Where We Started

The Southwest Florida Tweetup was established in March 2009 to bring together Florida’s communities, organizations, and thought leaders who develop relationships through social networks, digital media, and innovative collaboration. Every month, one of our area restaurants  provide us an awesome location and always a generous spread of yummy appetizer’s.  On the menu are specialty “Tweetup” cocktails and drink specials created for the Tweeps who attend.

Since March, between 20 and 40 professionals from around the community gather every month. The SWFL Tweetup organizers are big on old-school practices and always keep the events free of charge for the attendees and also the sponsors. To date, we have partnered with Hotel Indigo, Cin Cin, Blu Sushi, Bistro 41, Naples Tomato, and Cape Harbour.

Our sponsors benefit through the immediate publicity that social networks, such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Flickr garner. The professional and business community in Southwest Florida and its strong presence on each of these social networks, help create the viral messages. We utilize Eventbrite as a method of communicating the details of the Tweetups and also for RSVP attendance confirmations.

Here is a pic of the very first SWFL Tweetup taken in March, 2009 at Phi in the Sky at Hotel Indigo. Among us and standing from the left is Dean Piccirillo, Kerri Goldsmith, Melissa Isley, and Gail Lamarche. Sitting from the left is Terry Read, Tyra Read, Kirsten O’Donnell, Cory O’Donnell, and Catherine Hunter. Not in this photograph is Homer Gaines, Shellie Casey Hoffman, Judy Chiappini, Carlos Kelly, Jane Kelly, Jeremy O’Guinn, and of course the photograher, yours truly.

SWFL Tweetup #1 at Hotel Indigo-Phi in the Sky March 27, 2009

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