Like 350 others I was lucky enough to attend Likeminds 2010 in Exeter, Devon last Friday.

Much has been written about it the day; from the speakers, the attendees and the atmosphere, and most it has been very positive.

There has even been a minor backlash at all those who seemed to infiltrate the twitter stream with the ubiquitous #likeminds hashtag. But isn’t that the point. Did I miss something? Isn’t the very essence of why we all went was to meet ‘Likeminded’ people who all want to understand, learn and develop their communication skills – for themselves, for their clients, and for their organisations?

How many events have you been to where you’re still left reeling from the energy and knowledge that was in the room. It’s nearly one week since being there and I’m still filled to the brim with action points, plans, ideas, thoughts, questions and you know what – memories.

I, like many of you, understand the power of social media as a communications tool and as a route to get people together. This is why I love it; but something happened around about 10.30am on the 26th February. Something new to me! I looked around the room and all you could see was smiles, all you could feel was anticipation, all you could sense was something big was going to happen.

I’m not going to analyse all the speakers & panels, as many others this week have done that very thing, but when Jonathan Akwue stands up and tells you that social media actually saves lives – you listen, when the incomparable Joanne Jacobs leads you through a perfectly timed presentation that literally holds attention like a children waiting for Santa Claus then you know you’re witnessing something memorable and special. To keep things flowing Olivier Blanchard makes you think about the very terms and definitions we all use across this channel, and then you end up with Chris Brogan talking about Metallica – it’s a pretty good day. [NOTE: Molly Flatt your comments on the panel were so spot-on I wish I had said them]

But the real value was in the people. All of the people. The speakers, those who attended, and the virtual audience. There were no barriers. Relationships were being created, improved and developed all over.

The real Likeminds for me happened afterwards. Conversations were full of energy and thrust. I was involved in chats where collaboration and engagement were at the very heart of the discussion. No barriers or divisions present. Everyone was willing to offer advice and support to any question or problem.

I know this all sounds as I’m head of Likeminds PR department but this is not the case. It is simply my own views. Many will feel sick by now, I hope many will also agree. As I look back on it now only some of the above emotion has quelled. I realise that we all had to come back and apply ourselves to our work and simply do more than pat each other on the back and say ‘I was there. Aren’t I great!’.

This isn’t the case. There’s nothing great about watching and listening to people talk. There’s nothing great about talking to the same people as the last event…but there really is something great about watching people communicate and talk to each other with energy and passion. The same people who will now be passing on small snippets of what they heard and learned. If, as Chris Brogan said, “we make people feel special” then isn’t that way better than great?

I’m nearly done but here’s a mini case-study of what it’s all about to me. A microcosm of social communication.

It’s now a week later and because I was at Likeminds I’ve formed two of the strongest relationships I have known for a long time. Both are a testimony to  collaboration, communication, knowledge, humour and friendship: Likeminds at work! Thank you.

Let me know your thoughts and comments on this. Please leave a comment, however small.

Here follows the first of my guest posts this week. The first is from Jo Porritt (@brandguardian) who gives her perspective on Likeminds as a virtual event. Later this week I’ll also be posting another guest article from Trey Pennington (@treypennington), looking at Trey’s views on the comparisons between social media in the UK & US [post-Likeminds].
Here’s Jo’s perspective.

So I was set. I had my ticket.

LikeMinds! A people-to-people gathering in Exeter, Devon – an event bringing together world class experts, innovators and serious social media players. The brainchild of Scott Gould and Drew Ellis, supported by a host of other inspirational speakers and panelists. Like Charlie Bucket, finding one of the coveted Golden Tickets to Mr Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, I was excited and thrilled at the prospect of meeting and mingling with some of the best movers and shakers in our industry, and building on some of the inspiring relationships I have forged with those that I now consider to be my friends on Twitter.

Then fate played a part; I won three new clients in one week prior to the event and I simply knew with these deadlines I couldn’t make the two day, two night trip. After six months hard graft, I had won the work, but as a freelance consultant it meant I could not possibly deliver the goods to my clients and also afford the time away. A cruel irony indeed. No amount of chocolate bourbons could make it better (trust me, I tried) until I discovered that I could watch the whole event via livestream on Twitterface. I would work from my office at home in Guernsey, Channel Islands, and get to participate as a virtual guest!

I am not going to write a lot about all of the topics and speakers; suffice to say they were all fabulous, as I expected. I am going to write about the experience of watching and how it enabled me to participate from my little desk at home and what I was able to take from this.

The live-stream on Twitterface was brilliant. I could log into my Twitter account from the interface which enabled me to not only watch the event in real time, but converse with others on Twitter both at the event, and scattered around the globe in different timezones. An entirely connected audience. The advantage from this stance was being able to see the event, watch the inspiring panelists and speakers in action, but at the same time relay information to the online community. I found myself watching the stream from Olivier Blanchard who was tweeting some of the salient points as soon as the statements had been uttered by the speakers, and then immediately seeing the reactions from those on Twitter that weren’t there. I felt like a bridge between the two – which is social media in motion and at it’s very best!

The connection between the event and the Twitter community was a living, breathing, growing entity. I had inspiring discussions, right off the back of Olivier’s stream, I directed other Twitter users to watch it too, I made new connections and friends through all of this interaction. Some of the inspiring, funny and even moving, topics ignited others emotions and this was reflected in the sheer number of tweets, the positive sentiment and the fact that it all resonated way beyond that conference room. It became clear to me by the afternoon sessions that I wasn’t the only one getting this much from this virtual perspective.
What I learnt is that this truly was, and is, about the people. It was an enormous success in that it got everyone together, from those that had travelled from overseas to attend, to the organisers, the speakers and panelists, the sponsors and the online community. I have always believed in people-to-people as a model for success, way before social media was around. This LikeMinds gathering was a case study in action. I think it will be one of the catalysts for future models of conferencing. Demonstrating success when we all come together when joined by a common theme, regardless of geographic location or barriers, and still inspiring change.

As for any improvements or suggestions? The only thing I would say is that it would be great to have more coverage of the room and the audience. It was great to see Twitter avatars brought to life, and I think to have been able to have seen more of the delegates would have made it complete. From what I have been told, the lunchtime get-togethers were really popular. Again, changing the traditional model of conferencing, flattening any perception of hierarchy between speakers, panelists and delegates.

So I don’t feel that my physical absence prevented me from learning or participating or being inspired. I got to watch from another angle. I got to filter information further afield, and join the community globally that were also following and watching with me. I got to contribute by sharing the information that was relevant. I am still talking about it today, and so are many of my friends that didn’t attend. The LikeMinds Magic worked a treat, we are crackling with the same energy that has spread since last Friday. I can only imagine how fabulous it was to have actually been there. Many reported on the Sunday they were suffering from a post LikeMinds hangover, and not just from the face to face networking in the bar afterwards! It seemed a palpable difference had been made.

All of this from a conference I didn’t manage to get to. A conference that was organised, managed and communicated via social media alone. It goes without saying that I will be at the next one, this time in person. But please continue to provide the live coverage – this is the stuff that inspires miracles and manifests magic!

Scott & Co; I am sure that Charlie Bucket and Mr Wonka would have totally approved.

If you want to follow Jo please click here , and add your comments below.

For those of you who don’t know, Chris Brogan is one of the world’s leading figures in social media. In his own words he’s ‘an eleven year veteran of using social media and both web and mobile technologies to build digital relationships for businesses, organizations, and individuals.’

Chris speaks, blogs, writes articles, and makes media of all kinds at [chrisbrogan.com], a blog in the top 5 of the Advertising Age Power150, and in the top 100 on Technorati. He is co-author of the New York Times bestselling book ‘Trust Agents’ , and the recently released Social Media 101.

Here’s our interview in full.

1. At what point did you decide the career path you’ve chosen and what drew you to it?
I’ve been on this current run for a few years. I started by leaving my role as an applications engineer in a wireless company to run Jeff Pulver’s Video on the Net conference, and from there, I took on several roles, eventually leading to starting my own company. But what I’ve done for decades is help people understand complex things in a simple way. That’s what I’ve done forever and what I do now. Essentially.

2. What excites you most about the growth of social media?
I love that we can connect with people and share along networks of value. To me, the beauty of these tools is that they jump gates to help others. We don’t need to wait for permission.

3. Why do you think that so many businesses are fearful or are struggling to come to terms with the social media world?
I think they’re not ready to handle the two-way street. They’re uncomfortable about what to do with all this candid information, what they’ll have to tackle to stay on top of conversational marketing versus static marketing. There’s a lot of hours involved in doing this, and people are already stretched thin.

4. You’ve written books and seen as someone many look to for guidance . What one piece of advice would you give someone entering this new (to them) social media world?
Be helpful. To me, this is what made me who I am, and it’s what makes me useful to others. I’m helpful all the damned time.

5. How much time do you feel a company should devote towards social media (per day/week)?
It’s a great question. At a minimum, tasks in this world could be relegated to 2 hours a day. I know that sounds like a lot, but it’s the minimum that one should be marketing one’s business in a day?

6. Why do you feel Marketing departments are slow to adopt new online techniques, particularly PR companies who seem to be slow-adopters to change?
I think marketing departments are reusing what they already know and trying to adapt it to these new channels. That’s the same as theatrical actors when they first got into motion pictures. They were belting their lines as if they had to reach the back of the theater and not the little boom microphone. Same thing with social media. Drop the old methods and adapt to the new. Go back to the seeds of what marketing hopes to accomplish.

7. If a colleague or friend (or client) was going to sum you up in 5 words what do you think they would say?
Not sure why he’s famous.

8. What’s your vision for marketing, on and offline for 2010 and onwards?
Location is big. Velvet rope social networks (more private niche community-minded) is big. And also, the blend of inbound and other digital channels.

9. How should we be measuring success in this ’social’ world?
Measure it by the cash register. I think all these numbers like “friends” and “followers” are useless. Did you get more qualified leads? Did you close more sales? Did you move the needle? Not even in the raw sales term, but also in the mindset of things like churches or organizations or whatever. Be clear about the call to action and use the tools in a conversational way, but measure by real business, not weirdo numbers

10. What’s your definition of social media?
The two way web.

11. Do you feel social media is just another bow in the armoury of ‘marketing’ just like PR, advertising etc?
No, I feel it’s a toolset. Social media is another set of tools to help with marketing, PR and advertising, but it’s not a profession until itself.

12. Can social media work for business to business?
Absolutely. It already is. The primary difference in B2B and B2C is the decision chain in buying. The same tools work well in impacting and affecting such decisions. It’s just trickier to find the people to connect with (but then, that’s the fun).

13. What drew you to Likeminds in the UK?
I wanted to get over to the UK, as I’ve been to Paris and Amsterdam and other bits of Europe, but somehow missed finding out what’s afoot in the UK. I think it’ll be great to see the smarties at Likeminds and learn what’s new.

Your comments are welcome.

So far (and I mean so far, as I have absolutely no intention of changing) most of us reading this will spend an average of 2 – 5 hours each today embroiled in looking at our tweetdeck columns, iphone social media apps, favourite blogs, You tube links and/or leaving comments and thoughts across the world wide web.

And the reason we do this is what exactly?

My bet is that almost of all you have questioned at some point the amount of time we spend engrossed and involved in this social media revolution, but we’ve found at least three things we take from each and every day.

3 key reasons

1. Knowledge/engagement

2. Relationships/community (friendships and business)

3. Sense of involvement/importance

… which ultimately has led to a Return On Investment. Yes, you read it correctly; ‘ROI’!!! You wake up each morning, power up the PC or Mac, pour the coffee and social media yourself up because you’re getting exactly what you came for. Last time I checked it was called ‘Show business’ and not ‘Showtime’. The point being that when I present any seminars or events, or meet up and discuss this with everyone, conversations prove we’re all showing a return for our time, with investment being shown by organisations or clients or each other (It’s that ROI again). Some of that Return is from advice, support and friendship but I definitely feel part of a community and one I can join in and share with.

We may well be spending some of our time talking to each other, sharing our thoughts & stories, and re-tweeting each other – but it works! You are my brand advocates, my champions and my key influencers. It is through each other we listen,  find out the information, obtain the knowledge, forge the relationships and get involved. The same processes we recommend to groups and business relationships. If brands/organisations engaged, shared & learned from their own communities then they would be as rewarded as I and many of you are.

In the Early Days

I spent my early days simply listening and observing how the crowds worked; how things played out in the SM revolution. My social media teenage years include moments of [business] conversation, learning from my peers and making sure that when it came to being a man I was ready to walk out into the world alone.

Once I was ready to step out and join the revolution I did so with all my heart and soul.

I found hard working, friendly, helpful, fun, intelligent, thoughtful individuals but above all a group with innovative, creative and resourceful minds. I could build a list with over a hundred names which would include people I never knew a year ago; people who I now engage with for business and who are also now friends, in some cases colleagues.

Why?

The point, and the reason I mention how my/our social media world works, is because if each client or prospect followed the same path to social media adulthood, with us for support, then they would also find their return on investment. Only then will this really show a notable change in how organisations communicate with their audience. Of course for companies ROI will mean more money back than spent or even ‘key performance indicators’ (KPI’s) being met. Through integrating social media into a marketing & communications strategy we all know that positive results are more than achievable.

We’re now in a position to take this knowledge, creativity and expertise (another word many are unsure whether to use) to help any who want to join in with social media and take their brands/services & products to engage with an audience & community. You already know the relevant community/group is communicating with each other. It simply needs you to take the organisation into it and share, learn, engage and collaborate with it.

What do you think?