The rooftop of the Canary Hotel was all a-twitter Friday night as about 200 people converged for the first Twestival Local — Santa Barbara.
The event — a fundraiser for Direct Relief International — was organized entirely by local volunteers via Twitter, the online social networking site. Twestival Local was coordinating similar charity events around the world this weekend.
Friday’s objective was to raise $5,000 for the nonprofit DRI, which provides humanitarian medical services for those in need — locally, nationally and internationally. That goal had been reached by Friday morning as tickets sold out, and the event’s popularity forced organizers to scrap plans to sell tickets at the door. By the end of the night, it was reported — via Twitter, of course — that more than $10,000 had been donated to the charity.
The basic idea of Twestival Local is to utilize social media outlets on the Internet to organize charity events all over the world. All of the organization is performed by volunteers, and the benefiting charity must be from the host community.
Citrix Systems and Make It Work Inc. were the primary sponsors and coordinated with several other local companies to organize the event.
There was live music, a full bar serving “Twittertinis,” hors d’oeuvres, a masseuse giving massages, face and body painting, a photo booth and a silent auction with items such as hotel stays, concert tickets to the Santa Barbara Bowl and the Lobero Theatre, dance lessons, T-shirts and more. The values ranged from $25 up to $800.
A number of computers were set up by TechEase Computer Solutions so guests could sign up for Twitter accounts, participate in the silent auction or donate directly to DRI.
Three large-screen televisions were placed along one side of the rooftop where “tweets,” or updates, were broadcast in real time; pictures of the guests from the photo booth flashed, drawing laughter from onlookers; and information and pictures displayed the work DRI has performed.
Some of the work DRI performs locally is assisting with getting prescriptions for medications and dental services needed around Santa Barbara County. According to Jim Prosser, DRI’s spokesman and lead “Twitterer,” the county has one of the nation’s highest rates of uninsured residents.
“It’s not what you would expect in a place like Santa Barbara” said Prosser, who added that DRI is working to fill that gap by providing needed medical services to the poor and uninsured.
According to Chad Catacchio, one of the volunteer organizers, the Santa Barbara Twestival was perhaps the third largest in California.
No money was spent on advertising for the event, according to Lisa Horner of Citrix Systems. Noozhawk and the Santa Barbara Independent donated advertising, but most of the promotion was via social media sites and word-of-mouth.
“The (Canary) Hotel has been very accommodating” said Citrix Systems’ David Baeza. The only thing the hotel couldn’t do was expand the capacity so more guests could attend.
“The hotel had to turn people away” said Baeza, who added that the turn-aways were informed they could follow events live on Twitter and donate to DRI.
The guests who did get in ranged in experience from avid “Twitterers” to those who had very little idea about how the site was to be used.
Many guests swore by the site’s usefulness, citing it as a valuable tool to promote their own businesses, organizations or causes.
Amy Dozier and Ashley Woods, public relations representatives for the Rumble Art Contemporary Art Fair, discussed how they use Twitter.
“I wouldn’t just use (Twitter) for personal reasons” said Dozier.
Added Woods: “I wouldn’t use Twitter for anything I wouldn’t get paid for,” stating that she updates her account with relevant happenings surrounding the art organization so people can follow in real time what the organization is doing. In this way, the site becomes a valuable new tool in promoting causes, events, charities and business.
— Noozhawk intern Michael Smith can be reached at news@noozhawk.com.