Greetings DC and beyond!

Well, we tried to do something a little different for our April event, but unfortunately the weather fairies and a number of other circumstances didn’t cooperate. A million apologies to the hardy souls that came out. We will make it up to you (see below). Rest assured that we will stick to indoor venues from now on.

If you follow me on Twitter (@DistrictOfAris), you probably know that I love politics. And social media. And happy hour. I am very pleased to announce that our May event will contain all three, along with an all-star panel. Read on for details:

Date/time:

Thursday May 17, 2012
6:00-8:00 pm
Note: we moved from our customary Wednesday in order to get a kick-ass venue
(add to your iCal calendar)

Location:

Policy Restaurant and Lounge
1904 14th St. NW
Washington, DC 20009
(view in Google Maps)

Topic:

The 2008 Presidential Elections fundamentally changed the way that political campaigns are run at the grassroots level. Going into this year’s elections, our panel will discuss the impact and importance that social media will play in the election process. We’re talking about methods, best practices and trends rather than partisan ideology.  How will social media be leveraged to influence voters and which platforms will rise to the forefront? Join us and find out as we get into politics at Policy!

Moderator:

Omar McCrimmon@omarjmc Public Affairs, National Institutes of Health, National Human Genome Research Institute
Omar is a DC native and accomplished communications professional specializing in new media, online communications, and media relations.  Prior to joining NIH, he spent two years at The Center for American Progress, one of the country’s leading liberal think tanks.

Panel:

Ethan Klapper@ethanklapper Politics Social Media Editor, The Huffington Post
Ethan is the politics social media editor at The Huffington Post, where he manages the social media presence of the site’s popular politics section. Previously, Ethan was an online editor at National Journal and a contributor to 10,000 Words, a blog about journalism and technology. He graduated cum laude from American University in 2011. During college, Ethan interned at National Journal, The Washington Post, BNA, The (Westchester, N.Y.) Journal News and mediabistro.com. He is a native of Rye Brook, N.Y.

Paul Winn@PaulSMG  Political Director, Smart Media Group
As political director, Paul brings extensive media buying expertise to Smart Media Group. During his time at Smart Media, the agency has grown to be the highest billing Republican buying agency and boasts the largest staff of any Republican firm. Known for sophisticated research, fast responsiveness and tenacious negotiation, Smart Media Group delivers Madison Avenue media buying to Republican candidates and conservative causes.
In 2010, Paul oversaw $250 million in media spending for candidates and issues across the U.S. and had the privilege of working with Senator Rubio, Congresswoman Noem and the U.S. Chamber—to name a select few.  Prior to joining Smart Media Group, Paul managed political advertising and public relations campaigns for GOP candidates around the nation.

Matthew Gagnon - @MatthewGagnon Director Of Digital Strategy, Republican Governors Association
Matthew Gagnon is a Republican strategist, specializing in leveraging digital tools in the political campaign space.  He is currently the Director of Digital Strategy for the Republican Governors Association, where he is responsible for the development and execution of online campaigns in thirteen states and territories, as well as the Wisconsin recall.  Prior to his time at the RGA, Gagnon was Deputy Director of Digital Strategy for the National Republican Senatorial Committee in the 2010 cycle, which saw the GOP pick up a net of seven seats in the U.S. Senate.  He has also spent some time in the private sector, and on Capitol Hill, where he served as Director of New Media Communications for Senator Susan Collins of his native state of Maine.  Matt lives in Kingstowne, Virginia with his wife Erin and five year old son, Alec.

Pricing:

Pay $5 ahead of time (RSVP via the Eventbrite invitation), or $10 at the door. Credit cards are accepted (and preferred!!), as we do not have cash on hand.
If you registered for the April event, this one’s on us!! You should have received an email with instructions on how to claim the promo code. If not, please DM @SMCDC or email us at socialmediaclubdc (at) gmail (dot) com.

Final notes:

We would like to thank Policy Lounge for graciously hosting us and helping promote this event on Twitter. You guys rock!! Thanks!!

As always, if you have ANY questions/comments/concerns, we are just a tweet away at @SMCDC. See you in two weeks!!

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To the SMC-DC Community:

I believe I know the majority of you personally, or at least am connected to you on one or more social networks, so many of you are probably aware that I recently (Saturday) picked up and moved across the country to San Francisco.

I’ve absolutely loved the past five years I spent in DC, largely due in part to the incredible organization that is the DC Social Media Club. For the past two years, I’ve worked to build the group and its community to be a reliable (and fun) source for all things social media in the District. I learned so much at every panel, made such fantastic connections with our speakers, partners and audience members, and as for my team… well, this past year would have been nothing without all of you.

It’s because of the SMC-DC team’s tireless efforts, dedication, and willingness to participate in endless threaded reply-all Gmails (I think we had a couple chains that went for 100+, no joke) that the organization has grown the way it has. It’s because of YOU GUYS that each and every event, brainstorming, and happy hour was an absolute blast. It’s because of you that a volunteer team was able to keep this group and its mission not only going strong throughout the year, but continuing to thrive. Sure, we had some people fall off, but it only made us stronger, as we were able to identify our truly devoted core team and work together more efficiently.

I hate to leave such an amazing organization, but the Bay area (and a shiny new job) calls. I’m so proud of everything we’ve achieved together, and I can’t wait to see what you all do over the next year.

With that, I leave SMC-DC in the capable hands of your newly elected 2012-2013 President, the fantastic chief of #hustle Kevin Fawley. He has been absolutely invaluable asset to me over the past months as one of our VPs, and as one of SMC-DC biggest cheerleaders, I can’t think of anyone better suited for the job. I know he will continue to take the vision for the organization to the next level, and I hope all of you – the community – will support him and the SMC-DC team the way you have me.

Thank you so much, to both Social Media Club and the DC social media community, for everything you’ve given me over the past few years. And please, keep in touch – I may be on the west coast now, but I’m still only a tweet away.

Best,

Rachael King
@rachaelgking

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