This past Saturday was Social Media Day. With Tampa being recognized as one of the country’s most socially savvy cities, it only made sense for us to celebrate, and celebrate we did! We gathered in Cotanchobee park for a celebration of all things social. Local businesses like Class B had carnival games and give-aways, and we had some delicious food available by way of food trucks. Pat Donovan from 620 WDAE The Sports Animal even interviewed some of us for The Animal on the Street Podcast!

Moreso than give a minute by minute breakdown of every piece of the day, I wanted to focus on what it really means. The fact that we all wanted to gather, whether we use Twitter, Facebook, Google+, etc for business or for pleasure means something. It means that this is real to us. We’re not just faceless avatars online blindly spouting off whatever comes to mind and hoping someone responds to it. We’re a community. We’re friends. It’s really a testament to what social media is capable of. I have a lot of friends I would never have met if Allie Barkley hadn’t invited me to my first Tweetup, where I met Kim Randall who taught me over time to “Be Social” as is the mantra of her company KiMedia Strategies which has helped me immensely in my own career. It’s networking at it’s finest and Tampa does it better than most cities in the country. For the most part, we put aside our own interests for the furtherance of these types of events. We come together and we celebrate what has become a huge part of who Tampa is. The mayor even signed a proclamation for the event. So for me, I will remember my first Social Media Day not so much for the fun that was had (there was a lot of it) but for that moment when I looked around and saw the world that can seem to be only digital to some people become very real before my eyes.

Also, a very special thank you to Cyndee Haydon & Jack Haydon of Sandbars to Sunsets for sponsoring the official after party!