Cong to host novel social media event

Cong to host novel social media event


Ciara Galvin

Known best for providing the backdrop to John Ford’s ‘The Quiet Man’, the village of Cong will provide the backdrop for its very first social media ‘congregation’ this month.
The event, which will be held on Saturday, November 30 next will see over 100 Irish and international social media thinkers descend on the village to attend ten venues across one day.
Called an ‘un-conference’ attendees must earn their place to the day’s events by producing a blog paper in advance and posting it on the Congregation.ie website.
Over the course of one day, all attendees will present on a wide variety of social media topics including research, how-to guides, social business stories and social media rants. The event will use a variety of venues in the town including coffee shops, exhibition spaces, restaurant and bars.
Congregation.ie uses a huddles structure where groups of ten people will gather at each of the venues with three people speaking at each, until everyone has presented their thoughts and ideas.
Each session will last one hour, with two in the morning and two in the afternoon. A free ticket is delivered to attendees once they produce their blog paper and teas/coffee/lunch will be provided during the day.
As each attendee is also a speaker everyone who goes is a stakeholder and central to the event. Special breaks are built into the day to facilitate social interaction and social calendar is planned for the Friday and Saturday evening.
Organiser Eoin Kennedy explained to The Mayo News the reason for organising the event.
“I wanted to run an event that was not based in a city centre location but in informal settings so that the conversations would be as natural as possible. I also felt that a rural location could run events like this without having a big expensive auditorium.”
Mr Kennedy continued: “People’s insights will be rewarded with a platform to share their knowledge, the opportunity to connect with like-minded people from all around Ireland and a truly social event in a beautiful Irish village. Congregation also aims to show that rural locations can run sustainable events without the need for large infrastucture.”
Interested attendees are invited to submit their blog paper on the congregation.ie website.  Blog papers need to be 600 words in length maximum and accompanied by a synopsis, 4 takeaways points, a biography and contact details. Submissions will be taken until November 20 and spaces will be allocated on a first come basis.
The event is sponsored by MKC Communications and a post conference eBook will be produced.