Well tomorrow is the first #FridayDrinks in Stoke-on-Trent!

Earlier this evening, I (Oliver Needham) went on OMG (the Staffordshire University Student Union Online Radio Station) and spoke to the news team about #FridayDrinks.

The discussion included the event's responsibilities through drinking.

#FridayDrinks is not about getting drunk. It's about getting to know new people and having a social time.

Another point that was raised, was about supporting the local pubs. There are loads of great pubs in Stoke-On-trent that I probably don't know about! Where we go is completely up to the people who join us and follow us on Twitter. So why not suggest your favourite pub? The local just down the road or even a pub you know about that has great live bands on a Friday evening? Or is there a new pub just round the corner that is opening?

If you want to suggest a pub, either send us a message via Twitter, comment this post, or grab hold of myself tomorrow evening at the first #FridayDrinks!

If you need the details about tomorrow's #FridayDrinks, visit the post here.

With the first #FridayDrinks in Stoke-On-Trent just over a week away, we've found a great article from the guys at Wired about networking.

How to network more effectively

Informal get-togethers can drum up work, finances and career opportunities. So how can you maximise their potential? Brad Burton, MD of 4Networking, which organises over 200 networking groups nationwide, offers his tips. Ben Beautmont-Thomas

• Be yourself

“Forget trying to appear ‘business-like’,” says Burton. “Wear what you normally wear - if people dismiss you for wearing a T-shirt, they’re deselecting themselves.”

• Treat everyone equally

“Perhaps it isn’t just a carpet-cleaner you’re talking to - maybe his brother-in-law is MD of the company? You just don’t know who people know, so be respectful.”

• Know your stuff

Prepare a brief-but-memorable “elevator pitch”, and know your product or service inside-out. “Be approachable and passionate about what you do, but don’t bore people.”

• Get over your fears

“It can seem a bit like a school disco,” admits Burton. “You’ve got all these people around the outside and nobody prepared to dance. Be brave and jump straight in.”

• Don’t expect instant sales or dozens of useful contacts

“You need to dance around the handbag a bit before you ask someone to come back to your place for a cuppa - the same applies to networking,” says Burton. “You can’t treat it like a vending machine where you press a buzzer and you get a load of work out of it.” And forget hovering up piles of business cards. “They either gather dust or lead to your spamming everyone. Go there with the express intent of coming away with one decent contact, and that’s it. Someone whose business card you really want, someone you’re actually going to call.”

(Taken from the November 2010 issue of the UK Wired Magazine, page 79)

Take what you want from that what you wish!

We look forward to seeing you at the first Stoke-On-Trent #FridayDrinks on Friday 29th October 2010. Find out more information

Last week Oliver Needham went to the Stoke-On-Trent based radio station Cross Rhythms to talk about the launch of #FridayDrinks in the Stoke-On-Trent area.

The interview was broadcast on Wednesday 13th October, during the City Drive show, presented by Jon Bellamy.

If you missed it, here's another chance to listen!

Recording courtesy of Cross Rhythms City Radio

#FridayDrinks officially starts on Friday 29th October 2010!

I've made the decision that #FridayDrinks will happen on the last Friday of every month.

So the location for our first tweetup is:

The Wheatsheaf
84-92 Church Street
Stoke
Stoke-on-Trent
Staffordshire
ST4 1BU

We'll arrive about 8pm to start with and you can stay as long as you want.

I chose this location as it's a mainstream pub and easily accessible. Also it should be quieter than some other pubs. Especially for our first tweetup.

Suggestions for future venues are very welcome. Either leave them as a comment, tweet @FridayDrinksSoT or grab me on the evening.

Don't forget to check out the calendar for future events.

The idea of tweetups isn't anything new, but Friday Drinks was initiated by Justin Reid in Lincolnshire.

What is it?
The idea is for a casual get together of Lincoln (and surrounding area) Twitter folk. Have a drink and see what comes of it. Beyond meeting up there's no schedule or agenda.

I've known Justin for a while and I decided to ask Justin what he thought about doing a Friday Drinks in Stoke-On-Trent.

@JustinReid: Sure, funny you should mention that, had an idea to let it loose across the nation a while ago & talked about it last Friday... [Tue 05 Oct 2010 15:54]

And here we are.

Who will turn up?

Well, hopefully you. The main aim is to meet some of the fine folks we all converse with. Beyond that it's the end of the month/week and the start of the weekend; so why not celebrate!

What is it?

 The idea is for a casual get together of Stoke-On-Trent (and surrounding area) Twitter folk. Have a drink and see what comes of it. Beyond meeting up there's no schedule or agenda.

Tweetups have been going on around the country, heck the world, for the last few years. Some more organised than others, this one is about as laid back as you can get, with no agenda beyond meeting once a month for good comapny, chat and a drink. If you're on Twitter, why not pop-in and say hi - everyone is welcome and though there are inevitably some geeks amongst us, conversation is as diverse as any group.

If you can't make this one but are keen to meet up then @me (heck or anyone else - this is social media after all...)

Where is it?

 Keep an eye on the blog for the latest information. Information will also be posted to our Twitter account: @FridayDrinksSoT

Who can come?

 You can. Well, the invite strictly speaking is for Stoke-On-Trent twitter folk - but if you have an interest in social media, feel free... Mmm, if that's the case, why aren't you on twitter?

That's it for now, but feel free to tweet me if you have any questions.