Netroots Nation (the convention formerly known as YearlyKos) turned five this year. To celebrate the 5th anniversary, Netroots Nation 2010 returned to its place of origin: Las Vegas. Thousands of attendees from across the country flocked to Sin City for four action-packed days of panels, training sessions, and, yes, a multitude of parties and events. grassroots solutions’ Lindsay Hanson and Reed Millar were happy to be part of the mix – our fourth year in attendance. What happened in Vegas isn’t staying in Vegas this time, though: here are a few of Lindsay’s and Reed’s more memorable tidbits and observations from their Vegas experience …
- Netroots Nation, All Grown Up: The volume and increasing diversity of attendees and the impressive array of speakers, panelists, participants, exhibitors, and attendees were all signs that Netroots Nation has come of age. The Netroots community is no longer on the fringe trying to crash the gates.
- We Aren’t Out of Good Ideas Yet: Our friends over at The Uptake (Minnesota bloggers that took online reporting to a new level during the Franken recount) set up a studio right on the floor of the exhibit hall for bloggers to report via video on all of the exciting developments at the convention. Reed Millar took a few minutes with his old friend Matthew Slutsky of Change.org to try it out.
- Social Media Within an Organization Is Everyone’s Job: In the Wanna Change the World: How to Rock on Social Media panel, Cheryl Contee of Fission Strategy and Jack and Jill Politics (@cher3yl) noted that social media knowledge and responsibility should not just reside with one person within an organization. It belongs to everyone. At the same time, Cheryl pointed out that organizations often have an intern managing social media and asked, “Would you have an intern talk to the New York Times?” Cheryl suggested making sure that the person managing your organization’s social media has the talking points and information s/he needs. If ABC News is watching your social media streams, your staff must be able to understand the implications of the work they are doing.
- The Goal is to Communicate, Not Get Followers: Dr. Goddess (@drgoddess) noted in the session on Tweeting the Revolution that the goal of Twitter is to communicate, not get followers. Furthermore, she has never asked for followers. Dr. Goddess recommends being who you are and presenting your information. THEN the followers will come.
- Social Media Can Help You Build a Movement: As part of Copenhagen to Cancun: Climate Negotiations and the Netroots, representatives from 350.org and other environmental organizations talked about the large international actions they were able to organize thanks to the multiplying effect of social media, the motivation that so many activists feel from being part of a global network, and the ability of digital media to coordinate action, not just between activists, but between organizations and across continents.
- Mobile is a Layer in Your Strategy: In the session on Mobile and Reform Immigration for America Campaign, Ryan Bates reflected that Mobile is a layer in your strategy. You “can’t just send a text and expect people to show up.” The panelists went on to note that sign-up sheets are more effective than short code shout-outs to build mobile lists at events, and that it is key for mobile outreach to be fully integrated with your field program.
- Lizz Winstead May Be the Funniest Person Alive: “Progressives, we need better costumes and more vampires.”
- There is Definitely an Art to a Good Panel: Like all conferences, there were some great panels, some good panels, and some not so great panels. One of the panels, though, got such an effusion of compliments that its moderator, Deanna Zandt, wrote a post on her blog about how to put together and moderate a killer panel.
- When the “Internets” Fail, grassroots solutions Staff Will Pay: When Internet withdrawal got too severe, Lindsay and Reed broke down and paid for Internet access.
- Minnesota in 2011!!!: Finally, the number one highlight from the convention had to be Senator Al Franken’s big announcement that next year Netroots Nation will be coming to the Land of Lakes, home of Prince, Bob Dylan, Prairie Home Companion, and grassroots solutions’ headquarters. We look forward to welcoming Netroots Nation to Minneapolis in 2011!