photo set from sxsw smiles

click here to check out the photo set (And some personal pics)

SxSW SMILES DAY 2

People love the Smile Wall so much they are video blogging shout outs for us!
http://tiny12.tv/QABXM

DAY 5- SXSW SMILES PART 2

<HAPPY ST.PATRICK'S DAY>
So day 1 of SxSW SMILES was amazing! While we didn't get the big donations rolling, the fact that over 300 people stopped by to share WHAT MAKES YOU SMILE. We got great pictures and had some amazing conversations. Many people are interested in using their blogs and social networks to help us help more children. It was so great that people were bummed they didn't get to come by so we're doing it again this morning.

The action and response was so amazing that we're in talks with SxSW officials to make it an official SxSW event next year with a higher profile and maybe even incorporate a stage for the music festival. I can see it now: 'Ladies and Gentleman introducing Pearl Jam live from the Smile Stage". I'll speak to them in May to see what we can make happen.

I sat down for an adult beverage with Scott Goldstein from the Obama campaign, he has a very similar background as me coming from a rock & roll field and working in club promotions and radio and now for politics and ngo's. He was really into what we're doing and told me about a mjor donor in DC that is a huge advocate for us yet only donates online. I'll be emailing him later this week as he may want to get involved in SxSW SMILES for next year. Scott's coming by this morning to set up a meet.

Also last night I met the CEO of Convio and their Social Media Diva who asked me for an interview for her social media non profit blog. She has a great understanding of our needs and we were mutually excited to meet and chat. She'll be coming by today as well to chat more and set up some follow up.

It has been an exhausting, interesting, entertaining and inspiring week and I'm sure today will prove just as stimulating. I'm off for a quick coffee before the last day, please check out the amazing pics from tomorrow (don't worry, upon my return i will "edit" the photos) but for now have a look at the inspiring, goofy and controversial things that make people smile:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/34364357@N00/sets/72157614768396373

SXSW SMILES set-up

Getting set up an people are already flooding to the table! Lot's of great visitors sharing their smiles with us (and a few bucks too!)

DAY 4-It's SxSW SMILES DAY!!!

Yesterday was amazing. I made so many incredible contacts and hadd so many learning experiences and they kept going until late in the evening. Here are just some highlights:

• Met Tara Hunt (@missrogue) and chatted about sxswsmiles
• Met the guys from an incredible micro-loan program called opt-in (www.optinnow.com)
• Gave away 400 hand bills for sxswsmiles
• Had my picture taken with the segway blow up doll. Segway asked "How tdo you roll?"
• Met and chatted with David Meerman Scott who offered up some great advice and encouragement (www.davidmeermanscott)
• Talked to a guy from Google about doing a Google Smiles day with the "What makes you Smile" concept-he's coming by today to chat more
• Talked to Scott Goodstein from the Obama social media campaign about our social media strategy and online/offline promotions
• Talked with a kiosk and trade show designer about working on "The Operation Smile Experience" traveling show-his company does amazing work and is looking for a charity to partner with
• Talked to a game design company about designing an interactive compnent to "The Operation Smile Experience"
• Will be story boarding "The Operation Smile Experience" today
• Talked to innovative user generated t-shirt company Threadless about partnering on a t-shirt design contest (www.threadless.com)
• Had dinner with folks from Beaconfire, Hewlett Packard, FreeRange Studios in preperation and celebration for today

Gotta run, check out the photo stream at www.operationsmile.org/sxsw to see the folks that come by as we ask "What makes you smile?"

DAY 3-meeting tech Rock Stars

so i have a quick (opporative word quick) second to post a blog. Had some incredibly amazing connections and onversations today! I am a huge fan of David Meerman Scott, http://www.davidmeermanscott.com/. He has a great handle on concisely and effectively understanding and communicating social media. Lots of free resources etc.
So yesterday I saw his book reading and scored a copy of his new book and then this morning in the Bloggers lounge I had a great chance to speak with him. Looking at doing a Mr. Potato Head across the world viral campaign.

Also in the Bloggers Lounge were my new bestie @xian3000 aka Christian Caldwell from American Heart Association. He has been amazing at introducing me, guiding me and giving me incredibly invaluable info on how to do my job better. @Pistachio was there too-i said hi and asked her to come by sxsw smiles (she said she would).

I was torn between going to the Moms Who Blog or Making Whuffie sessions (whuffie means internet creditbility and reach). I went to Whuffie because I figured I needed some and I know @emom and her freinds are coming by tomorrow.

Whuffie was @missrogue (can you say 25k + followers???!!!) session and was very valuable-even more valuable was giving away 300 fliers for #sxswsmiles and encouraging people to "increase your whuffie and help kids tomorrow". I think it might work. It doesn't hurt that @rachelannyes introduced me to Miss Rogue (Tara Hunt) who then said she'd come by AND she put on a sxswsmiles button and said she'd spread the word! (SCORE)

I am meeting really awesome people, getting tons of ideas and have a great rest/work/blab/blog/rest rythm going so i don't poop out!

More later--including video and pics--

Day 3 -ends in Social Media ROI Poetry Slam

I'll fill in the rest of the day in my next post but wanted to capture the wonderment that was the Non-Profit Social Media ROI POETRY SLAM--yes I said Poetry Slam. Experts in the field, the true innovators in non-profit social media use discussed metrics, campaigns, challenges and triumphs in 5 minute segments in the style of poetry, rap and rhyme.
I was honored to be a Twitter moderator and sit up front like I'm special-so rather than re-create this impossibly awesome session check out these links:
http://beth.typepad.com/
http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23roi (Twitter Search #roi)

ROCK ON! now onto some "networking opportunities" AKA parties!!!!