The memoirs of a digital savvy event attendee.

   It’s the last day of Rhythm and Vines (R&V) and with the event having at least 22, 000 attendees a day and an equally large team of staff members. The social media communications channels haven’t been as active as I anticipated it to be, but having this medium available not only gives others some insight in to the festival it also provides an almost direct connection to the main acts and various artists performing – that is if you have internet connection.Rhythm and Vines (R&V), brings together punters from near and far in one place at one time within the beautiful setting of Gisborne’s Waiohika Estate for a three-day period of international and local musical acts on five stages. For some of the locals it is exciting to have such a large scale event happening or as one local event attendee comments “It’s probably the only most exciting event happening in our backyard all year.”Thanks to the internet, almost everyone else who wished to be at events such as R&V are also able to sit in and to a certain extent get a feel of what the locals and punters are experiencing in real-time. The need for this immediacy of real-time information is recognised by various people who tend to venture towards the likes of Facebook and Twitter to get their updates of ‘the happening’ within their chosen social networks.To help put it into perspective, earlier this year I was able to stay up late with the Metallica concert by following fellow tweeter handle @Noozeeland. After work I logged on to Twitter and simply using the hashtag #metallica, I had access to real-time photos directly from the concert. There was nothing available on the television of course and therefore much appreciation towards the dedication of @Noozeeland for keeping us mere followers in the know. Based on this experience, it was set; I expected this online communication medium to be a provider and hub for updated and real-time channel to be in the ‘know’ - well for111 events particularly.However for R&V making known their hashtag #RandV as an official hub for the event wasn’t recognised due to its last minute implementation made by the R&V team. A #hashtag as we know creates commonality whether it’s an event or conference on Twitter and when wanting updates on an event the event #hashtag serves that purpose. Therefore from the official #hashtag not entirely known is difficult for others from the twitter realm in what is shared and or talked about at R&V, besides the official @RHYTHMANDVINES Twitter page. There are of course a whole variety of other factors that too come in to play as to reasons to there not being much updates on Twitter from the event attendees, which may vary from limited access to resources from not owning a smartphone and or not having direct access to the internet, or that people are having too damn good of a time to care whether or not they should share their R&V experience’s immediately online.On the other side of the spectrum in the event, the R&V organisers and artists such as Tinie Tempah for instance, have actively made use of Twitter by taking advantage of its practice and posting up real time updates and posts for their followers. It was interesting to note that the organisation aspect of the event makeup was keeping timely updates online and not so much action from the punters.Therefore I have observed that the lead up to the event there is much created excitement online through all social medium networks. On the day of the event(s) however we find that the event organisers and or artists taking full control of the online communication channels, such as the example of the use of Twitter #hashtags. Additionally I feel that R&V will start setting a trend for other events to follow in the New Year and beyond, R&V is one of New Zealand’s key events in moving the masses who are non-technologically savvy and inspire them to get on the technology band wagon and we can only hope that it will be all uphill from there.