how social media is transforming south florida
DESCRIPTION
How South Florida's tech community has organized itself through meetups, conferences, and continuous networking online.TRANSCRIPT
Innovation and Community:How Social Media is Transforming South FloridaMarch 19, 2010 Alex de Carvalho
I’m just a social media user ... and not
a guru, expert, or swami*!
(*The only Suomi in me is from my Finnish heritage)
- South Florida’s largest web and new media community
- Established March 2006
- Over 2,500 members
- Monthly meetups average 150 participants
http://refreshmiami.org
RefreshMiami: new media community
@brianbreslin @robertmurray @cwsaylor @alexdc
- Web and new media “un”conference
- Over 1,160 have attended four events
- Supported by over 50 company sponsorships
http://barcampmiami.org
BarCamp Miami: new media conference
http://socialmediaclubsf.org
Social Media Club of South Florida
Established September 2008
- Over 1,500 members
- Monthly meetups average 100 participants
- Expand media literacy
- Share lessons learned
- Adopt industry standards
- Promote ethical practices
http://momomiami.com
Mobile Monday MiamiEstablished June 2008
- Over 300 members
- Monthly meetups average 60 participants
Existing community models
✤ RefreshMiami✤ BarCamp Miami✤ Social Media Club South Florida✤ Mobile Monday Miami✤ Crisis Camp Haiti✤ Tech Tuesday✤ Tweetups✤ Coworking Miami - Brikolodge✤ Ruby Brigade✤ iPhone Lovers Meetup✤ Wordpress Meetup✤ and then some ...
Many other models exist
✤ The Hatchery / Are You Serious?✤ TechCocktail✤ OpenCoffee✤ World Café✤ Ignite✤ First Tuesday✤ Twiistup✤ Potrepreneur (Beertrepreneur)✤ etc.
TextText
“So ... what’s the scuttlebutt?”
We have shared interests
It’s the reason we speak to each other and not someone else
Why is tech important to Miami?
"The digital economy is absolutely central to the future of wealth creation.
Although we are living in an increasingly globalised world, it is local communities rather than nations that are becoming more important"
Chris Clark, BT Chief Executive, February 18, 2010
Why is tech important to Miami?
“The key to economic growth lies not just in the ability to attract the creative class, but to translate that underlying advantage into creative economic outcomes in the form of new ideas, new high-tech businesses and regional growth.”
Richard Florida
Why is tech important to Miami?
• White collar, well-paid, culturally curious• Driver of economic development• Attracts innovation, talent, and money• South Florida’s “legacy” industries need tech to remain
competitive• Real Estate• Tourism & Hospitality• Healthcare• Banking• Journalism / Media
What have we learned?
✤ Community management✤ The right meeting venue✤ Consistent date and location✤ Coordination with other event organizers✤ “Open-source” culture and ethics✤ Low-stress, informal, “Beer and Pizza”✤ Networking should be free✤ Quality presenters✤ Sponsorship✤ Executive committees✤ Proximity to bar or restaurant✤ Use of social networks: Google groups, LinkedIn, Facebook✤ Eventbrite registrations
Challenges remain
Attention from:
•Media
•Local government
Attract more:
•Business development
•Investment
How can we use social media to forward resolution of pressing global issues such as …
✤ Healthcare?✤ Economic stimulus?✤ Education and Knowledge Transfer?✤ Peace?✤ Population control?✤ Infrastructure Improvement?✤ Access to Technology?
We can leverage social media to build real bridges between communities, by:
✤ Engaging people around topics of interest and encouraging them to collaborate and to develop communities
✤ Empowering people to use technologies to assist in improving their lives
✤ Open sharing of experiences, information and knowledge
✤ Developing cultures of transparency, inclusiveness, and innovation
✤ Localisation; local content creation, local resource distribution, local awareness development, local knowledge transfer, local solution development thru global communication
@gapingvoid
Image attribution*
✤ Beach image purchased from iStockPhoto✤ Swami http://www.flickr.com/photos/boskizzi/12103933/✤ Islamorada images by Alex de Carvalho http://flickr.com/photos/adc✤ RefreshMiami Inaugural Meeting http://www.flickr.com/photos/cwsaylor/
143785905/✤ Scuttlebutt http://www.whatsthescuttlebutt.com/✤ Pickup game http://www.flickr.com/photos/robinzeggs/141674593/✤ Soccer http://www.flickr.com/photos/tylercacek/739063425/✤ Events in the Sky http://dinnerinthesky.com✤ 4th Street Basketball http://www.flickr.com/photos/riverst/2356785132/✤ Brickell image by Alex de Carvalho http://flickr.com/photos/adc✤ Watercooler conversations http://www.flickr.com/photos/happyyoga/
2118369604/✤ “Good ideas have lonely childhoods” cartoon by @gapingvoid http://
gapingvoid.com/2008/09/12/good-ideas-have-lonely-childhoods/✤ Social media avatars http://www.flickr.com/ photos/luc/1824234195/
*All images are licensed under Creative Commons
Innovation and community organizing, through Social Media
Alex de Carvalho