Local 'tweeters' flood Florida Aquarium

TAMPA - It all started back in March, 2008 -- when most people thought tweeting was something only a bird could do. A small group of social media enthusiasts from the Bay Area got together for the first time and it was thanks to a man who lived hundreds of miles away.

Jeremiah Owyang is a well known web guru in Silicon Valley. While visiting Tampa, he used Twitter.com to invite local bloggers out to dinner.

About 20 people showed up for what is now considered the first ever Twitter meet-up, or Tweetup, in Tampa. Ever since that meeting, Josh Carrico (@ SIGEPJEDI) has worked to keep the local blogging community connected. He created the website TampaBloggers.com, where anyone can see what Bay Area tweeters are talking about 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Carrico also plays a major role in the planning process for each meeting.

“I came to the realization that there are many people in the area who just haven’t connected,” he explained. “This is a chance for them to get out from behind their computer desks and actually meet people.”

A little over one year later, his efforts appear to be paying off. 250 people packed the Florida Aquarium
(@ FloridaAquarium) for the latest Tweetup event on Saturday.

Even though Twitter is doing very well right now, it was relatively unknown among the average internet user up until a few months ago. Now, millions of people all over the world are begging to answer the question, “What are you doing?”

David Risley (@ DavidRisley) is a professional blogger from Riverview. He was at the first meeting of local tweeters. At first Risley wasn’t sure if Twitter would ever gain popularity. However, Robert Nelson (@ RobertNelson), another original Tweetup member, had a different perspective. “I always knew it would be just a matter of time before everyone caught on.”

No one knows the exact reason behind Twitters sudden success – but some think the weak economy may be playing a part. Companies slim budgets are turning to the site, looking for a cheap way to get new customers.

That’s the main reason why Public Relations Manager Tom Wagner approached Carrico about bringing the latest Tweetup to The Florida Aquarium.

“The goal is to have them experience the Aquarium – and hopefully it’s a good experience,” he explained. “If they have a good time and tell people about it, then it’s worth letting them in for free.”

In addition to free admission, four tweeters were able to go on the other side of the glass to “ Swim with the Fishes” and “ Dive with the Sharks.” It would normally cost between $75 and $150 per person to get that close to the animals but those fees were waived as well.

Darby Critendon (@ DarbySEA) was one of the lucky twitter users who got to go in the water. She’s been to several previous Tampa Tweetups -- none have offered an experience like this.

“The fish are right in your face,” she said. “I would definitely come back to do this again.”

If Critendon decides to turn those words into a tweet, it would be music to Wagner’s ears. When he took over the public relations position three years ago, Wagner says he never would have imagined he'd one day be handing out hundreds of dollars worth of freebies at a Tampa Tweetup.

“Not even close. A Tweetup would have sounded like some sort of song to me,” he said. “But now we’ve got to ride the wave because it’s here. If we wait too long – it goes away.”

As the gathering came to a close, fellow tweeters started saying their goodbyes. Most will probably not see each other again until the next Tweetup. However, you can bet they’ll hear each other loud and clear.

As for Carrico and his planning partner, Julie Gorzka (@ JuliaGorzka), it’s back to square one, kind of. Although an exact date and time hasn't been announced, Promoters of The Dali Museum (@ TheDali) in St. Petersburg have already asked to host the next Tweetup. It’ll be interesting to see what they do to keep the tweeters tweeting.