How South Florida's tech community has organized itself through meetups, conferences, and continuous networking online.

1. Innovation and Community:
How Social Media is Transforming South Florida
March 19, 2010 Alex de Carvalho

2. I’m just a social
media user ... and not
a guru, expert, or
swami*!
(*The only Suomi
in me is from my
Finnish heritage)

3. Alex de Carvalho
@alexdc
@alexdcRx
http://alexdc.org

8. RefreshMiami: new media community
- South Florida’s largest web and new media community
- Established March 2006
- Over 2,500 members
- Monthly meetups average 150 participants
http://refreshmiami.org

9. @brianbreslin @robertmurray @cwsaylor @alexdc

13. BarCamp Miami: new media conference
- Web and new media “un”conference
- Over 1,160 have attended four events
- Supported by over 50 company sponsorships
http://barcampmiami.org

15. Social Media Club of South Florida
Established September 2008
- Over 1,500 members
- Monthly meetups average 100 participants
- Expand media literacy
- Share lessons learned
- Adopt industry standards
- Promote ethical practices
http://socialmediaclubsf.org

17. Mobile Monday Miami
Established June 2008
- Over 300 members
- Monthly meetups average 60 participants
http://momomiami.com

18. Existing community models
✤ RefreshMiami
✤ BarCamp Miami
✤ Social Media Club South Florida
✤ Mobile Monday Miami
✤ Crisis Camp Haiti
✤ Tech Tuesday
✤ Tweetups
✤ Coworking Miami - Brikolodge
✤ Ruby Brigade
✤ iPhone Lovers Meetup
✤ Wordpress Meetup
✤ and then some ...

19. Many other models exist
✤ The Hatchery / Are You Serious?
✤ TechCocktail
✤ OpenCoffee
✤ World Café
✤ Ignite
✤ First Tuesday
✤ Twiistup
✤ Potrepreneur (Beertrepreneur)
✤ etc.

20. Text
Text
“So ... what’s the scuttlebutt?”

21. We have shared interests
It’s the reason we speak to each other
and not someone else

32. Why is tech important to Miami?
"The digital economy is absolutely central to the future
of wealth creation.
Although we are living in an increasingly globalised
world, it is local communities rather than nations that
are becoming more important"
Chris Clark, BT Chief Executive, February 18, 2010

33. Why is tech important to Miami?
“The key to economic growth lies not
just in the ability to attract the
creative class, but to translate that
underlying advantage into creative
economic outcomes in the form of
new ideas, new high-tech businesses
and regional growth.”
Richard Florida

34. Why is tech important to Miami?
• White collar, well-paid, culturally curious
• Driver of economic development
• Attracts innovation, talent, and money
• South Florida’s “legacy” industries need tech to remain
competitive
• Real Estate
• Tourism & Hospitality
• Healthcare
• Banking
• Journalism / Media

35. What have we learned?
✤ Community management
✤ The right meeting venue
✤ Consistent date and location
✤ Coordination with other event organizers
✤ “Open-source” culture and ethics
✤ Low-stress, informal, “Beer and Pizza”
✤ Networking should be free
✤ Quality presenters
✤ Sponsorship
✤ Executive committees
✤ Proximity to bar or restaurant
✤ Use of social networks: Google groups, LinkedIn, Facebook
✤ Eventbrite registrations

36. Challenges remain
Attention from:
• Media
• Local government
Attract more:
• Business development
• Investment

37. How can we use social media to forward
resolution of pressing global issues such as …
✤ Healthcare?
✤ Economic stimulus?
✤ Education and Knowledge Transfer?
✤ Peace?
✤ Population control?
✤ Infrastructure Improvement?
✤ Access to Technology?

38. We can leverage social media to build
real bridges between communities, by:
✤ Engaging people around topics of interest and encouraging them to
collaborate and to develop communities
✤ Empowering people to use technologies to assist in improving their
lives
✤ Open sharing of experiences, information and knowledge
✤ Developing cultures of transparency, inclusiveness, and innovation
✤ Localisation; local content creation, local resource distribution, local
awareness development, local knowledge transfer, local solution
development thru global communication

39. @gapingvoid

40. Image attribution*
✤
Beach image purchased from iStockPhoto
✤
Swami http://www.flickr.com/photos/boskizzi/12103933/
✤
Islamorada images by Alex de Carvalho http://flickr.com/photos/adc
✤
RefreshMiami Inaugural Meeting http://www.flickr.com/photos/cwsaylor/
143785905/
✤
Scuttlebutt http://www.whatsthescuttlebutt.com/
✤
Pickup game http://www.flickr.com/photos/robinzeggs/141674593/
✤
Soccer http://www.flickr.com/photos/tylercacek/739063425/
✤
Events in the Sky http://dinnerinthesky.com
✤
4th Street Basketball http://www.flickr.com/photos/riverst/2356785132/
✤
Brickell image by Alex de Carvalho http://flickr.com/photos/adc
✤
Watercooler conversations http://www.flickr.com/photos/happyyoga/
2118369604/
✤
“Good ideas have lonely childhoods” cartoon by @gapingvoid http://
gapingvoid.com/2008/09/12/good-ideas-have-lonely-childhoods/
✤
Social media avatars http://www.flickr.com/ photos/luc/1824234195/
*All images are licensed under Creative Commons

41. Innovation and community organizing,
through Social Media
Alex de Carvalho