Whether you are a job seeker, looking to hire, or simply hoping to meet some of your “Twitter friends” in person, I hope that you’ll join us For those in the New York metro area, I’ve been working with the other NY area #HAPPO champions (Tiffany Winbush, Deirdre Breakenridge & PRBC’s very own PRCog) and a team of volunteers to organize a casual event at Connolly’s pub. It will take place from 6-8pm on February 24^th.

Here are a few quick tips to help you make the most of the opportunity to integrate social and face-to-face networking:

• Before the event
  • RSVP Be sure to include your Twitter handle (we’ll be building a Twitter list to help you follow everyone) and share a little something about yourself.
  • Research Take a close look at those who will be attending. Look at their company website, follow them on Twitter, review their LinkedIn profile.
  • Bring your business cards (and if your Twitter handle is not on your  business card, write it on the back).
• During the event
  • Tweet! Take a moment to tweet about the great person you just met, or interesting job opportunity you heard about. Follow #HAPPO on Twitter and take the experience to those who cannot be in the room
  • Mingle It can be easy to find a comfortable corner and settle in for the evening with whoever happens to pass by. Don’t. Make an effort to get introduced to 20 new people, and to get to really know 3. (Feel free to challenge my numbers or make up your own; just a starting point)
• After the event
  • Follow up After the event, be sure to connect with those you have met using LinkedIn and Twitter. Add their blogs to your reader.
  • Blog Blog about the event. Profile a job seeker who impressed you, or share a fabulous opening you heard about. Share your experience taking online networking off the grid.
  • Cultivate relationships Connections may happen in an instant, but building new relationships takes time. Continue to engage those that you met and consider who in your network they might like to meet; make an introduction. Remember that regardless of whether you label yourself as a job seeker, employer or PR professional, HAPPO is about leveraging your network to bring value to others. Do unto others…

Valerie Merahn Simon serves as a Senior Vice President at BurrellesLuce media monitoring and measurement is the cofounder of #HAPPO. Valerie can be found on Twitter or LinkedIn

This new project, spearheaded by Arik Hanson and the amazing Valerie Simon, this amazing project looks to put together job seekers with those with job openings.  For the full background and inspiration, including inspiration from Dave Mullen, be sure to check out Arik’s post, linked in the first sentence.  For those of you looking for the short version, and what you can do to participate in HAPPO day, take a look below:

• On Friday 2/19, between 11a to 3p (Eastern), PR Pros (and those in the affiliated career industries (e.g. headhunters)) will put their mad skillz and network to align seekers and hire-ers (yeah, I know).
• Job Seekers: Do what it is that is the foundation of our profession — write it down.  Write a blog post (vlog, podcast, PPT, Flash preso – get creative!!), telling prospective employers why they should hire you.  During the event share it on Twitter with the #HAPPO hashtag.  “Market champions” (below) will help by retweeting and connecting you with potential employers in your specific market.  If you don’t have your own blog, we’ll work with you.  We’ll also be linking to postings on the main HelpAPRProOut.com site.
• Employers (Agency C-Suite, Execs, high-ups, headhunters executive recruiters): Have some extra coffee the morning of the 19th, call in your top talent and keep your eyes peeled on the #Happo Hash.  Let the “Market Champions” (again, see below) know what openings you’re looking to fill.  Hopefully we’ll find someone in the inventory of uber-talent that we know is out there and put y’all together.  And, of course, “Look Ma, No Commission” (for us).
• Social Media Addicts: You know what to do — Tell your friends, blog about it, tweet about it, let the job hunters you know know about this.  Day of – keep your eyes open, if you see a good connection, mention it to the appropriate “Market Champion.”  Start the good karma ball rolling, never know when it’ll be you looking for your next gig.

The Market Champions – Below is the list of HAPPO Market  Champions. For the next two weeks these fantastic people will be promoting HAPPO.  If you’re a looker (not like that) or have an opening be sure to connect with them in advance of the 19th so we can all connect on the day of the event.

• Jeremy Porter (Atlanta)
• Kellye Crane (Atlanta)
• Doug Haslam (Boston)
• Jennifer Wilbur (Southern CA)
• Gini Dietrich (Chicago)
• Lauren Fernandez (Dallas/Fort Worth)
• Richie Escovedo (Dallas/Fort Worth)
• Justin Goldsborough (Kansas City)
• Arik Hanson (Minneapolis/ St. Paul)
• PR Cog (New York Metro)
• Deidre Breakenridge (New York Metro)
• Valerie Simon (New York Metro)
• Heather Whaling (Ohio)
• Danny Brown (Toronto)
• Mike Shaffer (Washington, DC)

A number of other super generous folks in the Twitterverse who will be supporting HAPPO in various ways, including Sarah Evans, Dave Fleet, Allan Schoenberg, David Mullen, Shonali Burke, Rachel Kay and a few others.

That’s pretty much it for now.  If you’ve got a question please don’t hesitate to ask.

• 3 February 2012 : Considering Making the Switch from Agency to In-House?
• 2 February 2012 : Apple’s Positive Earnings Report Creates Bad PR
• 1 February 2012 : Visiting the Valley Girls: A Lesson in Branding
• 31 January 2012 : Google’s Privacy Issue Isn’t Really an Issue
• 30 January 2012 : Tricks of the Trade: Elevator Etiquette