Summer Meetup at Syracuse Media Group: SMBSyr 6

By Joe Cunningham, Internet Marketing Manager
08/05/2013

I was just checking my emails (while walking, that’s a great idea) while carrying a gnome under my arm (that’s normal) when I saw Mitch (@That_Bad_Guy), our intern drive up next to me and ask for my key card.  (Free off street parking is one of the perks for working at Cowley.)  I gave him the card and he drove off to park, and then I glanced at my iPhone and saw the email from him asking me to wait for him.  So I successfully looked like a total jerk heading out by myself.  With Poe (the gnome).

A great way to start the day.

Poe, Mitch, & Joe on the way to the SMBSyrWelcome to the SMBSyr Summer Meetup

Poe, Mitch, and I made sure to Tweet our status that we were “on our way to the b’fast,” complete with an awkward group photo.  Poe (@PoeTheGnome, yes he just got Twitter, and Facebook, and he’s a little too excited about it) and I (@IndianaJoe77 – no, I’m not from Indiana, I’m just a big Indy fan, as in the movies; I’m not 36 years old either) have been to every SMBSyr since the beginning (maybe the only ones) so we were briefing Mitch on the process on the way over.

The Summer Meetup was a new thing: no program, just come, hang out with some cool and nerdy people like ourselves, and talk about social media stuff.  And network.  And get free food.  And this time we got to check out the new office for Syracuse Media Group (@SyrMediaGroup), which was a huge plus.

Walking in I saw Becky Guiles of Boundless Media (@BoundlessMedia1), a good friend and big fan of Poe’s (and vice versa), and both Poe and I congratulated her on her baby (coming soon).  I found out on Facebook the day before: no, I did not do one of those “Are you pregnant?” “You’re not?” “I’ll be right back, I’m going to die in the corner over there.” things.  She looks great anyway.  Poe’s really excited and is already knitting an outfit.

We were all “wow-ed” by the place.  I took the tour with Gail (@GailSkan), our VP, and commented on how the cool “open, sit wherever you want” type feel reminded me of Zoe’s office at Slugline on Netflix’s House of Cards: free spirited, casual yet cool, techy – the new professional.  Great show, by the way: breaking records as the first Emmy nom-ed Neflix show.  Hope it wins.

Poe made sure to sign the wall (in the only place he could reach – the bottom), which was comical to say the least.  (Ah!  He just kicked me in the shins.  Craig was right (@KinaniBlue), gotta’ wear shin guards around this guy.  Excuse me while I handle this outside.)

Poe the Gnome's Butt ShotA Little Less Conversation, A Little More Action

I headed right for the food once inside the conference room.  I left Poe on the table, took a few shots, and let him fend for himself.  Apparently his hind-side ended up on Twitter and Instagram (hahaha).

The breakfast was catered by Jolimé Café, just a short walk away from the building, and was awesome: bagels, fruit, pastries.  I have to stay away from pastries because of my training regime.  Poe had just visited Jolimé the week before and was a big hit (read the blog post here).

Kevin Morrow (@UncleDuke) conducted the announcements, welcoming everybody and such.  I got to finally meet Sunny Hernandez (@SunnyinSyracuse), Community Engagement Lead @Syracusedotcom and Advisory Committeemember for the SMBSyr, whose colleague Steve Hodgens (@SHodgens), Marketing Manager for Syracuse Media Group, gave some announcements and welcomed everyone.

Kevin also gave a plug for the next SMB, which is “To Blog or Not to Blog” where Poe and I will be panelist(s) together with Matt Mulcahy (@MattMulcahy), Erin Martin Kane (@emkprgal), and Kate Brodock (@Just_Kate) as moderator.  It’s going to be cool.  So cool, it’s at Jazz Central (no joke).  Sign up now (click here) – there were only 16 spots left when I checked.  Hey, it’s free and there’s breakfast (hence the name of the thing).

Poe, Mitch, and I also got a tour of the rooftop with the other SMB guests.  Talk about a way-cool spot!  Think ritzy apartment building rooftop hangout (well, that’s what it is).  The staffers told me they are planning on opening a café on up there.  Nice!  The view is almost to die for: you can see all of Syracuse – in every direction.  Poe and I took a couple pics (which s[tun]k because I’m not photographer), hung out with some cool girls – Christina Trout (@iTingTrout) included, and contemplated base jumping off the building.  We didn’t.  (I know right?  Would’ve made the blog post so much cooler.)

Poe and I were a little wiped out after that so we sat down and chatted with Kevin about how the Syracuse SMB got started.  I didn’t know Kate Brodock had been one of the founding members of the first SMB in Boston.  She had reached out to Kevin last summer about assembling a small group (that would become the Advisory Committee) and jump starting a Syracuse chapter. And I didn’t know this either: everybody has been doing it on their own time, not as part of their paid jobs.  I had great respect for these people before, but now even more so.  Above and beyond – that’s great stuff.

Ryan Gosling Two ChoicesThe Hunt for Ryan Gosling

(Click the photo to enlarge, it is hilarious.)

Poe and I have always been the last ones to hang around (“Do you guys need help with anything?” “No, okay, don’t mind me, I’ll just have another bagel…  Can I take a picture of Poe with…?”) and this time was no exception.

The girls who manage the social media for Syracuse Media Group/Syracuse.com were in the room trying to track down Ryan Gosling who was rumored to be in Central New York.  They were drooling.  Poe and I were pretty indifferent.  He was good in Drive.  Great movie.

I mistakenly mentioned I knew people in the business when I wrote and consulted for a big H-wood company, which led to possibly digging up his phone number.

“So you’re gonna triangulate his position?” I’ve been watching a lot of 24.

“No we’re gonna triangulate Ryan Gosling.”

“Oh.”

We left about there.  An article was published that day on Syracuse.com about the rumor, and the day after about his agent denying the rumor; which only means his agent denied the rumor.  (Logic 101)  That was about as far as I followed it.  Apparently hundreds of women attacked a Skaneateles restaurant that day after a Tweet went out from someone that he was there.  He wasn’t there. #niceone #imlaughingrightnow

Poe and I walked home with only one butterfly in each of our stomachs thinking about the next SMB.  We were excited, nonetheless.

No matter what, it always takes me about 10 days to write the stinkin’ blog post about the Social Media Breakfast (don’t get me wrong, I have a lot of fun doing it as you can see).  I think there is an invisible work monster that holds all emails and phone calls for that week until 9:45 that Thursday morning.  I was firmly resolved to break that tradition that morning.

Yeah, didn’t happen.  Maybe next time.

See you there, from the podium. #winkwink

 

 

The Ryan Gosling photo is used with some rights reserved from Poldberg.

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