I recently attended the GeekWire Gala at the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) in South Lake Union. With more than 1,000 of Seattle’s tech industry professionals in attendance, GeekWire delivered an event to remember. From the amazing food to the lively DJ to the great conversation, there was no room for disappointment. As expected, the event kept up with the latest trends in technology, yet GeekWire still was able to add a personal touch.
With the recent success of car-sharing service Car2Go, GeekWire saw the perfect opportunity to partner with the innovative company for the event. To alleviate the anxiety of finding parking at this high- attendance event, Car2Go provided cars and easy drop-off locations. To create convenience for attendees, anyone who drove a Car2Go to the gala was offered VIP parking in the drop-off zone, which was very considerate given that winter has officially arrived.
After the hassle-free travel to the event, there was plenty by which to be entertained inside. My personal favorite was Mind Flex, a game that tested your brain waves against an opponent. After being assisted in placing a monitor on my temples and a clip on my earlobe, a battle ensued against my colleague, Sarah, to move a ball across a path toward the opposite side. Though I lost in this futuristic game, it provided entertainment and good laughs.
Also scattered throughout the venue were screens projecting a live Twitter feed. This allowed you to stay slightly connected with the masses of people by seeing pictures and reactions to the night’s events.
However, instead of allowing the Twitter feed to be dominated by people attending the event, GeekWire made it personal by responding to, what appears to be, every tweet. Looking at the outlet’s Twitter feed, it’s dominated by “thank yous” and “great photo.” Not only did they use technology to reach out to individual guests, but they also had GeekWire Chairman Jonathan Sposato at the front door introducing himself and welcoming guests as they arrived. As my first event of this magnitude, this aspect was comforting and a personal touch that I was not expecting.
The night overall was enjoyable and something I will look forward to next year. Technology can be perceived as cold and impersonal, but GeekWire was able to use it as tool to get personal as well as adding in some old school techniques. It seems they have found the perfect balance, and in a world often dominated by technology, a personal touch can go a long way.