Spent a very pleasant Friday at New Start Scotland at the SECC in Glasgow where more than 60 businesses had turned up to pitch their wares, give expert talks and try and blag early tickets from Ticket Soup for the next Take That tour (note, one of these is a lie). And it was great to see companies keen and enthusiastic, showing the sort of energy that companies need to get them through the hard times (ie: now) (The Web Wise Business guys have blogged here on it all). Equally, from my point of view, it was encouraging to see a strong use of social media.

While a few things about the event surprised me – I’m always amazed at how hard it is for some to have a decent display of their website or other contact details for example – one thing that did leave me impressed was how many of the exhibitors had some form of online engagement. All of them had websites, quite a few were on Twitter and most were using it as more than just a broadcast platform.

And while most of the event was for the startup type companies, it wasn’t just these guys (and gals) who were using social media. Slightly-rich and successful businessman Shaf Rasul was not only engaging with people at stands, offering advice and pointers to those sensible enough to listen to him, he was also replying to them on Twitter.

He wasn’t the only one. Brad Burton, Alex Ogilvie, Doug Richard and the team from NS Design (who also did a blinding talk on social media and uses for businesses) were all social media’ing away with some were even using it to set up meetings, arrange ad-hoc business matters and so on. In essence, they were using it to compliment their other activities, which is exactly what companies should be using social media for.

Now if the hungry start-up guys get the benefits and the already successful see good reasons for social media, what is it about the middle part of Scottish businesses that doesn’t get it? There’s a lot of companies out there who still think this internet thing, these Twitter and Facebooks thngs are a fad. And the tools may be, but the underlying concept isn’t. Customers/investors/retailers now all expect this engagement – look at the flak Nestle is getting for a few blunt and sarky Facebook comments over the Greenpeace row – and that’s nothing more than saying the wrong thing to the wrong crowd.

Anyway, back to New Start Scotland. Praise also has to go to the SECC for free wifi. I don’t know why one of the coffee shops had decided to close (the one upstairs) but their loss as there were solid queues everywhere else for food and drink (but shame on the cafe that said you had to order food to get a seat, you couldn’t just head in for a drink).

The overall consensus seems to be that while there were less exhibitors, there were plenty of people coming through the doors – especially on the Friday – and there were leads to be generated, so hopefully happy days for all who made the effort and expense to exhibit.