Below is the press release for the upcoming Lehigh Valley Tweetup. MS Word format is available here.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Michael Andreano, (610) 628-1071
email: mandrean AT gmailDOTcom
LEHIGH VALLEY TWEET-UP TO CELEBRATE ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY
Monthly get-together of local Twitterers returns to Allentown BrewWorks on Tuesday, April 13
ALLENTOWN – April 7, 2010 – They said it wouldn’t last, but boy did it ever.
When the first Lehigh Valley Tweetup (@lvtweetup) was held on April 13, 2009 at the Allentown BrewWorks, a skeptical but excited group of 35 people showed up to meet face-to-face. Since the social media outlet Twitter encourages interaction via the Internet, many of them had never met in person before. But that all changed one year ago when what started as an experiment turned into a monthly get-together that has introduced more than 400 people.
The brainchild of Forks Township resident Michael Andreano (@mandreano), the Lehigh Valley Tweetup (a Twitter meetup) was created as part of a larger trend of Tweetups taking place across the country in major cities like Chicago and New York. He knew through his Be the Bee Social Media Coaching business (www.thebeesbuzz.com) that there was a core group of Twitterers in the region and figured that if the big cities could do it, why couldn’t the Lehigh Valley? He saw the Tweetup as a way to connect in-person the local people who were already getting to know each other through Twitter.
The success of the April 2009 Lehigh Valley Tweetup and a follow-up one in June of that year prompted Andreano to make it a monthly event which averages 35-45 attendees. One Tweetup had as many as 100 attendees.
Andreano created marketing opportunities for local businesses using Twitter to create awareness for their brand, product or service for a fee by offering to list their company’s name and Twitter “handle” on a logoed giveaway item at select Tweetups. Giveaway items have included logoed pint glasses, golf balls, beer mugs, t-shirts and sweatshirts. He also sells logoed Tweetup apparel hats, mugs and other items on a web site
The December 2009 Tweetup, the largest Lehigh Valley Tweetup to-date, added a charitable angle with Andreano encouraging attendees to bring a donated toy for the annual Toys for Tots toy drive, and boxed and canned food goods for the Trinity Church Soup Kitchen in Bethlehem. A related silent auction raised $400 in donations for charities as well.
But perhaps most importantly, the Lehigh Valley Tweetups have connected area residents that may not otherwise have gotten to know each other except for a few 140-character messages.
“People like to connect with like-minded people,” says Andreano. “The Tweetups give them a chance to meet and connect with people in the local community both personally and professionally. Many local Twitterers who met online first have since strengthened that relationship by meeting in person at our Tweetups, and vice-versa.”
Join us for the One Year Anniversary of the Lehigh Valley Tweetup on Tuesday, April 13 at Allentown BrewWorks from 7 – 9 p.m. Logoed pint glasses will be given away to the first 60 attendees. A birthday cake made by the Backdoor Bake Shop in Bethlehem will be served to attendees at 8 p.m. Christopher Elston Photography will also be doing free professional headshots that people can use for their social media accounts. Dan’s Camera City will also have their photo booth available for free use.
Sponsors include:
Allentown Economic Development Corp – @allentownedc
Backdoor Bakeshop – @backdoorbakeshp
Be the Bee Social Media – @mandreano
Bethlehem Brew Works – @thebrewworks
Blabbermouth Communications – @blabbermouthcom
Black Forest Deli – @blackforestdeli
Christopher Elston Photography – @celston
CounterMarch Systems – @scrittler
Dan’s Camera City – @danscameracity
G&L’s Sign Factory – @synguy3
Hosfeld Insurance – @HOSFELDinsuranc
Mayflower Luncheonette – @LVGrkGrl
Spark – @mldrabenstott
Ted Colegrove – @primerx24
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