Geoff Livingston Creates Buzz in Memphis

Memphis was visited by its second high-profile blogger within a week’s time, and most of us are still reeling from the good vibes and exciting conversations these events created.

Monday night, Geoff Livingston, author of Now is Gone and his PR blog, “The Buzz Bin,” met for a tweetup at Quetzal cafe in downtown Memphis.  Attendees included everyone from seasoned Social Media veterans, to several fresh faces looking to see what the web has to offer their business.

Despite the excitement surrounding Geoff’s attendance, the evening took on a very relaxed tone as the crowd mixed through the room networking, finding familiar faces, and engaging the featured guest in conversations about the state of the blogosphere and the benefits of Social Media for business.

As the evening progressed, the tweetup culminated in a Geoff becoming the centerpiece of a group discussion, moderated by LunaWeb’s Dave Barger, where an eager group shared their ideas and questions about Social Media, while the Washington D.C. based PR and blogging guru addressed each topic, drawing from his own experience for examples and anecdotes.

The event was a huge success for LaunchMemphis and a great experience for all of the attendees.  Upcoming on the Social Media horizon is the Socia Media Breakfast on October 1st at the Crescent Club.  The breakfast is open to everyone!  See details on the Meetup page.

Sarah Lacy Brings UGBT to Memphis

Last night’s TechFuel event with Sarah Lacy was one to remember! The latest stop on Sarah’s User Generated Book Tour, which brought her back to her hometown, started at 5:00 at the EmergeMemphis building downtown and didn’t end until the last of the crowd dispersed at 10:00.

After some initial meet-and-greet time, the evening started off with some quality time with the internet celebrity. Sarah spent about 20 minutes talking about her experience in Silicon Valley, sharing moments from her book, Once You’re Lucky, Twice You’re Good: The Rebirth of Silicon Valley and the Rise of Web 2.0, and answering questions from an eager assembly. After that… the party started.

The group dispersed to the next room over to mingle over drinks and food, while Sarah signed books and gave advice to some very eager Memphis Entrepreneurs. For 3 straight hours, with the support a single Heineken, Sarah spoke to every single person who approached her at the event. Some of these conversations were simply humorous anecdotes of Silicon Valley personalities, while others were filled with unflinchingly delivered, hard, straight-shooting advice to entrepreneurs who willingly took the kind-hearted criticism she delivered.

The next LaunchMemphis event will be with PR guru Geoff Livingston at the Quetzal coffee shop on Monday the 22nd from 7-9 p.m. Geoff is the author of Now is Gone and high-profile blog writer. Join the Facebook event for more details!

LaunchMemphis Rocks Social Media in September

September is poised to be a HUGE month for the Social Media and Tech Community in Memphis!  Within the next two weeks, LaunchMemphis is putting Memphis on the map by hosting three major events featuring innovation and online celebrity.

First on the agenda will be the Sarah Lacy at our TechFuel event on September 18 (5pm).  The high-profile blogger and author of Once You’re Lucky, Twice You’re Good: The Rebirth of Silicon Valley and the Rise of Web 2.0 is returning to her hometown of Memphis on her User Generated Book Tour.  This will be a great night for bloggers, techies, and anyone just looking to network and learn.  Best thing is… it’s free.

On the 22nd, just four days after Sarah hits Memphis, Geoff Livingston stops by for a night with the Memphis locals.  Geoff is one of the premier “blogging gurus” on the web and the author of Now is Gone: A Primer on New Media for Executives and Entrepreneurs.  He has also received some well deserved praise from the likes of the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post for his work in Social Media.

Last, but most assuredly not least, is the Innovators Luncheon with the Leadership Academy on September 25th at the University of Memphis Holiday Inn.  The theme is “Innovators,” and will feature a panel discussion by some of Memphis’ most established and promising entrepreneurs from EmergeMemphis, LaunchMemphis and even established innovators like Henry Turley.

You can get details and RSVP information on all these events on the Launch Memphis site.

This is also a great time to get involved in the planning process for BarCamp Memphis!  The un-conference is set to be held on November 8th, but planning meetings have already been underway.  There are chances to make your voice heard by suggesting speakers, topics, and, of course, getting your name out there by donating to the all-important swag arsenal.  Visit the Barcamp Memphis wiki to get involved!