The official notice arrived yesterday, formally announcing the BEAtweetup, which will be held Friday, May 29, 8-10 p.m., at the Greenhouse Nightclub (150 Varick St., New York, N.Y.). This is the time of year when BEA-related party invitations and announcements usually fly around like confetti, but this particular gathering is noteworthy because it is a genuine grassroots event.
As a Twitter resident (@Fresheyesnow), I happened to be in the online waiting room while the BEAtweetup baby was born or hatched or hashtagged a couple of months ago. What began as a casual conversation quickly turned to speculation and then execution. Watching it evolve from virtual to real may have been as entertaining as the event itself seems destined to be.
Here is an excerpt from the BEAtweetup press release:
"BEAtweetup (called '#BEAtweetup' in winking reference to the Twitter-based system of 'hashtags' used to track discussion topics) is a fresh-faced, youthful and new-media embracing self-organized/organically-via-Twitter-sprouted celebration of the book community that will be taking place in conjunction with BookExpo America . . . 300-400 attendees from all parts of the trade (publishers, agents, PR & marketing pros, media, booksellers, librarians, reviewers, book bloggers, readers, authors, vendors who cater to the book community, poets, madmen, madwomen) are expected to attend this gathering of those who use Twitter to discuss books and publishing.
"#BEAtweetup's origination on the social networking platform Twitter, and its location at the trendy Greenhouse Nightclub in Manhattan (formerly host to such A-list events as a birthday party thrown by hip-hop mogul Jay-Z) aren't the only youthful facets of what's being referred to as a BEA 'new-media after-party.' The #BEAtweetup's planned entertainment consists of a DJ, cutting-edge live visual projection artists, 'how to save publishing' mad-lib games offering full-body blanket 'snuggies' as prizes and an open bar serving literary-themed cocktails such as 'Portrait of the Artist as a Young Mango-tini' courtesy of Belevedere vodka. Further sponsors of #BEAtweetup include Firebrand Technologies, Orbit Books, Permanence Matters/Glatfelter and Don Linn. Up-to-the-minute information regarding the first ever #BEAtweetup is available online at the BEAtweetup meetup group page."
I'm sure organizing this event was not easy, but it appeared to be a fast-moving and fun operation for everyone involved. If this is a micro-model of the future of publishing, things could get very interesting. Something to talk about at BEA. I currently have my BEAtweetup badge hanging from a bookcase near my desk. Next Friday I'll be wearing it at the Greenhouse. Maybe I'll see you there.--Robert Gray