Last Saturday, months of planning and anticipation came together for one very special unconference. I had the privilege of co-organizing and marketing NetSquared Camp, a full day event combining social change and technology in one undeniably powerful combination. With just over two weeks to spread the word about the very first NetSquared in Canada, this Ninja embarked on a furious journey of media sponsorship, press releases, and social media. And, as I’m happy to report, the first NetSquared Camp Vancouver sold out and hit the blogs and twitterwaves with resounding success– so much that a followup event is in the works.

The questions that came up the most were ones pertaining to the unconference structure itself and what to expect on the day. With this in mind, I want to share a general guide of unconference survival tips and how to make the most of your unconventional day of learning and networking.

Spread The Word (Unofficially, Of Course)

Unconferences thrive on a diverse gathering of people from different backgrounds and experiences. For NetSquared Camp, I representatives from non-profits, social ventures, business associations, students,  entrepreneurs, developers, designers, marketers, and so on. Backgrounds ranged from small, local startups to international organizations. Consequently, session topics ranged from the beginner and general to the specific and geek-worthy. And most of it was due to individuals sharing the information with their spheres of influence: retweeting announcements, writing blog posts, and forwarding emails to friends and colleagues. All of NetSquared Camp’s media sponsors pitched in generously to provide coverage across their networks, and the variety of organizations I got on board ensured that NetSquared was talked about among a wide variety of representatives.

Come Prepared

The loosely organized model of unconferences make them universally appealing and easier to organize than speaker-based events. That being said, however, you will need to do some prep work before attending the big day. Find the event hastag or subscribe for updates from the blog. Bookmark wiki pages and pitch a session topic in advance. Keep an eye out for emails a few days before the event with last-minute details. Come up with a few questions you’d love answered, and define why you’re going to the event and who you want to meet. Unconferences may release an advance list of attendees, so if there’s an important person you’d like to network with, make sure you keep an eye out or, better yet, connect with the individual before the event to ensure the connection is made.

Participation Is Key

Compared to other (un)conferences and networking events in my recent memory, NetSquared Camp attendees stood out by embodying an important unconference rule: participation. Some offered to facilitate sessions without  prior preparation or guidance. Others took notes and shared them on NetSquared’s event wiki, or live-tweeted session highlights for others to follow along virtually. Still more were quick to ask questions and share insights, creating that well-known unconference atmosphere of informal conversation and self-taught learning.

Go Home But Don’t Go Away

So you’ve successfully survived your first unconference. In order to fully capitalize on your hard day’s work of learning, sharing, and making connections, make sure you keep the conversation going online. Use social media and emails to keep in touch with all of the wonderful people you’ve met. Contribute your notes to the wiki and read over the sessions that you could not attend. Write articles, thank the organizers, and consider getting involved next time by volunteering your time and expertise.

So folks, unconferences are all about attendees being responsible for their own learning and the event’s success. The age of passive listening is dead, and friendly, active engagement is in.

I’ve been asked this a lot by other entrepreneurs recently: where do you find your mentors?

To answer this question properly, you first need to know why you’re on the lookout. What kind of advice or expertise are you hoping to get out of mentoring? Conversely, what knowledge, skills or enthusiasm can you offer in return? Mentoring isn’t about finding the one key individual who will solve all of your problems by dolling out connections and sagely wisdom on a timely basis.

Here’s the truth: mentors typically are very, very busy people. They usually have their own corporate jobs, consulting practices, and/or may be advising others on the side. If you’re looking for hands-on help with the day-to-day operations of your business, or just someone to keep you accountable, then try starting out with a partner with complementary skillsets or a business coach.

Having a mentor is just like any other kind of relationship building– both sides need to benefit from the mentorship in some way. This may be as simple as sharing similar interests, or seeing a future opportunity to do business. Often times, personalities and mindsets need to mesh.

Above all, mentors need you to understand that while they’re invested in your business and can be counted on to see you through the rough patches, they also want you to do your research before asking the questions. Most of the time, the solution can be found within you and your business partners.

Have more to say? Drop me a line or comment below.

Related Blog Posts:
Ninja Tip: Rockin’ the Presale
Marketing Diversity: Leveraging the Power of Local Communities
Building Trusting Relationships Through Social Media

The Networking Ninja will be contributing to the Metro Blenz News Squad during the 2010 Winter Olympics. This innovative way of centralizing the efforts of local bloggers here in Vancouver is spearheaded by independent chain Blenz Coffee and Metro Vancouver News. Updates on twitter will be under #MBNS, so please follow @CeciliaLu and @Kiwano for all the latest happenings. Highlights from our posts will also be displayed on the Metro Vancouver Newspaper’s online website and in their daily print edition.

Here’s Cecilia’s specific ‘mission statement’: “As a Networking Ninja, I will sneak around focusing on sustainability initiatives and the effects of the Olympics on small businesses.” Care to help a Ninja out? Get in touch on twitter or leave a comment below!

About The Metro Blenz News Squad:
The Metro Blenz News Squad (MBNS) is a made up of a group of people from all walks of life and backgrounds that want to share their experiences using various forms of digital media. Some will blog, other will take photos and still other will shoot some video and post it all to one site. Any time the content is used on any platform, the authors will be acknowledged (in the papers and online, or in store in the case of Blenz Coffee).

Metro Newspaper Vancouver:
Metro will then take the various forms of digital content and post it to their website. Also, selective content may find its way into their daily print edition.

Blenz Coffee:
Blenz will be the home to the News Squad during the project. And, like Metro, Blenz will keep their customers current by posting updated in real time on their in-store Digital Network. Check out the Blenz Network at http://bit.ly/aJJVgZ

Social Media Co-Operation:
Many of the companies and individuals involved will also be connecting with their readers and followers providing updates about other members of the team. This cross-promotion program will provide additional reach for all participating members of the Squad.

This week, the topic of discussion for my mentorship group was sales. We discussed many ideas around the art of selling, but there was one that stood out in my mind. A common barrier in the presale process was that certain clients focused on telling us about their problems, instead of fully listening to our solutions. Others were only interested in the facts and benefits of our services; in other words, the hard numbers and measurable ROI.

My next ninja tip is: in order to sell, you first need to invest in your client.

This may seem like a backwards process to some- can small businesses really afford to sink so much time and energy into the presale process? Shouldn’t our end goal revolve around getting as many proposals out the door as possible?

To me, the number one advantage small businesses and entrepreneurs have over larger entities is our ability to listen to our audience. Whether it’s through social media, networking, or one-on-one meetings, I never take for granted that individuals have taken time out of their busy lives to stop and have a conversation with me.

So, the next time that ‘pesky’ client requests a face-to-face meeting, or wants you to forward yet another quote or financial statement, I challenge you to see this exchange as a positive investment of your time (and theirs). In asking for more information or telling you about their problems, what they’re really asking for is: will my investment be reciprocated? It’s up to you to show them that yes, their time is indeed valuable and worth every moment of yours.

Have more to say? Drop me a line or a comment below.

The Kiwano’s green launch party was a success! We loved connecting with our great business supporters and Vancouver’s top green leaders.

We’ll be posting photos and videos from the party in our Facebook fan page within the next 48 hours. If you have any photos you’d like to share, just send them to sofia@kiwano.ca – we’d love to see them!

A big thank-you to all our volunteers:

- Kim
- Chuck
- Johannes Weinman
- Tim Furness
- Michael Martin
- and everyone who helped cleaning out the room!

This party wouldn’t have been possible without our amazing sponsors:

- Stanley Park Ecology Society
- Red Case Creative
- Lotusland Vineyards
- Mark It Alternatives
- ZOLD
- The Cleaning Divas
- Ethical Bean Coffee
- Fundrazr
- Ladybug Organics
- J Evans Photography
- Can Am Nurseries Inc
- Qoola
- De Dutch Pannekoek House

How Do You Run A Sustainable Event?

It’s easy! This is what we did:

- All prizes were fair-trade and sustainably sound
- We got a non-profit on board. The Stanley Park Ecology Society actively contributes to a sustainable economy and protects the natural environment by providing educational programs
- The food provided was sourced from local, organic farms
- Our sponsors were green, ethical small businesses
- The location was next to a bus stop and there were several bike routes available from downtown
- All carbon emissions were offset by Carbon Fund, supporting a renewable energy project.

We hope you keep in touch for the next 6 months, years and… decades! Let us know if you ever want to get to know Kiwano a little better and – who knows? – start a great green marketing campaign.

Last week, I guest blogged for Granville Magazine on networking event Power Plant. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at this defining event for Vancouver green leaders; it’s packed with the perfect mix of energy, ideas, and casualness. And we’re all about the casualness.

This event was packed with connections, and Kiwano certainly made a big one with B2CP, as we’ve previously announced.

Next was Kevin Washbrook, founder and organizer of Bridge To A Cool Planet, an initiative aimed at bringing together the people of Vancouver to call for “real action on climate change” at the climate talks in Copenhagen in December. Kevin and I spoke afterwards about his passion to bring awareness about climate change through the International Day of Climate Action, on October 24, by gathering as many people as possible on the Cambie Bridge. “If you do one thing this year [for climate change], come to the bridge… This is not a protest,” Kevin stressed, “It’s a celebration!”

Read the entire guest post at Granville Online.

We also scooped an awesome photographer for our upcoming event in November. Jonathan Evans Photography has graciously agreed to cover Kiwano’s Launch Party (more details soon!) and you can see some of the photos he took from Power Plant here.

As the Networking Ninja of Kiwano Marketing, I look forward to attending and blogging about more of these events in the near future.

I’m pleased to announce, Kiwano Marketing is officially on a networking roll! Networking Ninja Cecilia will be attending the next Power Plant, a green gathering for green leaders, on September 30 at The Refinery. She’ll be joined by Hilary Henegar, the Digital Editor at Granville Magazine, for this sold-out event.

I’ve been excited about seeing the new eco-friendly renovations in person ever since this post by Granville Magazine. Come out and meet us, all the while contributing your ideas to current green businesses.

The Refinery
1115 Granville Street, Vancouver
September 30, 5:30 – 7:30pm

Power Plant Vancouver Background:
Power Plant is a unique and non-traditional networking event in Vancouver for a dynamic crowd of sustainable business leaders, social entrepreneurs, eco-adventurers and green artists. Power Plant offers an innovative and casual approach to networking with the aim of celebrating success, sharing ideas and knowledge, creating strategic partnerships and gathering to promote growth of Vancouver’s green economy – while enjoying a bevy or two!

Here are some photos of Kiwano Marketing at Vancouver Twestival, last Saturday on the rooftop of Ceilis Irish Pub. We had such a blast meeting new contacts in the Vancouver social media scene and talking to some of our old friends (some of which we had only previously connected with online). Vancouver Twestival 2009 raised close to three thousand dollars for BC Children Hospital Foundation’s “Be A Superhero” campaign.

photo credit: @GusF

You can find our full set of photos on Flickr.

We are attending Vancouver Twestival this upcoming Saturday, September 12 at Ceilis Irish Pub. Come out and meet us, while contributing to a good cause:

Ceilis Irish Pub (Rooftop)
670 Smithe Street, Vancouver
September 12, 4:00 – 7:00pm

Twestival Background:
Back in February over 200 cities around the world met in clubs, conference centres, coffee shops and restaurants to host fundraising events for the same global cause, charity:water. Each person came together through communications on Twitter and many met contacts and followers face to face for the first time.
It was such a success (with over $250,000 raised globally, and $4,000 locally in the same night) that “Twestival Local” will again take place, benefitting local causes. This year, the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation will receive 100% of your ticket sale, supporting the “Be a Superhero” campaign.

About Kiwano Marketing
Kiwano Marketing provides green marketing services to small businesses. Based in Vancouver, we design affordable web and print marketing programs with high return on investment – generating more sales for your business while serving our local community.

So you’ve created a profile on twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn (or all three), and started generating interest online for your brand or service. You send out a few tweets while having your morning coffee. Your LinkedIn profile is near completion and you’re finally satisfied with the profile picture. Some days, you even have difficulty managing your time because you’ve gotten so engrossed with this new Internet tool of the future. But after a few weeks of this, you start to wonder, is social media all that it’s cracked up to be? Where are the leads? Where are the sales? What, in short, is the real ROI when it comes to Social Media for Small Businesses?

Kiwano Tip #3: Networking with Social Media

Social media is indeed a powerful tool, but it can’t be the only one at your company’s disposal. With any effective small business strategy, social media needs to work together with all the other pieces of your marketing plan. Using it can be as limited as securing a mouthpiece for your company’s announcements. However, the real value of social media comes from taking full advantage of the networking and relationship-building opportunities. Individuals and companies that you would otherwise have trouble accessing are on your virtual doorstep. Social media networks are the best kind of unobtrusive advertising – unlike business cards, which can be easily discarded or forgotten, your quality interactions remind your audience of who you are and what you do.

Here are three suggestions to help you take social media to the next level; ones we’ve used to great success here at Kiwano Marketing. Use these and other strategies to help draw in those who can help your small business grow and prosper.

Go to a Tweetup

A #tweetup is an event which is usually arranged or advertised through twitter or other social media platforms. I’ve been to many tweetups over the past year, and it’s been great to see how quickly people, venues, and causes can be mobilized online. Some of the biggest tweetups I’ve been to were ticketed events consisting of several hundred people. The most unique to date – hanging out at a Japanese hot-dog stand with a few local twitter contacts.

Anything and everything goes, and it’s up to you to take advantage of meeting people offline and solidifying your business relationship. Don’t see a tweetup you like? Take the initiative and suggest an informal gathering – a coffee break or lunch hour works perfectly – with some of your most active followers. Want to go big? Start with Mashable’s list of do’s and don’ts for organizing large-scale tweetups.

Get Involved with LinkedIn Groups

You know those groups you joined on LinkedIn way back – the ones that keep on sending you daily updates that you never read anymore? Sometimes, a little interaction and interest in these groups goes a long way. Sure, some groups may be littered with job seeking ads and business pitches, but beyond the surface level are discussions which have great potential for turning both leads and ideas. Try skimming a few groups for engaging topics and make sure to follow any discussions you take part in (LinkedIn has an option to send you an email whenever someone posts anything new). If you maintain a blog, try sharing some of your articles in the News section of related groups.

Share Content on Facebook

Your Facebook’s company page is a great place to let loose and show a less corporate side of your business. Viewers want to know they’re following and supporting a genuine group of people with interests outside of pure business. Try sharing interesting articles that are still related to your industry, but offer practical takeaways for consumers.

If you’ve got the time (and trust me, it takes very little time), consider sharing some content on YouTube and linking it back to your Facebook page. In the world of viral marketing, homemade videos are best – interesting content and ideas are prized above professional camera work. Try it as a part of disseminating your next big announcement. Or, turn the camera inward – perhaps you want to highlight a successful business practice or a fun corporate culture.

Want more suggestions of social media networking, or have some of your own to share? Let me know at cecilia@kiwano.ca or leave a comment below, and I’ll be happy to take your suggestions and feedback to create more social media tips from Kiwano Marketing.