A Social Media Guru Farewell for WEC 2010 (Part 5)

Posted by: Vanessa LeClair

Monday, August 9th, 2010

The 2010 World Education Congress is over. I’m a bit sad about this and if you’ve been following the Twitter conversation, several of us have been going through Social Media and WEC withdrawal.  There’s even a Facebook page support group!

For those of us suffering from Post-Trip Funk, check out this article in U.S. Airways Magazine, Post-Trip Funk (PTF).

But I digress.

Learner Outcomes

What was MPI’s goal in all of this, and did I accomplish that goal?  In the end I feel that more questions were raised about the Guru program than were answered.  As a pilot program, that isn’t surprising.  According to MPI’s Kristen Kouk, after reviewing the applications, the social media gurus (SMGs) selected were both experts in their field as meeting professionals (either planner or supplier) as well as professionals in the social media world.  MPI wanted the Gurus to teach others about the uses of social media and its power before, during and after an event.  Gurus were chosen for being well rounded and with the ability to answer questions appropriately – even if that meant directing the questions to the appropriate people on site.  It was not, and there is no intention to make the program, a random drawing from a pool of WEC attendees.  Which leads me to the following questions:

• Did I teach anyone anything?
• Did I overload the Twitter stream with session updates that were not helpful to the virtual audience?
• Were my messages just lost in the stream?

According to Theresa Davis from MPI, the WEC 2010 in the week of July 21-28 had over 4500 tweets on #WEC10 (note: The event had a total of 2700 attendees)

The Social Media Guru Team

Can SMGs Make a Difference To Attendees?

I loved this program and the consideration MPI puts into technology for its members, trying to stay one-step ahead of the game. Unfortunately, I felt very disconnected from the attendees.  No one really knew who we were. There was no badge, no button, nothing that would make us stand out (at the event).  I made it a point to introduce myself as an SMG for WEC, but felt that the idea was lost on the general attendee.

I would like to see more of an effort made for a “Meet the Gurus” opportunity, otherwise our goal to teach social media to those attending the congress seems pointless.  

How Did MPI Think We Did?

According to my PR contacts at MPI (Kristen Kouk and Theresa Davis), the Guru team did a great job as a whole. MPI has recognized the concerns of Twitter Fatigue and social media overload, but maintain that we were needed and helped to drive home the message of WEC 2010 (When we meet, we change the world) as well as the importance of social media.

The Future of The Social Media Guru Program

MPI will be working on the details of this program and improving upon it.  They may even decide to treat SMGs as they would traditional media, as well as include them in the Press FAMs.  Home office feedback is still in the works, so the verdict is still out.  It’s apparent to me that MPI will continue to use the Guru program not only to promote events, but to teach social media skills and its power to reach a new network of potential attendees and members.
What Else Could MPI Do To Improve The Program?

For starters, they could use the Twitterati idea as they did for MeetDifferent.  In this fashion they could ask a Guru (or anyone skilled in Twitter) to watch the #WEC10 stream for virtual audience questions during knowledge sessions, incorporate them into a panel discussion, and encourage conversation on and off-site.

Another idea might be to have Twitter tutorials, focusing on technology and buzz, a “Meet the Gurus” so to speak.  Provide scheduled access to those heavily involved in social media to teach others what worked and didn’t work for them; real life examples coming from real meeting professionals.

Final Words

All in all, this program has the beginnings of something great.  There are always kinks along the way, including language speed bumps and social media overload.  This is not to say a program like this won’t work next year; I think it will.  Every year we learn how to improve upon last year, the Guru program can only go up from here.  I hope that I can be as involved next year, and that I have taught you something along the way.

Adventures of a Social Media Guru
This is the fifth and final blog of a series of my trials and tribulations of a social media guru and how you can learn from our team’s success.  Visit my blog, Notes From a Meeting Professional for more MPI WEC experiences.

Part 1: Harnessing the Power of Social Media Leaders: MPI’s Social Media Guru Program
Part 2: The Power of Social Media: Making it Work for WEC Attendees
Part 3: Being an MPI Social Media Guru Isn’t Without Its Challenges
Part 4: Guru on Deck at Vancouver – Scrolling on a Trackwheel
Part 5: A Social Media Guru Farewell for WEC 2010

About MPI’s Social Media Guru Program
MPI recently came to the conclusion that traditional media and social media had some significant similarities: both groups attended events and covered important issues for attending and non-attending public alike – and social media representatives even became a part of the event. This revelation led MPI Public Relations Specialist Kristen Kouk to create a Social Media Guru program to empower members of the industry to lead their social media efforts and help engage members around the World Education Congress (WEC) in Vancouver this year.

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