Looking at the schedule of workshops and keynotes, it is kind of overwhelming to narrow down which of the topics I want to tackle at any given time since so many sessions run concurrently. The sessions cover everything from social media case studies and theory to application programming/development to business strategy, so I tried to give myself a good mix of topics so I can come back feeling like I can look at the  web in a way I might not have done before. I’m  planning on checking out some sessions that can help with some of our clients’ current campaigns (such as encouraging social media engagement) and then some sessions that are more forward thinking (like creating augmented realty experiences on mobile). We always encourage our clients to try new things, so hopefully this week will bring new innovative concepts to upcoming brainstorming sessions here at G/J.

It’s only fitting that the website for such an event incorporated a social aspect to help attendees prepare for the week. By registering in the Attendee Directory, I got to browse the list of attendees and speakers and check out their company websites and personal Twitter accounts. There were also groups on Facebook and LinkedIn to connect attendees and share information about the event. With everyone’s social profiles – including where they work, what they do, what their interests are – so readily available, it was easy for me to find people who I’d like to meet at the Expo; people with some knowledge that I can bring back to Long Beach.

The site let me make the schedule I built public to share with other attendees; you can check out what I have on my schedule here.  I can’t even count how many times I’ve changed this so I might end up in something completely different!

Stay tuned to Smoking Gunn for my thoughts from Web 2.0 Expo. Or you can stay up-to date by following us on Twitter or you can search the #w2e hashtag for thoughts from everyone there.

While the roundtable style conversation got off to a slow start (sorry!), the panelists seemed to find their respective grooves after a while, and some rather memorable insight was shared. Now granted, this wasn’t the first time someone has said this, but I got a kick out of this comparison offered by @RussThornton:

“Facebook is the backyard barbeque, Twitter is the water cooler and LinkedIn is like the chamber of commerce.”

I can’t help but agree. Facebook is a place for you to share updates, stories and the like with friends, family and new folks in a casual and laid-back environment. There’s even a way to send someone a digital hotdog with mustard and relish! Twitter is where you can make a few bold statements throughout the day to keep people updated and get them thinking—and talking. It’s a break from the routine that keeps your mind fresh. Just like when I was filling my plastic cup this afternoon and told a co-worker that I wanted to write a song called “Social Ladies,” which goes, “if you like it then you shoulda put a blog on it” (it would go platinum; you know it would).

Ahem, that leads us to LinkedIn, the chamber of commerce. Professional, informative and focused, this forum is often seen as go-to social platform for companies or individuals in the financial industry—and that makes sense. When you are looking for the facts and the nitty-gritty behind a potential client or partner, LinkedIn offers you the details you need, without their incredible lyrical skills.

So the question I leave you with is this: where do you fit in? Are you a grill-master that prefers to pull up a seat at the picnic table and gab away? Or do you fancy yourself a clever and industry-savvy chatter box, hanging by the cooler waiting for the next person to walk up and benefit from your witty wisdom? Perhaps you prefer the more modest party – suit, tie, pressed shirt and a nice business card?

Maybe you’re all of the above, in which case, you’ve probably got some status updating to do. Well, get to it then.