Thoughts on the first ever Twestival

Wow.

For something that started from a conversation in the pub just two short months ago to an event that captured the interest of tweeple around the world, Twestival was a bigger success than any of us could have imagined.

The original idea for Twestival came about when Tom Malcolm (@tommalcolm), Tim Hoang (@timhoang) and I sat down over a few beers and decided that we wanted to organise a tweetup that raises money for a good cause at the same time.

But Twestival wouldn't have been anywhere near what it was without the amazing work from Amanda Rose (@amandita) and Renate Nyborg (@renatenyborg and Madhouse Collective), who gave up a lot of time to organise the event and really pushed to make Twestival so much bigger and better than originally planned. Amanda and Renate – if I haven't said it enough already, thank you so much.

Some of the reasons for the event's success that people have suggested are that it wasn't just a tech and early adopter event – tweeple from all walks of life came down to Doon to share a common love for Twitter. There was also a fairly even split of guys and gals, which we thought was a nice change from the normal sausage fests that tech events tend to be.

The charity aspect also appealed to a lot of people and charity that we donated all the profits to - The Connection – were so appreciative of all the donations they received, whether it was in money of food. The charity aspect will always be part of whatever we do next with Twestival.

I also managed to talk about a project I've launched. It's called Bright One - a communications agency aimed at charities, non-profits and social enterprises, run by volunteers from the industry who want to broaden their communication’s experience and use their expertise for social good. If you've got a moment please take a look at the site and get in touch with me if you want to find out more.

Of course you could say that the best part about the night was the nature of the tweeple. Every time I meet a fellow twitterer in real life they have always been the friendliest of people. Those I got to meet at Twestival and the friends I caught up are too many to name (and I'm sure I'll forget plenty), but it was a pleasure to see everyone who I follow on Twitter and meet those who I didn't follow (but now do!)

Lots of people have written their own thoughts on Twestival. Here are the blog posts that I've come across so far:

• TechCrunch UK
• Current TV
• Diffusion PR
• Huddle
• Londonist
• Sizemore
• Benjamin Ellis
• Social PRobiotic
• One Size Fits One
• Jazamatazz
• Richard
• This Is Now
• Fake Plastic Noodles
• The A to E
• Toodlepip
• Girl About Web
  

I'm sure there are a few more so let me know in the comments if I've missed any out and I'll update the list.

There's also a whole load of photos on Flickr, for which we'll start a group and collate everything, but in the meantime please tag any photos with #twestival so everyone can find them easily.

But my favourite part of the Twestival buzz comes from Twitter itself. Not only did Twitter blog about Twestival as a 'hot trend', but I've spent a good few hours looking over the vast amount of tweets that people have written about Twestival. Simply type 'Twestival' into Twitter Search and you'll see what I mean.

Thanks also need to go to the sponsors of Twestival – UnLtd World, Huddle, Diffusion PR, Tactile CRM, Winston & Strawn LLP, and Just Giving. Also a big shout out to the various people who donated prizes towards the raffle – Firebox.com, Wubud, Harper Collins, ITV, Forbidden Planet, Moo, WineLibrary.tv, Raffle.it, Reuters, Six Degrees PR and a small company called Twitter.

The organisers of this first ever Twestival are meeting up in the near future to discuss where we take it from here. With so much positive feedback and an obvious desire to do it again, we've got a few ideas of how we can make Twestival bigger and better.

In the meantime, if you have any ideas/feedback/money to give us for the next Twestival, or even just to let us know if you enjoyed the night and give us some love, then please leave a comment below.

See you at the next Twestival!