Tonight was Boston’s first TECH cocktail social media event. The RSVP list included 300+ attendees who descended on the Tequila Rain near Fenway Park.
Low Voltage
The potential energy was evident as people started collecting on the main floor, getting down with the free alcohol and mingling with their respective cliques. At some point the JBL speakers at the DJ booth were elevated to proper party levels and the energy seemed to build. Looking around you could see that people were feeling the vibe of being at the event and that is when I thought that the TECH cocktail masterminds would transform that buzz into something more kinetic — but it never happened.
With so many people on-point, it was clear that the organizers could (and should) have capitalized on what they had created, but it turns out that people were left to their own devices. Many of them seemed content with free beer and wine (I met one cat who told me that hard liquor was not free). Others began to step away from their familiar circle and started to network and connect with fellow attendees.
Mob Reactee
I was accosted more than once by random people who would step to me and introduce themselves — but would immediately launch into their pre-packaged canned spam before I could actually tell them my name. When I stuck out my hand for a shake (while trying to let them know who I was) at least one cat slapped his business card in it instead of reciprocating. Maybe they should read Best Networking Tips and Real Live Human Social Networking.
For most of the night I slipped in-and-out of the crowd, meeting people who would stop me because they recognized the brand name on my t-shirt from the RSVP list. Many of them would ask me What Do You Do? and I would reply, “I am media and I produce content that allows you to get to know who I am.” My perception is that the people I spoke with — people like Anncy, Claire, Chris, Christine, Taariq, Ariel, Sandra, Greg (and a few others), would continue to try and learn more about what my brand encompasses. All of that from a $25 t-shirt. No ego. No business card. Just Clarence. Love it or leave it, but, I have to admit that meeting people face-to-face is always a hit.
Power Outage
When the TECH cocktail team took the mic for the prize giveaway, I could not hear what they were saying! If that was the moment they thanked everyone for supporting the event, then it would have easily been missed. The fact that 300+ people showed up for an opportunity to socialize and connect could be viewed as a marked victory for the TECH cocktail team. Still, I would have liked to see the organizers do something on top of bringing people together (although I am not able to identify what they should have done specifically).
Backup Generators
Despite my assertion the organizers did not absolutely slam dunk the event, it definitely was not a waste of my time. There were more than enough opportunities to meet interesting people and learn about who they were. Event sponsors’ effort towards crowd participation paid off by using free trips and head-to-head gaming on the Nintendo Wii. There were also two life-sized tubes filled with money that would blow around while contestants inside would try to catch as many bills as possible (what do you call those things?!?)
TRUTH? TECH cocktail Boston can only improve and if there is another in the future I will definitely get down with it. I know that C.C. Chapman, Chris Brogan, Steve Garfield, Laura Fitton, Joe Cascio, and Chris Penn were also in the mix and will likely share their experiences as well.
