The New Hyper-Focus - How Event Communities Reduce Noise and Harvest the Goods

Thanks for asking! But no, sadly my blog is NOT sponsored by BOSE (or anyone) .... yet. I'm using this imagery and analogy to compare this noise reduction tool with what an event community delivers to the attendees/speakers/exhibitors/sponsors regarding their event AND community experience.

Social Media tools are too noisy for most and many don't know the proper filters they can individually put in place to better syphon quality content and conversations from the 'noise'. Twitter can be intimidating, Facebook too personal, and even the newest addition to social, Google Buzz seems interesting, but early reviews lean towards 'buzz' adding to the noise level, not reducing it. (Though I see some interesting paths Buzz can take).

Enter the era of the Hyper-Focused and if you are an association manager or an event organizer, I hope you can realize that NO better platform to harness this focus exists than setting up and maintaining your own niche community. Full disclosure, I work for the Social Collective, we do exactly this, niche event and association communities and a synced mobile app. to tie the experiences from web to mobile, but this post is NOT about my company, it is about the shift to hyper-focus that your event participants (on all sides) want and desire.

There is a palpable shift happening as we speak. The shift from Nicety to Necessity is underway. The NEED to have your own community, to seed, curate, and harvest an event community for all the benefit it can deliver to all involved. You want proof? It is SO evident that I am about to chat AND compliment a direct competitor in our very competitive space.

What happened this past week? Oh yeah, the Mid-Atlantic got CRUSHED by another storm, Snowmegeddon Part Deux!!! And the ASAE Tech Conference was forced to cancel. OK, that's the end of the sto... woah, wait ... it's actually the birth of this story.

Literally in the wake of ASAE Tech, a few leaders saw an opportunity and sprung into action to create the UNTECH '10. With now more than 34o members of this overnight community, I encourage you to check it out, join in one of the many discussions and experience the Hyper-Focus that only an event/association community can deliver. Discussions that are NOT billboards for services, but rather engaging conversations opening true doorways for new professional relationships, networking opportunities galore, even the ability to view live video content if you aren't physically in D.C.

If you organize events, do you feel it's time you delivered this to your attendee? Whether they are speaking and enjoy the virtual feedback, attending and are loving the networking opportunities and social media extensions, or exhibiting/sponsoring and are SO excited to have the EXACT demographic they need to be chatting with all gathered in one social space. Do you think it's time you delivered this to them all? The era of the Hyper-Focused has begun. Event communities are the vessel to deliver this focus in a way that YOU own, you brand, you seed, and you benefit from.

Remember I just wrote a blog post about a DIRECT competitor in what is a bit of a crowded field. Am I stupid? Perhaps, but I don't feel stupid. Though we are competitors there are significant differences in our approach. However at our core, all the 'players' in this space believe in the power of community, the power of hyper-focus and how the apps. and modules we provide to all physically and virtually attending help to transcend a traditional 'attendee' into an event or association evangelist. An interactive member who cares, participates, comments, blogs, votes, creates, and enhances experiences for everyone. All within a community that delivers a hyper-focus they are NOT receiving anywhere else.

The shift is evident and a rising tide lifts all boats. So, I applaud greatly what I see happening at UNTECH and in the same breath, encourage anyone who wants more details on the tangible differences that do separate event/association community platform providers from one another to reach out to me so we can begin a new conversation.

Thanks everyone, I look forward to your comments and questions.