Social Media Club SMASHVILLE

Last night on the ground level of the US Bank Tower (One Nashville Place), a meeting was held.  A meeting of the brightest, or at least most social, social media minds in the city of Nashville, to come together to discuss the use of social media tools within the realm of Nashville Predators hockey - with a complimentary cheese plate as an added bonus.

Executive VP of Marketing of the Preds, Derek Perez was there, alongside some familiar names in the Preds blogging community: Codey Holland (section303.com/the 303:30), Paul Nicholson (ReTweetBot), Dirk Hoag (OnTheForecheck), and I did see a few faces I recognize from various blogs as well (PredsOnTheGlass and WhatThePuck were representin' as well).

We discussed the use of Twitter, FaceBook, blogging, web-forums and, as strange as this would've sounded five years ago, NOT MySpace, in terms of bringing the local hockey community together and spreading the "gospel" of the Preds, as well as bringing the most interesting stories to light, taking responsibility as a fan blogger when obtaining those heavenly items we'd all like [aka. "credentials"], and the latest and greatest in marketing hockey to average joes in a non-tradtional market.

A few comments were made regarding my Nashville Gothic t-shirt I made for a handful of musically like-minded season-ticket-holding individuals, but Derek enjoyed the fact that I created grass-roots merch and wanted to see more fans doing it themselves.  More shirts, more signs, more posters, more of that familiar fang'd passion to make the non-converted sports fans to stop, collaborate and listen [Ice is back with a...wait...]. And it was in agreement that the Smashville signs we've been seeing on all the light posts around Demonbreun couldn't have come at a more opportune time.


All in all, the night was a success.  The upcoming BarCamp Nashville was mentioned, as it's the biggest ongoing annual social media event in Nashville, and if this evening was anything similar to what BarCamp has to offer, it is going to be intriguing to say the least.  I'm personally looking forward to seeing some of you familiar faces there!

That being said...ONWARD TO THE HOME OPENER!!!

Cheers.