As we roll into the warmer weather months here in North America many organizations are ramping up their efforts to plan and execute a myriad of events slated to occur in the summer of 2006. Music festivals, state fairs, carnivals, conferences, company retreats and many more types of important events that will include more than just a few people will be occuring every week over the next several months.

One of the most important aspects of any major event involves the dissemination of information related to the event. Event organizers want confirmed or potential attendees to be informed and excited about the event.

In the past, event organizers would create a static website, send out email alerts or even mail hard copies of event updates in order to get the word out. In 2006 event organizers have the option of utilizing social media to spread the word about their events.

I can already here some folks saying, “Yeah but we have a website already.” That’s great, because a website helps people get information once they’ve found out about the event. And a website provides you the basis to distribute information via Social Media technology. A website with Social Media added helps people to A. Find the event and B. Stay up to date on what’s happening without having to check the site every day.

Speaking of websites, you might even think about starting (or requiring if you’re contracting the work out) the development of your event website using a tool designed to power a blog. Free tools like Wordpress, Blogger or Drupal can provide all the functionality of a standard website plus the ability to create an Blog or a Podcast powered by RSS feeds.

So exactly how do you use Social Media to get the word out on your event? I’m glad you asked. Create a blog to keep people up to date on the happenings with your event. Publish articles on the blog that give people tips to get the most out of the event. Publish photos before, during and after the event. Provide summaries of the different facets of the event that can be used as the basis for a website for the next event.

You can also get rich and use podcasts as a tool. If you’re planning an event that includes live music or other performances then you could provide audio or video samples of the performer’s doing their thing. This is a great way to get people excited about attending an event. Deliver audio interviews with people who are speaking at your event. You could podcast video clips of the venues or area where your event is taking place. And you could always record the goings on at the event to have media for a podcast to promote the next event.

If you’re worried about the pricey cost of hosting media for delivery of event Podcasts then consider this. Services like OurMedia, Google Video, Odeo and PodServe will host your media for free.

Let’s not forget to use Social Media to help with organization of the event. A Wiki application like MediaWiki, JotSpot or SocialText can help everyone get on the same page while collaborating on event planning duties.

If you want to find more ideas about how to use Social Media in conjunction with your event, grab some from the strategies of Social Media Conferences. These types of events typically lead the way in the utilization of Social Media to enhance an event.

Finally, I’ll leave you with some best practices to follow when integrating Social Media into the planning for your event.

• Make a plan so that you know how you’re going to use the technology before you commit time and budget.
• Team up with someone (like Awakened Voice) who knows how to correctly design and implement a Social Media strategy.
• Start your efforts early enough so that your Social Media can reach an audience well in advance of the event date.
• Create and keep track of collateral (interviews, videos, feedback, photos) for use in promoting the next event.
• Have fun and be creative.

Some folks not familiar with Social Media might ask about the Return On Investment (ROI) of an event strategy that includes Social Media. Many of these people would not disagree that a quality standard website is key to promoting any event. Then I’m sure those same people would agree that a website that reaches out to touch the audience is a good investment as well.
[tags]Social Media, Events, Blogging, Podcasting, Wiki, Business Ideas[/tags]