We’re in the dog days of summer (blog days of summer?), so things are supposed to be slow, although it just seems to mean there’s more time available for events, meetups, and other types of social media schmoozing and networking.
Here are a few things upcoming for the metro DC area, culled from DCTechEvents.com, Social Media Club DC, and other sources. While by no means comprehensive, if you know of an event, leave a comment and I’ll add it to the list.
(Oh, and I’m not saying I’m going to be at every one of these. That would be… challenging.)
August
* Wednesday, August 19 – Washington Blogger Meetup. Free; a casual, mostly social gathering of bloggers of all stripes. 7pm, Madam’s Organ (2nd floor) in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of DC.
* Thursday, August 20 – Social Matchbox DC. $15. “Speed dating for geeks” (I’m telling you, Bob, slap a trademark on that), with presentations from startups looking for talent, along with the usual networking. 6:30pm, E Street Cinema, DC
Also, that night, Refresh DC’s August Meetup. Free. This design-focused talk is entitled, “From Goya to Google: Traditional Design Principles at Work on the Web.” 7pm, AARP in DC.
* Wednesday, August 26 – DC Media Makers. Free. This edition is a mashup free-for-all, so bring your hardware and participate in your medium of choice. 6:30pm, NPR in DC.
Wednesday is also DC’s First Official Google Meetup. Free. Open to Googlers and Google users (so, basically everyone). 6pm, Lima Restaurant & Lounge, DC (right off McPherson Square Metro, great for an Orange Line suburbanite like me).
* Thursday, August 27 – TechCocktail DC 6. $10. Tech networking and demos. 6:30pm, LeftBank in Adams Morgan. (And of course, all the movers and the shakers will be at Amsterdam Falafel afterwards. Well, at least I will.)
* Saturday (yes, Saturday), August 29 – TechAdventure DC. $40. Destination socialization, featuring a bus ride out for a day of wine tasting at the Rappahannock Cellars winery. Charter bus leaves from Capitol Hill at noon. (Space is limited.)
Looking forward into September:
* Wednesday, Sept. 2 – Tap the Collective. $5. Panel discussion on collective intelligence, looking at Intellipedia and other tools. 6pm, LeftBank.
* Tuesday, Sept. 8 – Gov 2.0 Expo Showcase. $140 (early bird price to August 20). Even if you can’t finagle a way into the invite-only Gov 2.0 Summit (Sept. 9 and 10), you can still check out these Ignite-style presentations on various Government 2.0 topics, divided into 5 categories, featuring gov’t agencies (from federal to local), advocacy groups, and the private sector. 8:30am-5:30pm. Walter E. Washington Convention Center.
* Thursday, Sept. 10 – Washington DC Twestival. $20 (Proceeds benefit Miriam’s Kitchen.) The second installment of an event mobilizing Twitter-engaged communities for social good, this time benefiting local charities. 7pm, Midtown Loft, DC.
* Saturday, Sept. 12 – Sunday, Sept. 13 – CongressCamp Unconference. Free (the price of admission is participation). For Congressional staffers, advocacy groups, social technologists, and citizen advocates to talk about Government 2.0, with a particular focus on Congress. Location TBD.
* Wednesday, Sept. 16 – Web Content Mavens monthly meetup. Free. This month’s topic is Web Analytics Usage Among Government and Nonprofits. 7pm, location TBD.
* Tuesday, Sept. 29 – Of course, I would be remiss if I left out the GrowSmartBiz Conference, presented by Network Solutions and featuring keynote speaker Chris Anderson (editor for Wired, who’s shaken things up with books The Long Tail and Free.) For small businesses looking for ways to grow their business. $299 (say you’re a friend of Shashi by registering with the discount code “FRIENDOFSHASHI” and get half-off, a savings of $150, or share your small business success story for a chance to win a free admission). 8:30am-5pm, Renaissance Hotel, DC.
That should keep you busy, right? If you’ve got your own event to add, leave a comment, and maybe I’ll see you out at one of them.
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