I don’t know about you guys out there, but who in god’s name thought breakfast was the best time for social media get-togethers? It’s early (and it’s winter) and you normally have to rush off to work afterwards, you can’t get a pint and it’s early (and unlike the vampires in Twilight, I certainly do not sparkle in the daylight).**

So here’s a suggestion: who would be up for a social media dinner in Glasgow where we have four people offering practical, solid real world advice on this area (and how it interacts with other industries/media) – no pretention, no fluff on ‘this site is the c00lest! LOL!’, solid practical stuff.

What it won’t be is just for PR/marketing types or journalists. I think social media should be inclusive, so the range of speakers will cover that.

Now again, I’d like to do something a little different instead of big long waffling talks, so here would be the planned format:

• You turn up for a set time, say 6pm for event start 6.15pm (trying to be considerate to people who work to 6pm but I’m happy to start at 5.30 if that works for people – that may be a better time for the restaurant too)
• 6.15pm we kick off with an intro chat by me of no more than five minutes
• Starter
• After starter, we have guest speaker 1 who speaks for no longer than 10 minutes. There will be a timer…
• Main course
• After main course, we have guest speaker 2 who gets 10 minutes tops
• Dessert
• After dessert (and while having a drink) we have guest speaker 3. Again 10 minute tops
• Q&A if wanted

That should take us to around 8.15pm giving those who like to go home and give their kids a goodnight kiss at bedtime the chance to do so while everyone else gets to move on to a bar to keep talking (or we can stay in the first venue).

Why this format? A couple of reasons – it adds a bit of variety. You’re getting three (four counting me) speakers at their most distilled – no faffle, no nonsense, straight to the point, relevant, salient chat. I’m well enough networked (heck, I organised the Scottish Digital Britain Unconference) that I think we can get three top speakers willing to give their time in return for some food.

You also get the chance to properly sit and talk with the people you’re sitting with (hence the social) and you get to lie in your bed to a normal time in the morning (one of these points is more important than the others).

I also like the way Iain Hepburn put it: social media snacking. You’ll get the main points, no waffle and links to places to go follow up on.

I’m also thinking of making this a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday for a few reasons:

• Have you seen the time of year? You want to try booking a venue on Thurs/Fri?
• Going Mon-Wed will be a boost to the coffers of the venue if we get good numbers and will in part help prove that social media has a ROI so we’ll be doing our bit for the economy.

Now I’ve got a venue in mind. It’s going to be Glasgow for the first event (I’m happy to go up and down the country if this is popular but for the first one, I’m playing on home turf) and the cost of the three courser (plus one drink) will be in the region of £15. Now the venue I have planned offers ridiculously excellent value for money at that. I can guarantee you won’t go home hungry (and anyone who knows me knows I like my food).

Here’s what I need to know though: how many would be up for this? I know the lads at New Media Brekkie pull in a good 80 plus at each event (and good on them), I know the Edinburgh Breakfast Club pulls in a good crowd on a Friday and the Thursday Glasgow Lunch Club does decent numbers too.

I think if 30 or so people signed up for this we’ve got a winner, but could people let me know if there’s interest? If you don’t want to be seen publicly backing a calorie-heavy meal, feel free to email me instead. Let me know what sort of nights and start time suit you.

* In case anyone takes the huff – I’ve nothing against the breakfast clubs but a lot of people really aren’t morning people, if you are coming from outwith the city it’s being hosted in it’s an early rise and a lot of people have to do school runs in the morning, so this is offering something a little bit different.

** keep comments to yourself about me being sparkled in the evening.