(This was sent privately to Mark, but he asked if I would share it with the world, so it seems only fair to run it through here)

I still have some reservations about tomorrow – the tosh that some people put online about ‘a brand new day for social media in Scotland’ and ‘like no other event’ – and I’m also peeved at the skittisness of some people involved/associated who seemed to take great umbrage at people having the temerity to not just go “wow, this is brilliant” and ask genuine questions about the event/topics. But none of that can take away from the fact that Mark stuck his head up to try and do an event. As someone who has put on events (and is putting on next week’s SSMD), I can appreciate and admire that. So I dropped him a note wishing him good luck…

For anyone involved in event PR, the last part is particularly relevant.

Mark, a couple of things:

First of all, well done on pulling it (Media140 Scotland) all together and making it a sell-out event that’s generated some decent buzz. Here’s hoping it gets to go on to be a success for all concerned and helps social media become even more used in Scotland. And by that I don’t mean more Twitter accounts or Facebook pages but people reaching out to each other, becoming better people because that’s what this stuff is there for. You can call it better customer service or whatever you want but at the end of the day it’s people connecting and becoming happier for it and that’s a good thing.

(and no, the above is not a sudden Kool Aid moment. I still maintain that social media for most is little more than another communications tool and like every other communications tool developed for humanity it will fall far short of its ultimate potential, but still, the potential is there)

I still also reserve the right to be a cynic about the hype by the likes of Ande over the event, but that was outwith your control and also, if I suddenly started being 100% all-nice you would wonder what had happened to me

Secondly, don’t let anyone – me or anyone else being constructively critical – take from you what you have achieved here. You took from nothing, from absolutely zero and created an event, an occasion, a reason for people to come together. As someone’s who been involved in events from PR and other viewpoints at the highest levels, what you have created here is a good thing.

Even if the three speakers all fainted the minute they walked onto the stage tomorrow night the fact that you created something positive and made it tangible in a city of people who are couldhavebeen and shouldhavebeens is great and don’t let anyone take that away ever. And also remember that most of the people – if not all – who added opinion or so-called criticism (and I genuinely don’t know anyone who was out to attack the event) were also trying to help in their own way. Some people just see things differently. It would be a boring world if we all looked at windmills and saw the same thing.

Lastly, and most personally, if you can tomorrow, take 15 or so minutes before everyone turns up just to walk about, looking at the event, breathing it in, hearing it, feeling it. It’s hard to put into words but it’s a great thing to do, that sense of a combination of memories, adrenaline and anticipation. It’s almost out-of-body, or rather out of time, in a strange way as part of you will feel the event is over (even though it hasn’t begun).

But do it, just take some time to walk through the rooms, the venues the areas. Do it yourself and just abandon your thoughts and emotions to the moment. It’s a feeling that only comes at moments like that and it’s precious. Enjoy it. Cherish it. It’s a different moment/feeling for everyone but it’s one that’s deserved. The actual event flies by too quickly with things that need done.

(And to think I said you were the one who was all sensitive and arty )

Above everything, enjoy yourself tomorrow. I’m sure the audience will.