Social networking has hit the credit union conference circuit big time in 2010.

For its annual conference in Colorado Springs last month, the Credit Union Association of Colorado sought to “really make use of this exploding technology” by hiring Pasadena, Texas-based vendor CU Grow.

Attendees at the meeting, held at the Broadmoor Hotel, took part in floor videos and interviews shown on special Web pages set up by CU Grow and posed for photographs later uploaded to Facebook and CUAC's website.

All told, there were 288 social media participants with representatives from 10 states besides Colorado. Many tweeted questions to various conference speakers, including Atlanta-based business coach Michael Hudson.

“We think our members really loved the excitement, energy and buzz we brought to Colorado Springs as we worked hard at attracting a more youthful audience to our meeting,” said Nicole Brusewitz, education director for CUAC.

CUAC met its goal of engaging both CU executives at the meeting and those unable to attend, counting some 700 Twitter and Facebook clicks to a separate “call to action” account.

One attendee, Nicole Anguiano, marketing specialist at Denver Community FCU, said it was “awesome” to be able to sit in one breakout session while keeping tabs on another going on down the hall.

Diane Tracy, vice president of finance/IT at Horizons North CU of Northglenn, agreed with Anguiano and added that she liked to see discussion continuing online long after the sessions were over.

CUAC is far from the only state group to bring on CU Grow to handle social networking at a conference. Two weeks ago, at the Texas Credit Union League's annual meeting in Grapevine, the vendor arranged for tweets and blogs to be broadcast from various sessions.

And the Mississippi Credit Union Association said it too has hired CU Grow for its annual meeting May 5-8 at the Beau Rivage Hotel/Casino in Biloxi. Using a technique initiated last year by the New Jersey Credit Union League, CU Grow photographers will conduct man-on-the-street interviews to spread CU awareness to the public.

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