Society page: NYC bloggers at Social Media Week and tweetups

This is a manic February for New York City bloggers; we’re racing to cover a full slate of social media events on Twitter, Facebook and blogs.

In the past two weeks I’ve attended Social Media Week, the Travelzoo “I Heart New York” happy hour and Vail‘s “CoSummer” tweetup. I skipped Fashion Week, which lured my stylish peers, but am gearing up for the New York Times Travel Show next weekend.

It’s been a crazy month, but I can’t complain. I’ve met interesting bloggers who work the travel, tech and fashion beats and have enjoyed free drinks with old friends.

Scroll down to see the highlights of February’s social media events.

Travelzoo “I Heart NY” Tweetup (2/10)

Travelzoo "I Heart NYC" Tweetup

Jake and I represented Downtown Traveler at the Travelzoo tweetup, which promoted the new Local Deals feature on Travelzoo.com.  It was held at SD26, a swank restaurant and wine bar. We were given flashing heart necklaces to differentiate us from the non-blogging patrons. Don’t you think Jake looks great in this 1990s raver-inspired jewelry?

Travelzoo "I Heart NYC" Tweetup

I don’t get a chance to meet many fashion bloggers since I usually stick to travel events. Fortunately, there were several in attendance at the Travelzoo tweetup. I was impressed by the style and friendliness of these writers from @AfricaStyleD and @blayreport.

Travelzoo "I Heart NYC" Tweetup

NYC travel bloggers are a fairly tight group; I tend to see the same faces when I attend TBEX happy hours and industry events. It was refreshing to meet Aaron, also known as @adventurousness, at the Travelzoo tweetup. He’s traveled throughout Asia and comes with impeccable references– he’s a friend of my Twitter pal Jeannie (@whereisjeannie).

NY Social Media Week (2/7- 2/11)

2011 ny social media week1

This was my first NY Social Media Week and I was pleased to learn that most of the events are free.

I kicked off the week by attending a TBEX-sponsored panel on working remotely, held at the Wix Lounge, a free workspace for creative professionals. Panelist Matt Stabile explained how he developed and published his first book, The Expeditioner’s Guide to the World, while almost completely avoiding in-person meetings. Brooklyn blogger Alisha (@makeshiftalisha) moderated the discussion.

2011 ny social media week2

I met up with friend and fellow HBO vet Ashmi Dang (@AshmiNYC), who blogs about new media and entertainment trends. Ashmi is the quintessential blogger; she was actively using a smart phone, a Kodak PlaySport video camera and an iPad during the event!

2011 ny social media week3

I went old-school and jotted down notes on actual paper.

2011 ny social media week8

One of my Social Media Week highlights was hearing Foursquare CEO Dennis Crowley speak at the JWT cafeteria. I squeezed into a packed booth and met passionate social media marketers.

2011 ny social media week7

Tweets were flying on laptops and smart phones. Not surprisingly, the print copies of Fast Company remained untouched by these new media aficionados!

2011 ny social media week9

I was floored by Foursquare’s CEO, who is young, smart and accessible. I was also mesmerized by his hair, which is pin straight with flip-up bangs. It puts Mark Zuckerberg’s curls to shame! When I tweeted about it, he actually responded that he had just gotten a haircut. Impressive that a CEO with 25,000 followers (@dens) personally replies to the blogging minions.

Vail/Beaver Creek Summer Tweetup (2/16)

Vail Blogger Tweetup in NYC (#COSummer)

On Wednesday I met tourism reps from Vail and Beaver Creek, bonded with fellow travel bloggers and gorged on oven-fresh donuts at the “COSummer” tweetup, held at A Voce in the Time Warner Center.

Most exciting of all, I got to meet one of the bloggers I’ve been following since I first logged on to Twitter. Carol (aka @NYCityMama) writes engaging posts about travel destinations, food and cultural attractions. She has nearly 10,000 Twitter followers and was tweeting up a storm at the event!

Vail Blogger Tweetup in NYC (#COSummer)

I learned a great deal about Vail, which recently underwent a $2 billion redevelopment and boasts heated city sidewalks. It seems that New York artists flock to Vail in the summer, making it a great place to listen to the philharmonic or take in a ballet performance.

I caught up with friends and tweetup regulars Matt (@TheExpeditioner), deemed “cute” in the Twitter stream, and Charu (@Butterflydiary), who won a two-night stay at a Colorado resort hotel.

Vail Blogger Tweetup in NYC (#COSummer)

The food was amazing, and Matt went back for seconds!

Vail Blogger Tweetup in NYC (#COSummer)

I was impressed by the donuts and enjoyed more than my fair share. Yet another perk of being a NYC blogger!

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About Leslie Koch

I'm a New Yorker with a passion for travel and art. I founded DowntownTraveler.com after returning from a year-long backpacking trip around the world. Find me on Twitter at @leslietravel.