Hello, readers! How is everyone today? Just a general update of the awesome things I’ve been up to lately.

Last week I was lucky enough to score a free ticket to Creative Drinks. My dear friend Hannah Suarez of Brisbane Creative Industries was the speaker of the evening and did very well. Her presentation is on SlideShare here and includes some helpful networking event tips.

Tuesday I was also in attendance at my favourite Brisbane events company Iceberg Events‘ Networx, Working the (Real & Virtual) Room. Director of Paragon Associates, Lisa Butler kick-started the evening with information on busting networking myths and emphasised that anyone can learn to network effectively. More friends of mine were speaking on the topic of working the virtual room (specifically Twitter) – in fact, the whole panel trio of Darryl King, Clare Lancaster and Greg Lexiphanic! Ignoring the occasional train screaming through South Brisbane, discussions of Twitter and social media run amok against a background of a Twitter projection of the #networx hashtag.

Yesterday I attended ANZ’s Small Business workshops discussing online marketing (specifically Google’s AdWords and social media) and brand awareness. The day was a good one and I met various new people interested in learning more about their businesses online. I was even outed as a secret live-twitter bug, which was a great example to those wanting to understand the scope social media can have. There are more ANZ Small Business workshops happening all around Australia until around November, so get in quick to enrol (they’re free too)!

Lastly, things are rolling faster and faster for Brisbane Twestival Local. Committee positions are being snapped up fast, bands and artists approached, venues scoped. We are hoping to gather the support of the voted-in beyondblue: the national depression initiative as our charity of choice to support, a charity I have long been a fan of.

Phew! I think that’s about it. Oh! And the BTUB Wine Night was a complete success as well. My first paid event as a freelancer. Feels good, man.

Looking for full-time employment has unfortunately taken a back seat to these activities. It’s a shame I’m having so much fun… well, no. Not really.

Local radio station b105 has organised for a party at the newly-rebuilt Victory Hotel for Brisbane Twitter users who register with them. This would be all fine and dandy if they had done a bit of research first.

I have been an active Brisbane Twitter Underground Brigade (BTUB) member since around August of last year. We have held at least monthly or fortnightly meet-ups in Brisbane under the intention of being purely a social group. There are hundreds of BTUB members and we regularly hold events for up to around 50 to 70 people at various venues around Brisbane, most notably The Ship Inn.

Not only has b105 refused to do any homework on the existing  lively and loyal Twitter locals, they also have tomorrow’s Vic tweet-up on the exact same night as BTUB’s Kevin Rudd’s Stimulating Package party, as arranged by myself and a friend, Michael Meloni, pretty much weeks ago after the previous BTUB was another success.

I write about Twitter quite often because I am not afraid to admit the wonders it has done for creating and connecting communities. Friends, business associates, families and more have connected 140 characters at a time since Twitter launched, and the 2009 explosion of interest in the online network has meant vast corporate activity, much to the mixed response of Twitter users.

Now whether or not b105 did not know how to search Twitter, Google “Brisbane Twitter” or even read some of their followers who are active BTUBbers, they have committed a rather obvious event management mistake; jumping into the bucket with competitors. Not holding your event on the same date as immediate competition is something they do not even bother to teach you in basic event management school because it is so damn obvious!

Secondly, not approaching anyone from BTUB for a bit of research was also silly. Trying to appear to their fan base as the thought leaders of a Brisbane tweet-up is extremely foolish. Surely there is no bureaucracy in BTUB, only more active members, and no clear forefront member to question, however this is no excuse for basic research on your target market. Numerous BTUBbers have contacted b105 in order to educate the radio station on the current local Twitter community, but I would like to know if anyone has heard any replies of yet.

I look forward to seeing how tomorrow night pans out.