The Cool Twitter Conferences World Tour Circa 2009 - 2010
This was the official website for The Cool Twitter Conferences World Tour.
Content is from the site's 2009-20101 archived pages.
Series of one-day Twitter conferences to begin in Washington, DC on Thursday, June 11, 2009.
Washington, DC (PRWEB) May 27, 2009 -- Washington, DC-based technology group, The Cool Blue Company announces "The Cool Twitter Conferences World Tour" with the first of several global one-day events kicking off Thursday, June 11, 2009, 10:00am - 5:00pm at Busboys & Poets, 2021 14th Street NW, Washington DC 20009 (intersection of 14th & V Streets). The Cool Twitter Conference provides an environment for developers, people in business, and enthusiasts from multiple disciplines, who seek to understand and maximize the power of Twitter, the chance to contribute to the discussion and tap into this real-time use of the web. This forum is ideal for advertising and marketing professionals, business owners looking to increase visibility and improve customer experience, and anyone looking to polish their brand or to become more informed on the subject.
For the uninitiated, Twitter is the free real-time web service that allows millions of users to send frequent, short updates - up to 140 characters - to "followers."
The June 11th event is the first known Twitter Conference on the East Coast and the first in the US aimed at both business and consumer communities. In addition to the conference, there will be a "Twitter Beginner Boot Camp" in session from 8:00am - 9:30am, aimed at educating and helping participants to become more familiar with the basics of Twitter and its potential applications. A "Twitter Intermediate Boot Camp" examining very specific applications and tools available for use with Twitter closes the day at 5:30pm.
Organizers are calling for speakers for this and upcoming conferences, encouraging submission of abstracts from individuals interested in presenting on Twitter. All topics are welcome, including for-profit and non-profit ideas, government, culturally impacting and social media applications and development APIs.
The Cool Twitter Conferences Tour Cities/Dates:
1. San Diego - Friday, July 10th, 2009
2. Seattle - Monday, July 27th, 2009
3. Los Angeles - Friday, July 31st, 2009
4. Chicago - Wednesday, August 5th, 2009
5. Atlanta - Wednesday, August 19th, 2009
6. New York - Wednesday, August 26th, 2009
7. San Francisco - Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009
8. Boston - Tuesday, September 8th, 2009
9. Dallas - Thursday, September 17th, 2009
10. Vancouver - Thursday, September 24th, 2009
11. London - Thursday, October 8, 2009
12. Stockholm - Monday, October 19, 2009
13. Sydney - Tuesday, November 3, 2009
14. Hong Kong - Thursday, November 12, 2009
15. Buenos Aires - Monday, January 18, 2010
16. Cape Town - Wednesday, June 23, 2010
A current list of speakers and more details about the conference can be found online at the Cool Twitter Conference site: Cool Twitter Conferences
About The Cool Blue Company:;
Established in 2000 by CMGI alums, Robert Fine and Kent Fowler, The Cool Blue Company, became an outlet for the two to explore new discoveries in telecommunications technology with the Cool WAP Site of the Day, a daily digest of all that was new and promising in WAP technology. To learn more about The Cool Blue Company visit The Cool Blue Company
About Robert Fine
Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Cool Blue Company, Robert has over 15 years experience as a systems and sales engineer with various companies including CMGI, Hughes Network Systems, and most recently as Senior Director of IT for Global Strategy & Development at Conservation International (CI). He is currently pursuing his PhD at George Mason University where he is researching links between investments in information technology and achieving conservation outcomes.
About Kent Fowler
Co-founder and Business Development executive of The Cool Blue Company, Kent has almost two decades experience forging partnerships in the telecommunications and technology industries in Sales and Business Development at CMGI, VeriSign, MCI and GTE Mobilnet (now Verizon) and Cellular One (now AT&T). He began investing in Real Estate in the metropolitan DC area in 1994; as an outgrowth of his success as an investor, Kent followed his passion and obtained his Real Estate license. He is an Associate with Senate Realty Corporation, in Washington, DC.
06/06/2009
'09 Fall Tour
- Minneapolis, December 3rd, 2009
- Dubai, UAE - November 18th, 2009
- Philadelphia - November 10th, 2009
- Orange County - November 5th, 2009
- Anchorage - October 28th, 2009
- Vancouver - October 23rd, 2009
- Brooklyn - October 20th, 2009
- Atlanta - October 14th, 2009
- San Francisco - September 24th, 2009
- Boston - September 10th, 2009
'09 Summer Tour
- New York City - August 27th, 2009
- Toronto - August 11th, 2009
- Cleveland - August 7th, 2009
- Chicago - August 5th, 2009
- Los Angeles - July 31st, 2009
- Seattle - July 27th, 2009
- San Diego - July 15th, 2009
- Washington, DC - June 11th, 2009
Announcing The Start of the Cool Twitter Conferences World Tour!
Updated: June 6th, 2009
THE FINAL COUNTDOWN: 5 DAYS
Hello, And Welcome to the Cool Twitter Conferences Website!
FIRST CONFERENCE: WASHINGTON, DC, THURSDAY, JUNE 11TH, 2009, 10:00AM - 4:30PM
We are pleased to announce that we are holding our first one-day conference here in our hometown of Washington, DC, on Thursday, June 11th.
We have just finalized our venue for the inaugural conference here in Washington, DC. We will be holding it at the Busboys & Poets venue in the heart of the U street corridor at 14th and V in Washington, DC.
Speakers:
Bdresher
Brian Dresher
Acquisition Marketing Manager
USA TODAY
"How USA TODAY is Leveraging Twitter to Extend its Reader Community"
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Alex Wellen
Deputy Political Director, CNNPolitics.com
Senior Producer, The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer
CNN
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Chris Cillizza
Writer of "The Fix"
The Washington Post
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Tim J. Griswold
Executive Director & Founder
Foundation For Caregivers
"In Pursuit of the Holy Grail"
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Anne Zieger
Editor in chief
Healthcare Group
FierceMarkets
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Raj Malik
Sr. Director, Legal & Business Affairs
Network Solutions
“Getting the Legal Department and Management in Your Company to Embrace Social Media - Steps to Get Started While Avoiding Unnecessary Risks”
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Shashi Bellamkonda
Social Media Swami
Network Solutions
“Getting the Legal Department and Management in Your Company to Embrace Social Media - Steps to Get Started While Avoiding Unnecessary Risks”
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Nicole Young
Marketing and Events Coordinator
Busboys & Poets Restaurant
"Sweet Tweets"
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Rory S. Cooper
Director of Strategic Communications
The Heritage Foundation
"How the Heritage Foundation and the Conservative Movement Harnesses Social Media"
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Jennifer Kaplan
Partner
Greenhance
"Creating A Green Platform Through Twitter"
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Gayle Weiswasser
Vice President
TMG Strategies
"Twitter's Role in Crisis Communications: Planning in Advance and Effective Use"
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Lynn Anne Miller
Marketing Maven
Miller Strategic Marketing LLC
"The Green Gold Rush on Twitter"
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Jessica Lee
Senior Employment Manager
APCO Worldwide
Editor
Fistful of Talent
"Twitter to Hire (or How to get yourself a job.)"
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Patrick Ruffini
Online Political Strategist
Ruffini Strategies, LLC
*** Our Program Agenda Is Currently Full ***
We are no longer accepting abstracts for the Washington, DC event. We thank very much all those have submitted abstracts, and apologize that we could not accommodate everyone. We will be keeping all submitted proposals on hand and may be contacting you for a future event. Thank you.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
This conference is aimed at providing an informational exchange opportunity for all those trying to understand and maximize the opportunities surrounding the technology and the phenomenon that is Twitter.
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN
Early-Bird Registration through June 8th, 2009: $195.00 USD
Registration from June 9th through June 10th, 2009: $295.00 USD
On-Site Registration - June 11th, 2009: $395.00 USD
Twitter Beginner Boot-Camp: $95.00 USD
Voluntary Carbon Offset: $5.00 USD*
The Twitter Beginner Boot Camp will take place from 8:00am-9:30am before the start of the conference. It will be aimed at educating and bringing individuals up to speed on the basics of Twitter and potential applications.
Conferences
Anchorage - Wednesday, October 28th, 2009
FOURTEENTH CONFERENCE: ANCHORAGE - WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28TH, 2009, 10:00AM - 5:00PM
We are very happy to announce that we will be holding our fourteenth one-day conference in Anchorage, Alaska on Wednesday, October 28th.
This event will be taking place at the The Snow Goose Restaurant located at 717 West Third Avenue, Anchorage, AK, 99501.
Read the 8/27/09 Press Release Below About Our Upcoming December Government 2.5 Conference
Retweet This: 'Cool Blue Company Announces Special 2-Day Conference: Government 2.5: Using Social Media to Improve Government Services and Engage The Public'
Special 2-Day Conference To Be Held In Washington, DC, on Monday and Tuesday, December 14th & 15th, 2009 at The Washington Court Hotel on Capitol Hill located at 525 New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 200
New York, NY (PRWEB) August 27, 2009
Washington, DC-based technology group, The Cool Blue Company LLC in association with Cat-Strat Productions, announces "Government 2.5: Using Social Media to Improve Government Services and Engage The Public"
The Government 2.5 conference aims to bring various participants and stakeholders within all aspects of government at the local, state and federal levels together to learn how best to apply social media toward improving government services and allowing the public to participant in policy debate and the spending of tax dollars.
An Introductory Social Media Class will be offered each morning to educate and inform participants that are new to the technology.
Government 2.5 keynote presenter and Public Communications Manager for the Orange County (Calif.) Transportation Authority, Ted Nguyen, said "…in a new era of elevated public transparency and accountability with much more scrutiny of how tax dollars are invested, social media is a winning solution to maximize awareness and involvement among key constituencies and the general public. Twitter isn't just for the star-struck to keep up with celebrities. Its explosive growth is revolutionizing how government, public agencies and advocacy groups are using the micro-blogging tool. The conference will offer proven strategies and real-world examples to cultivate citizen involvement, mobilize supporters and protect or enhance an organization's reputation."
Michael Gesing , Executive Director of the Northeast Ohio Citizens League said "…I was very pleased with the very practical information I received at the Cool Twitter Conference here in Cleveland. Social Media usage is rising exponentially and the solid, experienced advice was valuable to our own plans here at the NEOhio Citizens League. That's why we'll be attending the Government 2.5 conference in Washington DC this December. Government usage of social media and web 2.0 technologies are at the core of our mission."
The Conference includes two evening Town Hall meetings presented and produced by Cat-Strat | productions. One directly related to Social Media's impact on Government, Politics and The Election Process, the other focused on how Social Media is impacting public debate in the context of key policy discussions such as health care reform. How is (and how will) Social Media fundamentally shift the way we communicate, decide and implement government policy and programs? Attend the conference and find out. The Town Halls will be highly spirited, interactive and wrapped in a social context. Input and ideas will be documented and channeled to policy makers and public officials after the conference.
Organizers are calling for speakers for the Government 2.5 conference through the submission of abstracts from individuals interested in presenting on social media and its impact on government and the public. All topics are welcome, including for-profit and non-profit ideas, government, culturally impacting social media applications and development APIs.
A current list of speakers and more details about the conference can be found online at the Government 2.5 website (http://www.government25.com)
About The Cool Blue Company LLC
Robert Fine (@bobfine) founded the Cool Blue Company LLC (http://coolbluecompany.com). Robert has over 15 years experience as a systems and sales engineer with various companies including CMGI, Hughes Network Systems, and most recently as Senior Director of IT for Global Strategy & Development at Conservation International (CI). He is currently pursuing his PhD at George Mason University where he is researching links between investments in information technology and achieving conservation outcomes.
About Cat-Strat Productions
Cat-Strat (CatalystStrategies LLC) founded by Craig James & Sue James has three operating units; 1) Cat-Strat | productions - which develops, produces & delivers facilitated conferences, forums, roundtables & dialogs. The sessions typically incorporate civic, leadership & entrepreneurial topics and are often referred to as "Cat-Strat | convos" 2) Cat-Strat | MEDIA features on-line content & interviews with inspiring leaders & entrepreneurs via the "Story-Cast.com" brand. 3) Cat-Strat | consult is a strategic consultancy providing strategic planning, retreat-facilitation, leadership-development and sales/business-development training & services. Inquire at http://www.story-cast.com
Dubai, UAE - Wednesday, November 18th, 2009
SEVENTEENTH CONFERENCE: DUBAI - WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18TH, 2009, 10:00AM - 5:00PM
In association with >Total IT Solutions of Dubai, we are very happy to announce that we will be holding our first international event outside of North America, as well as our seventeenth one-day conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Wednesday, November 18th.
This event will be taking place at the Media Rotana Hotel, Barsha - Dubai located at Al Barsha South, Dubai, UAE.
SPONSORS:
WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
We have intentionally designed this conference and looked for speakers that cut across different business sectors and industries in order to expose everyone involved (speakers and attendees alike) to new and different ideas. It’s our philosophy that someone working at a Fortune 500 company has as much to learn from a small Mom & Pop business about the application of social media, as well as the other way around. If you are open-minded and willing to go outside your comfort zone, then this conference is for you. If you’re not open-minded, well, we’d still like to have you attend and see if we can change that.
Confirmed Speakers:
Keynote
Reg Athwal, IFFPS, FPSA
Co-Founder and Chairman
RAW Group LLC &OneTVO
"Unleash Your Twitter DNA – 3 Steps for Generating Success from Your ROTI (Return-on-Time-Invested) on Twitter"
Dean Hunt
CEO
Buzz Marketing
"How-To Find and Create Unlimited Opportunities Using Twitter"
Magnus Nystedt
Managing Editor
Shufflegazine - Apple Lifestyle Magazine
"Use Twitter To Act Larger Than You Actually Are: Practical Tips For Small Companies To Take Advantage of the Latest in Social Networking"
Miss Shiraz Mohammed Karar
Web Designer & Developer/ Entrepreneur
Shiraz Creations Web Design & Development
"Keeping It Short With An Impact : How 140 Characters Changed Our Communications"
Noaf Ereiqat
Business Development Consultant
THECONTENT|FACTORY
"The Tweet-Mix – How To Fit Twitter Into Your Marketing Strategy
Samer Costantini
Global PR Operations Manager
Cisco
"Maintaining A High Threshold. What NOT To Do When You Represent Your Company On Twitter."
Kellie Whitehead
Freelance Marketer, Copywriter & PR
Protecting Brand You
"How To Tweet Safely and Effectively Without Selling Your Soul - Or Losing Your Job!"
Heba AlSamt
Application Developer
Dubai Holding - GroupIT
James Piecowye
Professor
Zayed University's College of Communication and Media Sciences
"How to Use Twitter to Invigorate The Learning Process Be It in The Classroom, in the Office or on a Sand Dune"
Masarat Daud
Founder
8-Day Academy
"Changing the World in 8 Days and 140 Characters"
Lashley Pulsipher
PR Professional & Blogger
Lulu's List
"The Art of Conversation"
Marwan Parham Al Awadhi aka 'DJ BLISS' from Real Flava
DJ
DJ Bliss
Alan Firmin
Creative Director
Team Y&R; Abu Dhabi
Mohamed & Peyman Parham Al Awadhi
Co-Founders & Managing Partners
Wild Peeta
"Entrepreneurial Ambition Meets Social Media"
Yousef Tuqan Tuqan
CEO
Flip Media
"Making Friends Out of Strangers"
Narain Jashanmal
General Manager
Jashanmal Books & Magazines
"The Impact of Using Online Marketing Tools Google Adwords and Adsense Content Network in Conjunction with Social Media such as Twitter and Facebook to Promote Offline Businesses"
Ashraf Ghori
CEO
Xpanse CGI
"A year of Xero - How not to do a CG film"
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN
Lunch is included with all registrations
Early-Bird Registration through November 14th, 2009: $145.00 USD (AED 535)
Student Discount Registration through November 18th, 2009: $95.00 USD (AED 350)
Registration from November 15th through November 17th, 2009: $195.00 USD (AED 715)
On-Site Registration - November 18th, 2009: $295.00 USD (AED 1080)
Twitter Beginner Boot-Camp: $59.00 USD (AED 215)
Voluntary Carbon Offset: $5.00 USD* (AED 20)
The Twitter Beginner Boot Camp will take place from 8:00am-9:30am before the start of the conference. It will be aimed at educating and bringing individuals up to speed on the basics of Twitter and potential applications.
More Background on CoolTwitterConferences.com
In the burgeoning years of social media's rise to dominance, few platforms captured the zeitgeist quite like Twitter. In 2009, as Twitter's user base swelled and its relevance across politics, journalism, technology, and entertainment grew exponentially, a unique event series emerged to harness its energy and potential: The Cool Twitter Conferences World Tour. This bold, globe-trotting initiative was spearheaded by The Cool Blue Company, aiming to educate, inspire, and connect people around the transformative power of microblogging.
These one-day Twitter-focused conferences offered an intersection of grassroots energy, corporate curiosity, civic engagement, and global outreach. Though short-lived, the Cool Twitter Conferences encapsulated a pivotal moment in digital history—bridging Web 2.0 enthusiasm with real-world networking, before influencer culture and algorithmic curation became the norm.
Origins and Founders
The Cool Twitter Conferences were created and operated by The Cool Blue Company LLC, a Washington, DC-based technology group founded by Robert Fine and Kent Fowler.
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Robert Fine, the Editor-in-Chief, brought 15+ years of experience in IT and telecommunications (CMGI, Hughes Network Systems, Conservation International). At the time, he was pursuing a PhD at George Mason University with a research focus on the interplay between IT investments and conservation outcomes.
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Kent Fowler, a seasoned Business Development executive, worked across CMGI, VeriSign, MCI, and GTE Mobilnet. He also held a real estate license with Senate Realty Corporation in DC.
The duo’s tech background helped shape the conferences as uniquely nimble, digitally-forward, and versatile—equally at home discussing grassroots activism or enterprise-scale applications.
Purpose and Goals
At its core, the Cool Twitter Conferences World Tour was:
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A networking platform: Bringing together marketers, developers, policymakers, educators, creatives, and entrepreneurs.
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An educational tool: Featuring both Twitter Beginner and Intermediate Boot Camps to onboard new users.
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A collaborative forum: Promoting real-time idea exchange, exploring APIs, use cases, and the cultural/social impact of Twitter.
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A business innovation lab: Encouraging corporations to integrate Twitter in branding, crisis management, recruitment, customer engagement, and internal communications.
The conferences emphasized Return-on-Time-Invested (ROTI)—a precursor to today’s ROI-driven analytics and influencer metrics.
Locations and Reach
The series kicked off on June 11, 2009, in Washington, DC, and over the next 18 months, expanded across three continents, hosting over 25 events.
Selected Tour Stops
United States:
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Washington, DC
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New York City
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Boston
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San Diego
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Chicago
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San Francisco
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Los Angeles
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Seattle
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Dallas
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Atlanta
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Cleveland
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Anchorage
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Orange County
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Philadelphia
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Brooklyn
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Minneapolis
International Cities:
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Vancouver, Canada
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Toronto, Canada
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London, UK
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Stockholm, Sweden
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Sydney, Australia
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Hong Kong, China
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Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Cape Town, South Africa
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Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Each city had its own conference agenda, venue, speaker lineup, and community flavor. Dubai’s conference on November 18, 2009, at the Media Rotana Hotel marked the first non-North American installment—indicative of Twitter’s global explosion.
Notable Events and Highlights
Washington, DC – The Inaugural Conference
Held at Busboys & Poets, this event featured a compelling mix of speakers from politics, journalism, nonprofit, and tech sectors.
Noteworthy Speakers:
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Brian Dresher, USA TODAY: On extending reader engagement through Twitter.
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Alex Wellen, CNN: Political digital strategy.
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Chris Cillizza, The Washington Post: Political commentary through microblogging.
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Shashi Bellamkonda, Network Solutions: Legal and executive buy-in for social media.
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Jennifer Kaplan, Greenhance: Sustainability messaging on Twitter.
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Rory Cooper, The Heritage Foundation: Conservative media on Twitter.
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Jessica Lee, APCO Worldwide: Using Twitter to recruit talent.
Dubai – International Expansion
Speakers in Dubai highlighted both global digital marketing and regional innovation:
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Reg Athwal, RAW Group: Keynote on personal branding and ROTI.
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Dean Hunt, Buzz Marketing: Using Twitter to uncover hidden opportunities.
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Samer Costantini, Cisco: Corporate social media risks.
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Masarat Daud, 8-Day Academy: Education and microblogging for social change.
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Yousef Tuqan Tuqan, Flip Media: “Making Friends Out of Strangers”—building digital community.
The Dubai event illustrated how Twitter could amplify voices in both developed and emerging markets.
Special Feature: Government 2.5 Conference
In December 2009, the Cool Blue Company teamed with Cat-Strat Productions to produce "Government 2.5", a two-day policy-oriented spinoff conference in Washington, DC.
Goal: To explore how social media could improve government services, accountability, and civic engagement.
Keynotes and Themes:
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Using Twitter to enhance transparency in government.
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Social media’s role in town halls, policy reform debates, and community mobilization.
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Cross-sector collaboration between federal, state, and local agencies.
Highlights:
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Two public Town Halls on politics and healthcare reform.
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Strategic insights from Ted Nguyen (Orange County Transit) and Michael Gesing (NEOhio Citizens League).
This event predated Gov 2.0 movements and foreshadowed today’s digital government transformation.
Attendees, Audience, and Accessibility
Who Attended:
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Small business owners
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Journalists
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Government workers
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Non-profit organizers
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Educators
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Developers
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Public relations and marketing professionals
Inclusivity:
The conferences were deliberately affordable compared to other tech summits:
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Early bird tickets ranged from $145–$195 USD
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Student discounts were widely offered
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Carbon offsets were encouraged
With boot camps priced under $100, the events democratized access to knowledge—welcoming novices alongside seasoned professionals.
Media Coverage and Press Mentions
The tour garnered coverage from:
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PRWeb press releases
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Tech and startup blogs
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Local newspapers and business journals
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Attendees live-tweeting with official hashtags (a novel concept in 2009)
Many journalists, marketers, and bloggers wrote recaps praising the events for their practical advice, diverse voices, and authentic energy.
Example Feedback:
"Solid, experienced advice… valuable to our own plans."
— Michael Gesing, Northeast Ohio Citizens League
Cultural and Social Impact
At the time of these conferences (2009–2010), Twitter was transitioning from:
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A curiosity for early adopters
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To a mainstream communication platform
CoolTwitterConferences.com played a pivotal role in:
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Normalizing Twitter in corporate settings
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Introducing non-technical users to digital tools
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Paving the way for conference hashtags, live-tweeting panels, and building real-time communities
Before SXSW’s Twitter breakout moment, Cool Twitter Conferences were already exploring:
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Social media and journalism
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Microblogging and activism
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APIs and application development
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Hiring through Twitter
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Green branding through tweets
Decline and Discontinuation
By mid-2010, after 25+ events, the tour ceased operations. No new conference dates were announced after Cape Town (June 2010). Twitter’s maturity as a platform and the shift toward enterprise-scale social media conferences likely influenced the decision.
The original site, CoolTwitterConferences.com, was later archived. Its content is preserved via Wayback Machine snapshots, offering a fascinating glimpse into a forgotten but influential micro-era of digital history.
Legacy and Lasting Lessons
Though the Cool Twitter Conferences are no longer active, their impact persists in several ways:
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Education: Bridged the digital divide at a crucial time.
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Networking: Helped launch collaborations and campaigns before influencer networks were codified.
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Digital Government: Contributed to early Gov 2.0 ideation.
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Diversity of Voices: From non-profits in DC to entrepreneurs in Dubai, the platform welcomed global perspectives.
The series serves as a case study in rapid iteration, global ambition, and tech culture democratization—all driven by the energy of 140 characters.