5 Strategies To Trend On Twitter at Your Next Event

My office runs a yearly NYC Schools Tech Conference with about one thousand attendees. This year we wanted to focus on getting the buzz going in social media. One measure success was if we could trend on Twitter that day and we did. 

Here are some things we did to make that happen.

1. Involve Workshop PresentersBefore the conference we reached out to workshop presenters with sample Tweets that would generate excitement about their session. This not only helps them get the word out, but it also helps presenters become comfortable and familiar with the hashtag. 
2. Involve Conference AwardeesWe had our Excellence in School Technology award winners Tweet an acceptance speech that was projected as they received their award. This ensured all our award winners were Tweeting and the projected Tweets also shared the Twitter handle of each winner so attendees could connect and converse with them.
3. Use The Hashtag EverywhereMake sure no one ever had to ask what the hashtag was because it was everywhere including:
• On the name badge
• The password to connect to wireless
• Used in all slide templates
• On the program
• Swag and giveaways
4. Select a Perennial Hashtag
   Often conferences are a one shot deal. The hashtag doesn't have to be. Use a hashtag that your group can use year round. Use the conference to generate buzz for that hashtag.  
5. Use a Twitter-Linked Platform to Connect in Workshop Sessions
   We used LiveCube which is a web-based app that lets attendees have conversations within each session. The conversations are also Linked to Twitter so you can have the conversation both within the app and with a global Twitter audience. Being able to have conversations auto-curated by session was a very helpful way to have back channel conversations on Twitter, while also creating a global buzz.  

These strategies resulted in our hashtag trending in New York about midway through the day. What's missing? Are the strategies you have used or witnessed that helped generate buzz using a hashtag for one of your events? Share ideas in the comments below.