Thanks again to all those who came along, to those who donated wonderful prizes and all those who were unable to attend but donated online.

I think it would be fair to say we all enjoyed the evening and indulged ourselves in non-stop talk of Twitter!  The venue was gorgeous thanks again to the Team @Bstegallery. Drinks from @bensonblakes flowed generously. Reb Capper’s music was perfect - I look forward to seeing her on Twitter soon!

Jamie’s talk was very comprehensive, I hoped he inspired everyone to effectively use and enjoy Twitter. .. and look beyond Twitter to all the different apps out there. Am looking forward to seeing you all on Foursquare

A good percentage of us went home happily clutching prizes from the Lucky Dip - Thanks again to @facing_south and @therubbishdiet for encouraging the crowd to participate.

Overall total - £547 online, £400 cash on the night and £? in the collection boxes - so I’m pretty sure we hit our target of £1000.

Photos are on our Facebook group

We’ll be holding a tweet-up in Bury St Edmunds during Fringe Festival - Look out for confirmation on @bsetwestival

To all those who came along, all those who sent wonderful prizes and those who donated online even though they were unable to attend…

6pm - Event Open

6pm - 6.45pm - - Music - Reb Capper

7pm - Speaker - Jamie Riddell @jamieriddell

7.30pm - Lucky Dip - donate money to win a guaranteed prize - if it’s not your cup of tea feel free to barter with other prize winners - any cash incentives for upgrades to be donated to @concern

9pm - Close - Drinks @Bensonblakes

Jamie Riddell made his name as the far-sighted, entrepreneurial co-founder of Cheeze Ltd, now part of DMG PLC, the UK’s largest Digital Marketing Group. After years of Digital Marketing in London, Jamie co-founded Cheeze in 1999, locating the HQ in Ipswich and working with clients across the world to deliver successful digital marketing campaigns.

Now independent, Jamie comments on the emerging trends of the digital market with a perspective on the business end of technology. As the Editor of www.thenextweb.com/apps Jamie is constantly looking to find new technologies and new developments to understand translate and share with his audience. As Technology Editor for Direct Marketing International Magazine, Jamie also keeps abreast of digital marketing developments across the globe. Jamie also mentors other startups and can be found on Twitter regularly talking music, movies and his flock of Portland Sheep.
Twitter: @jamieriddell

We will continue our Twestival @BensonBlakes down St Johns Street in Bury St Edmunds http://www.bensonblakes.co.uk/

Many Thanks to Benson Blakes who have also provided drinks for the event at the Gallery.

The time has come to reveal the amazing line up of prizes donated by Suffolk people and businesses..

We will be playing a game with these tomorrow - not telling you now but if you come along you could well leave with one of the below:

Donor - item - pic

@dgiffin - 3×16GB USB sticks - http://www.Relcon.co.uk

@peruvianknitwr - lovely handknitted hat

@deerlove - Venison haunch - to be collected from Denham Estates

@QueensHeadBrand - hamper of homemade chutneys and local products

@fynnvalley -     2 x rounds of golf

@TheIpswichTap - meal for 2 £40

@ravereferrals - beauty products

@leafhsetherapy - hand/foot balm (value £29)- http://www.leafhouse.co.uk/

@Adnams - Champagne

@conservebooks -4 books http://www.bookandpaperconservator.com logo http://bit.ly/cNDNfP

@solebaycheeseco -  whole 3 kilo brie de meaux!

@foodsafariuk - donating 5 chickens  - dead or alive?!

@janehamerton - beautiful monogrammed towels

@myscarletshoes - Fit Flops -  NEW Season colour

@facing_south - energy monitors - www.facingsouth.co.uk

Bird nesting box - Tudor Rose Carpentry - http://bit.ly/cNDNfP

LA Fitness - 1 month’s free membership

Menta - Bottle of Bubbly- http://www.menta.org.uk/

And…………£100 meal voucher from the Jolly Sailor pub in Orford - http://Thejollysailor.net

Our fantastic hosts for this first Suffolk #Twestival are Bury St Edmunds Art Gallery - where each of the staff have their own twitter account and regularly tweet about all the goings on at the Art Gallery. Whether it’s new collections and previews, or sales in the shop, green policies and board meetings, their tweets provide amazing insights into daily life at the gallery.

Address: Market Cross, Cornhill, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP33 1BU

See map: here

#Twestival Bury St Edmunds Art Gallery 6-9pm

Bury St Edmunds Twestival is going to be a fabulous gathering of local twitterati coming together in the delightful surrounds of Bury St Edmunds Art Gallery. We’ll be sipping pleasant beverages whilst admiring the fabulous work of artist Mark Fairnington which includes four (three!) life size paintings of Bulls! http://www.burystedmundsartgallery.org/

In the midst of this we will have a Social Media Masterclass from one of the Who’s Who of notable Britons 2009: Jamie Riddell http://www.jamieriddell.net/ “One of the most experienced and innovative digital media strategists in the UK”

Prizes are flooding in from local businesses keen to join our “Lucky Dip n Trade” Game - Everyone’s a winner!
Places are limited, as such reservations to attend can be made from our site http://burystedmunds.twestival.com/, just keep watching @bsetwestival for more updates!

Did we mention the music? Suffolk Songstress Reb Capper will be playing during the evening.

If you are interested in attending, donating, sponsoring, providing prizes or entertainment (it is not too late to be involved) just tweet us @bsetwestival

OR simply donate by clicking on the button on the right ——> Thank you!

We were already planning a tweet up amongst those who came along to the Local Twestival last year however, time keeps ticking on without a date. So, this one is set in stone - we’ll be having a tweet-up on 26th February at Cafe Rouge in Bury St Edmunds at 6pm.

All welcome!

Please bring a £5 donation to Rainbow Ward (Children’s Ward at West Suffolk Hospital) in return for which Cafe Rouge will offer you a free drink.

Hot topic of conversation will be twestival on 25th March..

Bring your thinking caps and more wonderful connected people

This years Twestival will be fundraising for Concern Worldwide which aims to provide an education for the poorest children of the world, including the children of Haiti at this moment in time.

All around the world people will be holding Twestivals on the same day using, primarily, the power of twitter to get together to raise funds and awareness for this important cause.

Twitter has burst into our lives providing a new way to communicate and collaborate - with many unexpected results - Twestival being one of them.

Twestival is a great opportunity to meet and network (in person!) with local twitterers you already follow and those you have yet to befriend

So, how can you get involved? We’ll be calling for sponsors and volunteers to help make our Twestival a fabulous experience. So if you’re keen to get help in that way, please get in touch.

You can also help by putting the date in your diary right now and tweet, tweet, tweet to let others know. You’ll be able to donate through your ticket purchase, online and on the night at the eve

Ideas or offers - help/ sponsorship on a postcard via twitter to @bsetwestival.