Flash Mob at Iovino’s
Date: April 15, 2010
Location: Iovino’s Cucina, 1835 SW 3rd ST, Corvallis
Description:
Join us in this spontaneous gathering to in demonstrate our consolidation and support for Corvallis. Our goal is to gather as many people as possible. Please recruit your friends, family, coworkers and the rest of your personal network.
The location will be announced early Thursday morning – or it wouldn’t be spontaneous.
There is rumor of live band joining us!
Event Scrapbook:
What can we learn from this event?
This question was left by @tixrus on a feedback site that is no longer being used. For ease we’ll use the comments here:
“We decide when by consensus but who has input as to where? That seems sort of secret.” ~ @tixrus
For most missions I’m hoping “where” doesn’t matter. I.e. for the Yelp mission the only thing that matters is that you’re using Yelp. After that, its up to you to decide what to review.
For future live events I’m hoping “where” is less important as well. Or is at least sufficiently broad to not hint at favoritism. I.e. “Downtown”, “Monroe Ave.”, or “Ninth St.” will be the location many times. You pick the businesses within that context that you want to support or tell the world about.
Does that make sense?
I agree with Jason.
I can’t speak for anyone else but I am personally part of the #Corvsmb because I want to be part of a Grassroots movement in Corvallis that isn’t satisfied with the Status Quo.
I didn’t receive a special invite or code word. I simply “heard” people on twitter talking about DOING something to make Corvallis better and I asked where do I show up :) I am very new to the twitter sand box and I have been welcomed with open arms, enthusiasm and lots of help. I feel lucky to be part of this!
We have so much power that we continually give away and we become content to retreat into apathy. For me the “brigade” is about not waiting for The City Council or Government or whoever else to make positive changes in our economy and our community but to, as Ghandi says, “Be the Change you want to see in the world”.
The “Flash Mob” reinforced for me that people in corvallis are ready! we want change!! – just tell us when and where are we will be there :)
I was referring specifically to the flash mob. At the moment the flash mob phenomenon newsworthy at least around here, because it is groupthink flexing its muscle via social media saying look what we can organize in very short time, but flash mob events in the past have kind of made a point of being pointless or silly once everybody gets there just so it’s clear it isn’t just another money-driven publicity stunt. Jason said to me that the purpose of last week’s event was to promote the target, socialize, and to publicize corvSMB. That’s fine for starters, but in discussions of future flash mob events, we need a when, a where, and also a why. Otherwise I think it will get old kind of quickly.
Thanks Colleen. Do you think there are likely to be a wide variety of “why”s for participating in any given activity? Some folks may love the destination, some may be only curious and some may just want to meet local singles.
If we are both pointed at a shared goal is it important that we share the same motivations? Results matter, no?
When is simple enough. Where for the last event was kept a secret mainly as a novelty. To create buzz and excitement. I know I had fun keeping it a secret! As Jason pointed out, its unlikely we do an event quite like that again soon.
I don’t want to beat a Dying horse – but the fall out from the “Flash Mob” is really baffling me – Maybe I was not only on a different page but reading a different book.
How I saw it was the Flash Mob was as an attention getter, announcing that #corvsmb was here and we are gonna do cool stuff and well, it worked!
again maybe I wasn’t on the same page but I never thought that we would just do flash mobs (we aren’t the #corvfm) – I thought it was clear at the first meeting that this was one of the first missions and thats it –
we were asked to put our ideas for further missions on the White Board – further reinforcing this was just a starter thing.
We weren’t asked to put up ideas for future Flash Mobs just ideas for what action items the group was interested in doing.
From an efficency stand point it made sense that Loyan, Jason and Chris would take on organizing and be in charge of the first couple missions because they were the driving force that started the group and so I would expect them to be in charge of getting the ball rolling and then they would “hand it off” so to speak which is exactly what is happening.
I see them continually asking for input and they get hardly anything concrete back (complaints without ideas aren’t action) and then they are accused of holding all the control when I see them trying to give it away like a burning hot potato and no one will take it.
I don’t mean to sound snippy but having been a leader of many groups in the past I know how exhausting, thankless and draining it is – especially when you are trying not to have a dictatorship but no one steps up to share the reins.
Action requires Action
I’ll stop now – and end by Thanking the People who spent countless hours trying to end the Bitching and start to the Doing – you are exactly what corvallis needs! We will make countless mistakes and have even more wins but the only way to completely avoid screwing up is to do nothing….
Nicole,
I want to print that comment out and frame it.
Can I ask the Corvallis SMB to help me get the word out about the risk to the funding for John Sechrest’s job. He does so much for small businesses, start ups, and anyone he can in Corvallis, Benton County and the 6 county area, and now it looks like we may lose him. I’ve posted an open letter on my blog, and have sent out a tweet. Can you help create some noise about one of the greatest losses that Corvallis business may experience… I’ve worked sided by side with John for almost 7 years creating the unique ecosystem to start, nuture and grow businesses. Without John’s passionate connecting of people with people, skills and opportunities, many of us wouldn’t be in business as we know it. I wouldn’t even know you all.
If we don’t get some focus on this we are about to lose a city treasure…
Thanks
Katherine