who is geeked out about your product category. They are using your product [or a competitor's product] as a Social Object.”

Big brands can tap into this energy.  This is the focus of the Conversational Marketing Summit, sponsored by Federated Media (FM), which I’m really looking forward to btw. FYI - it’s not too late to secure access to the conference being held at the Ritz Carlton Battery Park on June 9th and 10th. FM has kindly provided InternetGeekGirl readers with a special discount code: Sign up with GeekGirl15 and save 15% on registration.

I really love the Federated Family of sites (including gapingvoid). Such great content backed by really smart, effective people. The event has quite a round-up of speakers, including: John Battelle, Chairman & CEO, Federated Media, Henry M. Blodget, CEO, Silicon Alley Media, Wenda Harris Millard, President, Media, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia & Chairman IAB, Steve Rubel, Senior Vice President, Director of Insights, Edelman Digital, Jason Kilar, CEO, Hulu, Martin A. Nisenholtz, SVP – Digital Operations, The New York Times Company and many more.

I look forward to seeing you in the Big Apple…big brands and small brands alike.

Internet Week New York (IWNY) starts next Tuesday, June 3rd in New York City. Not nearly the size or stature of its inspiration, Fashion Week, Internet Week will undoubtedly grow quick given the level of moxie and motivation of the NYC tech crowd.

For those of you that don’t know (and I expect that is a lot of you, since the press coverage of this event has been anemic so far), Internet Week is a week-long festival of events celebrating New York’s thriving Internet industry and community.  Started by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS) in cooperation with the City of New York and the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre & Broadcasting, it’s billed as a celebration of digital media industry and community. There are great people backing this venture.  You can get the  quick facts here and check out the Executive Council list here.

I live and breathe the digital media industry and community (in New York, in California and beyond). As a active member of the NYC tech world for the last 10 years, I have experienced that growth through my own professional and personal journey.  Of course, in New York the “community” aspect gets lost a bit, due to the general size of the pond and all the other industries that call NYC their nerve center. When you’re in the Valley, you can’t walk 10 feet without hearing about the latest tech news or start-up. The community is everywhere.  Both environments have their pros and cons.

The New York tech crowd is known for its passion, marketing savvy, business acumen and access to Madison Avenue and Wall Street (both of which fuel the technology industry overall). I know that this inaugural event will catch fire in NYC and most likely take off in other cities.  I’m here to support making that happen.

Now, I’m not saying we’ll be Fashion Week overnight (or ever). I think Fashion Week, I think of hot models, catwalks, non-stop parties, sexy people hanging out at the Gansevoort pool and Devil Wears Prada-esque drama everywhere (oh yes, and cloths).  Let’s face it people, we are not that cool. We don’t even have a wikipedia page — yet. Now that’s kind of ironic, huh?

But there is a jam-packed schedule of events for Internet Week NYC. And each will be filled with exciting, cool, smart, successful geeks helping to evolve the next wave of Internet marketing. That is our community. Stay tuned for some additional posts highlighting the events and parties I will be attending. Plus SAVE the date, because, the TechSet is presenting in Manhattan! Brian Solis and Geoff Livingston co-authors of the new book Now is Gone, will be in town for a book signing. And Brian and I will be hosting TechSet NYC , gathering our east coast friends who are all actively contributing to the evolution of the social economy and new web.  

According to Amanda Fortini in the Brief History of the Fashion show, Fashion Week got its start in NYC in 1943, and then took on it’s current form in 1993 (fifteen years ago!) Let’s take a moment to imagine what this event could look like 15 years from now. In fact, I can imagine it being a much larger deal in even within 3 - 5 years. I’m so grateful for all the tech communities I get to hang out with across this country. Big shout out to my peeps in: LA, Philly, Chicago, Boston and so many other cities I can’t even list them all. I feel an idea in the works.