Social Media Roundup: The Story of #assnchat

You may have seen the hashtag #assnchat  (opens in a new tab) pop up now and again in your Twitter feed, with tweets directed toward informing and conversing with the association community. But did you know the hashtag has a host? Find out more in today’s Social Media Roundup:

Say Hello to the Host of #Assnchat

Have You Ever Hosted a Twitter Chat? @kikilitalien  (opens in a new tab) Gives Us Her Biggest Lessons from Hosting #assnchat  (opens in a new tab) http://t.co/mjOBKNkXj6  (opens in a new tab)

— Stova (@stovatech) April 29, 2014  (opens in a new tab)

Social media strategist KiKi L’Italien takes a moment to offer a behind-the-scenes look at #assnchat, the Association Chat hashtag that has offered a digital forum for association pros  (opens in a new tab) for the past five years.

In a post on etouches  (opens in a new tab), L’Italien recounts her early days as the “Jimmy Fallon to his Jay Leno” when Principled Innovation founder Jeff De Cagna served as the initial #assnchat host.

“Over the years the Association Chat community has grown in ways unimaginable,” L’Italien reflects. “While many of the original participants have moved on to hopefully bigger and better things, new players with new ideas have taken the fore.”

And she offers a preview of what the future may hold for #assnchat beyond an expansion to Google Hangouts.

“A group of us are actively working on expanding the Association Chat Book Club so that it has both a virtual component and the ability to take it ‘on the road’ to associations that may want to discuss specific books we’re focused on for the year,” she writes.

And, as always, #assnchat discussions are held on Tuesdays at 2 p.m. ET, with upcoming topics  (opens in a new tab) including personal branding and customer service. (ht @etouches  (opens in a new tab))

A Spring Event Awakening

Forecast: 11 New Ideas for Spring Events http://t.co/bMJwUOBvlN  (opens in a new tab) #eventplanning  (opens in a new tab) #eventdesign  (opens in a new tab) #eventprofs  (opens in a new tab)

— BizBash (@BizBash) April 29, 2014  (opens in a new tab)

Spring may be moving along faster than we’d like (April is somehow almost over!), but there’s still time to add some fresh touches to your association’s next event.

BizBash takes a peek at 11 sources of inspiration  (opens in a new tab) that your next event can draw from, from the ostentatious sights of Vegas to the understated appeal of metal decor.

Could rugged decor pieces provide the down-to-earth, homey feel your meeting attendees have been craving? For new cuisine that isn’t another bundle of sandwiches from the shop down the street, why not try a spaetzle? And, no, you’re not alone in having no idea what that is. (ht @BizBash  (opens in a new tab))

(CurvaBezier/ThinkStock)