Courtesy of ChrisMRichards on Flickr

Wondering what’s happening this month in Detroit’s social media and tech space? Here are a few events to add to your calendar.

Startup Weekend Detroit
Friday, May 14th – Sunday, May 16th at Wayne State University

Founded in 2007, Startup Weekend is a 54-hour event that provides resources and incentives to help local students, developers, innovators and entrepreneurs build successful startup companies. The event has been hosted in more than 50 cities in 12 countries, resulting in the creation of more than 280 new companies. Over the course of a single weekend, Startup Weekend Detroit participants will work in teams to create, develop and launch new business ideas. On the final day of the event, each team will present their new company, share their progress and discuss next steps. Startup Weekend Detroit is open to anyone interested in metro Detroit’s growing technology and interactive community. Tickets to the event are $50 for professionals and $40 for students. For more information, visit www.detroit.startupweekend.org or follow the Startup Weekend Detroit 2010 hashtag on Twitter (#SWD2010).

Social Media / Michigan EMMY Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts Mixer
Thursday, May 20th at 6:00 PM at D’Amato’s Neighborhood Restaurant and Wine Bar.

The Michigan Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (MI-NATAS) is the most recognized non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and recognition of Excellence in Television. They are hoping to “break down a few silos” and connect with members of metro Detroit’s digital community. RSVP on Facebook.

Social Media Club Detroit – May Meeting
Wednesday, May 26th at 6:00 PM at the Rochester Mills Beer Co.

Gary Wohlfeill, Creative Director at Moosejaw, will be presenting on Social Web Strategies for Retailers. Gary will talk about how Moosejaw uses the digital space and often wacky antics to start conversations with their customers. He will discuss how they have successfully used Facebook, Twitter, SMS, and Email marketing to build an incredibly loyal following. Come out and hear about a company with a truly fresh approach to marketing on the web and beyond.

Moosejaw info:
Web: http://www.moosejaw.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/moosejaw
Twitter: @MoosejawMadness

Rochester Mills info:
Web: http://bit.ly/a2f0sT
Facebook: http://bit.ly/dxObKL

RSVP to the event on Facebook

If you have questions regarding any of these events, feel free to contact us on Twitter at @idetroit.

- Brandon

Courtesy of TeamStickerGiant on Flickr

TECH cocktail, one of the most popular startup and interactive events in the country, is finally coming to Detroit to help kick-off FutureMidwest 2010.

From the TECH cocktail Web site:

TECH cocktail is a media & events company better connecting & amplifying the startup technology community. Started as a community building event founded in May 2006 by Frank Gruber and Eric Olson, TECH cocktail has been hosting mixer events and covering technology start-ups across the country with the focus of helping to amplify the local technology signal. TECH cocktail is aimed at helping build and strengthen local tech start-up communities both online and off.

TECH cocktail has hosted large events in Chicago, DC, Boston, Boulder, San Diego, Barcelona and more.

Here at the details:
When: Thursday, April 15th, 2010 – 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. EST
Where: BlackFinn American Saloon in Royal Oak, Michigan
What: A “cocktail of TECH people”
Price: $15 – includes 2 drinks tickets ($20 at the door)

Buy your tickets here.

Get your startup in front of the right people.
TECH cocktail is offering a handful of startups the opportunity to show off in an expo-style to the rest of the Michigan entrepreneurial community.  Space is limited.  Interested in having your startup on display?  Submit this form.

Help support your community.
There a number of sponsorship opportunities available for TECH cocktail. With the right package, you can get pretty creative and really get your brand in front of metro Detroit’s interactive and tech community. TECH cocktail is also looking for volunteers to help ensure that the event goes smoothly. Additional information about sponsorships and volunteering are available on Eventbrite.

- Brandon

This past year, interactive and tech-themed events held in Metro Detroit connected more than 1,000 people and helped raise thousands of dollars for local charities. Dozens of individuals, including many outside of this group, worked very hard to organize such events so that we could all socialize, network, collaborate and learn together.

Here is how we at iDetroit plan to carry this incredibly powerful momentum forward into 2010.

Bigger and better events
We are already hard at work putting together some awesome events for 2010. Members of our team are already in the early stages of planning for the very first Ignite Detroit, as well as the return of Startup Weekend Detroit.  You’ll also see internationally renowned social media and business thought leaders coming to Detroit for Module 2010 (Future Midwest) and Brand Camp University 2010.  While we can’t share all the details at this time, we promise that it’s totally worth the wait.

Great conversations and ideas
Our own Hubert Sawyers III and David Murray have spearheaded the creation of two fantastic social media-related groups that are experiencing explosive growth. Tweetea recently announced its expansion into new cities and the recruitment of regional ambassadors. Social Media Club – Detroit has garnered nearly 700 fans in just a few short months, making it one of the largest Social Media Club Facebook communities ever. Look for these two groups to host some of the most thought-provoking and insightful events in the Detroit area next year.  There will also be plenty of special guests.

Plenty of new faces
Since word got out about our tweetups, conferences and late nights rocking the mic, iDetroit has been contacted by other local professional and social groups that are interested in becoming part of our community.  With these new relationships in place, we hope to not only cross-promote events, but also find opportunities to integrate our groups.

Your thoughts
This year taught us a lot about the value of participation, friendship and community.  So, what comes next?  What do you hope to see happen within Detroit’s interactive community in 2010? If you share your ideas, we can work together to make it happen.

Here is Edward Platt of newbit Design Lab and a main conspirator of i3 Detroit pitching my VADO HD camera:

For more information, check out http://www.i3detroit.com

Chris will be focusing his presentation on social networks and presence management.  Here is a quick teaser:

It’s 9 a.m. and you sit down for some good ol’ FB time. You can find old friends, see how weird everyone from high school has become, snicker at old crushes, and heck, even make business connections! Sounds great in theory, but time is money and you can’t afford to spend half the day online. This session teaches the social networking/work balance and provides time management tools to cut the time you spend online while maximizing the effectiveness of free social media.

Chris does a fantastic job of sharing incredibly helpful ideas when it comes to relationship building via social media.  If you have yet seen him present, you’re definitely missing out.

According to my friends at the Chamber, this event is filling up quick.  So, hurry up and get your tickets.  Click here to register and purchase.

SIDE NOTE: if Chris is in town for the night, there could be a potential tweetup.  We’ll find out and keep you posted.

—–
Brandon

“SXSW Interactive features five days of compelling presentations from the brightest minds in emerging technology, scores of exciting networking events hosted by industry leaders and an unbeatable line up of special programs showcasing the best new websites, video games and startup ideas the community has to offer.”

I’m highlighting 6 sessions submitted by Detroit based Digital professionals. I’m asking for your help to get their ideas selected for the conference. It takes only a few moments of your time to vote. Simply go to the SXSW panel picker by clicking on the session titles below, and click the icon to vote (note: you will need to register if you don’t already have an account). Every vote counts. Let’s get these panelists into the “big show” and highlight the emerging talent that is right in your own backyard.

Building Social Strategies at Fortune 100 Companies - panel session with Scott Monty, Ford Motor Company

Description: Companies of all sizes are adopting social media and community, but large organizations have some unique challenges and opportunities. This panel will uncover best practices through stories told by social media leaders from Ford, Nationwide, IBM, Microsoft, SAP and Dell.

Using Social Media to Find a New Gig – panel session by Shelli Gutholm, Aquent

Description: Don’t expect to get your next job by stuffing a bunch of resumes into envelopes and sending to “HR”. The best way to find the job of your dreams is by networking through Social Media. Social networking helps bypass the anonymity of the proverbial resume “black hole”. How you can use Social Media to secure your next job? We will be reviewing the tools and best practices that job seekers should utilize in a search. Also, we will outline some of the common mistakes job seekers make when using Social Media, which could lead to your efforts being sabotaged before they even begin.

Real World ROI and Social Media Strategies – panel session by Cosmin Ghiurau, BOSSdev Inc.

Description: Why Social Matters to Business Calculating the ROI of Social Case Study: CPR Week Digital Campaign for the American Heart Association Available with a client representative to participate These three topics can be presented as independent sessions or combined into one session. All three topics are focused upon how business can effectively understand, implement and measure web 2.0 marketing programs. Knowledge on the latest research and methods for digital marketing and social media Resources to leverage to stay informed on digital marketing and social media Real world examples of how businesses implement and measure web 2.0 programs ROI calculator to estimate and measure your own web 2.0 programs

Beyond the Click: Converting Website Visitors into Customers – solo session by Ayat Shukairy, Invesp Consulting

Description: For an online business, persuading visitors to purchase your product or service is crucial to increasing sales. Using the science and art of analytics analysis, marketing, usability and software, discover how the Conversion Framework approach can convert online visitors into customers such as RHDJapan and Metro Uniforms.

Industrial To Interactive: From Old Town To Tech Town – panel session by iDetroit members

Description: The idea of your city being home to the next thriving digital community is enticing. However, traditionally non-tech regions face a challenge. How do you introduce, develop and grow a digital movement within a location that has never seen one? Detroit is one such city currently grappling with this issue.

Using Facebook to Leverage Social Marketing and Gain ROI - dual session by K. Alan Robbins, BOSSdev Inc.

Description: Panel will cover the evolution of the social networking universe; provide valuable information with respect to the capabilities and unique aspects of the Facebook platform; valuable tips to help you craft an effective Facebook guerilla marketing campaign; and provide key criteria to help you to pick an effective development partner.

View the post here.

Learn more about the next TechKaraoke Detroit event on Facebook.

See more great photos from TechKaraoke Detroit on Flickr, courtesy of Icrontic.com.