July 2010 #NWITweetup was a moderate success. Our sponsors and hosts were brilliant.

• Eric Carter of Cartronix - you were absolutely brilliant. Your Sonos 5 system and additional gifts were otherworldly. And that fact you got the good stuff assembled based off a whim I had:  unreal.
• Jack of Billy Jack’s Cafe & Bar - wonderful. I hope Gumballhead gets cheaper for y’all.
• Rick Gosser of Gosser Sales – Your coupons were blessings. The sponsorship of the name badges:   perfect.
• Sarah Highlen and the Grossbauer Group – Way to step up for the name badges (and additional resources). It’s fitting someone from your clan wins something at every drawing.
• Christopher Hedges – even thought you couldn’t get out til late, thank you SO much for the sponsorship of the name badges.
• Christopher Mahlmann – Thank you for the T-Shirts. Always stepping up in the clutch!
• Rahsaan Taylor – those new name badges look great! Just wonderful!
• Atom Groom – thank you for covering us in a pinch and designing the Poker Run forms.
• Evelyn Bay Coffee Company, Phillip’s Ace Hardware and Majestic Jewelers – thank you for keeping the doors open as long as possible to accommodate our run.
• Karl Tatgehnorst – thanks for hanging out at Majestic Jewelers. Hope the Mrs. didn’t pressure you to purchase too much.
• Jason Adams – keep them banners comin’.
• Jon Costas – melodic set, Mr. Mayor. Had me jonesin’ for my Martin.
• and Daver – way to follow through on the forms and hosting when crunch time hit.

I’m sorry I didn’t hold up my end.

In my attempts to not step on others toes when helping others organize events, I wasn’t a sufficient resource. The event should have run much smoother.

• Posts should have been written quicker.
• Press releases should have been distributed sooner.
• Event details should have been continually explained.
• Prize winners’ names should have been written down (holding onto cards weren’t enough)

It’s a mistake I won’t make twice.

Since the event we’ve met, had several conversations, developed redundancies, and structured the way in which the events will be organized behind the scenes. In fact, once I’ve finished proofreading the list, I’ll publish it for the community to read. We are all in this together.

And, hopefully, if you’ll stick with Dave and I a little longer, we’ll make the events even more worth your while.

August 2010 NWITweetup information will be released shortly. Thank you for sticking with us a little longer

- Finn

Did you win something in the July 2010 #NWItweetup drawings?

One more thing:  if you were a winner in the 2010 #NWITweetup drawings, please let me know so I can fill in the gaps below.

Gosser Sales $50 coupons

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Valpolife T-Shirts

- Rick Gosser
- Nichole Baiel
- David Lindgren
- Joseph Grossbauer

Cartronix Bluethooth Headsets

- Jason Adams
- Sarah Highlen
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Cartronix Sonos System

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Social Media Day NWIndiana

We are really doing this last minute – I know

Here is the line up so far:

• June 30, 2010
• 11:30 to 1pm Pepe’s in Valparaiso, IN
• several local Social Media Leaders will speak
• We will discuss the #nwitweetup to help it grow to foster more community and business involvement

We want anyone and everyone there that can come.  It will be a great time of community, networking and business.

In the coming days and weeks, we will be looking for more involvement and direction on which way you want to take the monthly Tweetups.  Please do not be bashful, this is Social Media, where we take the online offline.

We, also, hope to be able livestream the even on ustream, we will post the link as we get closer.

Dave

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I will let the video do the talking for me…

This is just a teaser, I hope to make a better one soon

Dave

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We all had a great night at the March 11th #NWItweetup at Uptown Cafe out hosts of Tia, Rich, Heather and Kyle gave us a great sample of the many menu items of food, tea and coffee.

There were plenty of give-a-ways from a $25 gift certificate to bluetooth headsets from Cartronix.  We would like to thank Cartronix for the give-a-ways and if you are in the market for AT&T phones, Direct-TV or just need a wireless expert call the guys from Cartronix.

Also, we picked a winner from the #nwitweeup logo contest and it was Jason from @JMAdesignstudio and if you are looking for design work from websites to Facebook fan pages to Twitter backgrounds then Jason is your guy to call.  He even got a trophy donated from Cartronix as well.  It looked eerily similar to my first car phone from 1994.

There were plenty of pictures taken and even some of someones pink shorts, damn he had some fine legs.  It takes a special man to wear pink shorts and whoever he was he looked good with them on.

Make sure when you come out to future #nwitweetup events to bring plenty of business cards for networking, the give-a-ways and always make sure you sign the “sign-in sheet”

Again, thank you to Uptown Cafe for hosting the early March #NWItweetup.  We look forward to coming back for breakfast, lunch,

Dave

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For Figure Ei8ht Brewing, it started with 4 drafts: First Ascent (A Belgian Honey Lager), Ro Shampo (Imperial Red Ale), Camp 4 Brown Ale (a hazy Northern England Nut Brown Ale style), & Rye Knot

March 6th, 2010 will go down in Valparaiso as the day a Brewery came back to town.

Figure Ei8ht Brewery, the first Valparaiso Brewery since the brewers at AberDeen Brewery folded up shop and moved a county over to start Shoreline Brewery in Michigan City (that’s if I’m getting my story right)

And NWITweeps were there to witness the opening. – And leave it to the Daver to make sure our presence got mentioned in the paper (good work, Daver)

I got there at 1pm to see the Daver, in shorts, waiting for me to show up. And between the two of us, finding a parking spot was the first trick.

Not only did people flock to Valpo’s newest brewery – Figure Ei8ht Brewery – but their initial location shares traffic with Rios Country club right across the tracks from Creekside Golf Course. Lucky, a golfing family pulled out in their Sedan Deville just as I was pulling in. Jeff Eriks of Cambridge Construction made short work of a nearby grass patch with his truck .

Now theres’ more parking

Other tweeps who made an appearance included Jeff Buckley, and an assortment of #pretweet and #aftertweetup friends still learning the arts.

The Post Tribune’s James Wolf & Mike Ward were on site to check out the brewery in action (which made me wonder why they didn’t do it before the doors opened. It sorta slowed up the staff as they tried to keep up with demand, but whatcha gonna do). And, “no,” Mr. Editor of the Post – swearing upon a stack of my one-time-Post-Tribune-editor Grandfather’s stack of published articles, I did not see your staff sipping the elements, as tempting as it was for them.

Me and The Daver did it for them. Then the Daver pointed the Post Tribune gang over to the owner of Brickworks Brewery of Hobart and one of his brewers sampling the Figure Ei8ht’s initial offerings.

The Brews

Figure Ei8ht has four initial offerings:

• First Ascent – a Belgian Honey Lager
• Ro Shampo – Imperial Red Ale
• Camp 4 Brown Ale – a hazy Northern England Nut Brown Ale
• Rye Knot – a complex rye brew. Part Baltic porter, part stout with flavorings to entice

The Downside

1. Two square tables and walkway – At the time of this writing, Figure Ei8ht has limited seating. Just a couple tables in front of a Chicago-loft wall that has a big window which gives those privledged enough to snatch the chairs a place to check out how the brewing process begins. It left us and the tweeps with standing room only. But so it goes. That is Figure Ei8ht, today. Hopefully, before long, they’ll be able to expand.
2. It is not a restaurant, today – At this time, the only way you’re getting your protein with a glass of Figure Ei8ht brew is from the brew itself. And that’s okay. 3 Floyd’s didn’t have a brew pub till the sold stock to get their own place, and it was some time after that. And I still very much drink Gumballhead.

The upside

1) Let your stomach growl for beer – Figure Ei8ht sells their brew by the growler, 1/6th keg, 1/2 keg, and I think even a full keg. And, if the new state law is passed, this will be the swinging place come Sunday’s because they’ll be able to sell it then. Glasses and T-Shirts are also on the merchandising list.

2) Sampler Sets – if you want to stop in, check out the brewery, and sample their selections, you can buy the Sampler set. A double-shot or more of each of their four selections are available.

The unknown

Tours – The owners seemed liked good folk. My guess is that if you ask real nice, they’ll give you a tour. But please don’t stand in the doorway and barter while the line is out the door. Only idiots (like me) do that.

Overall NWITweetup Review of Figure Ei8ht Brewery

I’m very much a fan. You put the fledgling effort of Figure Ei8ht Brewery with those of Brickworks, 3 Floyds, Shoreline, Backroad, and Crown Brewery, and you’ve got the making of a community that starts to give The Region an additional layer of culture and experience to go with The Dunes, the Casinos, and The Tweeps

How to get to Figure Ei8ht Brewery

Golfers who frequent Creekside and Rios can probably find the place while blindfolded. As for the rest of us, Figure Ei8ht is on the Southwest side of Valparaiso on IN-130 / Lincolnway – just west of Joliet Rd. And nearly catty-corner to the Knights of Columbus building. You’ll find it at the West end of the strip mall on the south side of the road, just a bad chip shot from the tracks.

Map to Figure Ei8ht Brewery

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Have a place you want NWITweetup to review?

Let us know:

1. twitter.com/nwitweetup
2. nwitweetup@gmail.com
3. or leave us a comment on this post

(Original Source of Picture: Figure Ei8ht Brewing)

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