A look back…Santa Barbara Twestival, 2009
Posted on: 16 September 2009 at 2108 - Comment
Santa Barbara Twestival was a success by any measure. However, it’s important to take a moment to thank those that attended and the people that made it possible.
Believe or not, Santa Barbara Twestival was only in the making for about four weeks. Yup…that’s it. It started with a phone call with Amanda Rose (Twestival founder) and then a call with Jim Prosser from Direct Relief. Next, we gathered a team of volunteers, which wasn’t easy.
A lot of people probably don’t know this but in addition to volunteering to work on Twestival, the volunteers bought their own tickets to the event. In fact, everyone, including the staff from Direct Relief, bought their own tickets.
The question was a little awkward at first. It went something like this, “hey, there’s this twitter festival fund raising thing, that’s also an in-person event for charity, do you want to work countless hours and also pay for the privilege to attend?” Over time our pitch got better, but we had a lot of confused and slightly offended people at the start.
Somehow we managed to wrangle 20+ people to help create and manage the event. A sincere thank you goes out to all those that planned, mapped, edited, blogged, promoted, tweeted, phoned, text, sang, yelled, laughed, sent IM’s and DM’s, @replies, negotiated, tasted, budgeted, slapped on wrist bands and stickers, managed computers and countless other tasks that happened behind the scenes to make this a flawless event. Our heartfelt gratitude to Amber Mills (@paintingbug), Crystal Vaughan, @lisahorner, Kelley Smith, Ana Ruvalcaba and @maliabasche, she was “…the glue that held #sbtwestival together.” There were many others, but I felt that I needed to highlight these volunteers simply because their support, leadership and dedication were instrumental in making this event a success.
We would also like to thank @Amanda the Twestival architect (founder), and @Joyniss our Regional Coordinator for their thoughtful guidance and support. Our corporate partners, Amiando and Scribble Live were fantastic. Using Amiando as the fundrasing engine was seamless. I hope they continue to partner with Twestival. We broadcast the Scribble Live feed during the event and it was a huge hit!
Please read on:
• Spectacular roof top accommodations, bartenders, internet access, furniture, heaters, power, wait staff and even the sunset were provided by the stunning Canary Hotel. The staff at The Canary went all out for this event. They helped us with every conceivable detail and it really showed. They were a partner from beginning to end. The catering tasted exquisite. I know it sounds hyped, but it’s true. The food was fantastic. The staff was always accommodating and the hotel rooms were well appointed, inviting and very comfortable. They truly got behind Twestival and if it wasn’t for their dedication we could have ended up in the parking lot with warm keg beer and hot dog weenies. Thank you Canary Hotel! Find them on Twitter @canary_chirp
• MakeItWork provided a very generous donation to help offset the event expenses. As if that wasn’t enough, Eric Greenspan, CEO of MakeItWork also made a significant contribution to Direct Relief International. The MIW volunteers worked actively with local media to help promote Twestival and generously helped during registration. Great contribution by the team from @MakeItWorkInc
• The emcees of the event Tim Conway Jr. and Jeremy Anticouni from TechNews on KNX1070 in LA kept the night moving, and really kept the focus on Direct Relief International and Twestival. They complimented the event perfectly. Thank you for your generous support.
• PSAV set up and provided the 3 52″ plasmas that were used to stream #sbtwestival tweets via Scribble Live, pix from the PhotoBooth, and the Direct Relief presentation. The plasmas were a critical component of the Twestival experience. Watching tweets and pictures stream live from the event really gave it a global feel.
• The photo booth, provided by PhotoBooth Santa Barbara was a huge hit! People lined up all night to have their pictures taken. They would fill the booth with 5 or 6 of their best (new) friends. They would run over to the plasmas to watch their pictures stream live! The finale happened at around 9pm when the booth was over run with party goers and the walls blew out from the inside. Imagine if the Big Bad Wolf decided to blown down a house from the inside, there, now you’ve got the visual. Fortunately the camera was saved. Phew!
• The great crew at TechEase powered the Tech Corner. They helped guests set up Twitter accounts and make donations online via Direct Relief and Amiando, provide IT support for the PhotoBooth and the computers that powered the 3 plasmas, set up Wifi and more. TechEase supported the crucial technical component of Twestival, and the technology that drove the event would not be possible without their generous support. Check them out on Twitter @techease.
• Citrix Online made a generous donation to Direct Relief and helped to offset the event expenses. The company also had a very large contingent of volunteers that helped plan and manage Santa Barbara Twestival. Citrix Online is a global partner of Twestival. The company donated GoToMeeting licenses to every Twestival organizer in 35 countries to help them collaborate and manage the events.
• We would have been lost at the event, literally, if it wasn’t for Boone Graphics. They created all the beautiful #sbtwestival signage. Party goers always knew exactly where to go. Big thanks to Boone!
• The Santa Barbara Independent, NoozHawk, City2.0 and Santa Barbara News Press were media sponsors for Twestival. We greatly appreciate the advertising placements, and the editorial coverage dedicated to the event. It was great to see the local press supporting Twestival.
• If you loved the Twestival T’s than you love Quetzal Designs! They worked with our volunteers to create the perfect shirt for the event. This was by far one of the most popular items at the event.
• Amber Mills, also known as #paintingbug by her Twitter fans, did the beautiful face and body painting. I had my face painted and then boldly jumped into the photobooth (i’m the one with the horns)!
• If you’re like me and had a sore neck from whipping your head around trying to meet everyone, then you probably stopped by and had a wonderful massage from Kristen Hoye and Julie Fiscalini. They were gracious enough to donate their time, and their skills kept the guests relaxed enough to party into the early hours.
Auction Items
• Awesome Killers VIP package donated by Santa Barbara Bowl was one of the big draws at the auction table. Then, as if it couldn’t get better, the folks at the bowl arranged a meet-and-greet with the band! OMG!
• Sirius donated two satellite radios complete with annual subscriptions.
• If you visit Santa Barbara, a must-see is the the legendary West Beach Music Festival. Well, one lucky person won the auction, and soon they get to experience VIP treatment at the Festival thanks to Twin Productions
• One long time fan (the better half of Jeremy Anticouni) walked away with a pair of Lily Tomlin tickets courtesy of Lobero Theatre
• If you love wine and you love food, then you know of the legendary Ballard Inn in the heart of the Santa Ynez wine country,and home to the Ultimate Chef. One lucky winner took home a romantic evening at the Inn complete with a custom dining experience created by Chef Budi Kazali.
• As if the Canary Hotel didn’t do enough, they also donated dinner for two at the Coast Restaurant. The restaurant is lovely, the drinks are made to perfection and the Oyster Bar is not be missed.
• So you think you can dance? Not really? Your best moves are the Macarana…ugh, then you should have bid on the dance lessons from MovDance.
• Two tickets to the Pink Martini at the Arlington went faster than, well, a TwitterTini.
• Craft in Stone donated a stunning 12×12 Stone Inlay Artwork.
Lastly, and most important, we would like to thank the 200 people that choose to support Twestival and Direct Relief International. The moment you bought a ticket you helped changed the life of someone in need of medicine that can’t afford it. You showed up in force! You tweeted from the roof top, you bid on auction items, took pictures, made new friends and made a difference in your community.
From all of us at Santa Barbara Twestival, thank you for your generous support.


























