The NBA to host it’s 1st tweetup with exclusive access for twitter friends & when was NC 1st tweetup?

First off, if you didn’t know the Phoneix Suns is the NBA”s 1st twitter team. You can thank A. Jo. Martin, the Digital Media & Research Director of the Suns aka @PhoenixSunsGirl on twitter for that.  Not only is she on twitter but the Sun’s graphic designer @paigeiam , webmaster @SunsWebmaster, blogger @SunsBlogger , Public Relations Manager @sunsprgirland and the Sr. V.P. of Marketing Partnerships @SunsBizDiva .  I’m sure you know by now that Shaq is on twitter also but did you know his teammate Adamre Stoudmire was on twitter too?  @vote4amare ? We’ll at least his pr team is. See Mashable post: NBA Superstars Turn to Social Media Marketing for All-Star Game Votes.

As you can see the Suns are on top of their Twitter / Social Media Game and it looks like the Suns are taking things to next level.  On Friday, January 16th  they’re hosting the NBA’s first ever Tweetup with exclusive access to twitter friends.

The way it works, you go to the Sun’s special twitter page use the password “TWEEPS” and buy your game tickets. You’ll receive a  a special Suns twitter t-shirt, pre-game front row seats and during the game a seat in the “twitterville” section. After the game a chance to go to the Suns practice court and mingle with a “surprise” Suns personality. I’m sure it’s either Shaq or @PhoenixSunsGirl herself.

Twitter is becoming to can do all community website by not being limited to what it can be used for and many thinks that twitter biggest value is related to the news media industry but the sports industry is catching on.  It’s interesting to watch the NBA and other athletes interact on twitter and only time will tell if other players or sports team will use twitter for online/offline sports promotions in the future. I wonder if anyone will be live tweeting the game or the tweetup.

Do you think we’ll see other sports teams host tweetups?  Do you think we’ll see a UNC or Duke college tweetup?

Speaking of tweetups, we recently celebrated our 1 year tweetup anniversary on December 29, 2008. Yes that’s right, North Carolina ’s first tweetup was held in 2007.  In attendance was @shepherdfx @dgtlpapercuts @therab @ginnyskal and myself (@waynesutton).

It was a few days after Christmas and we sat on the old couch at @cafehelios (I miss those things) , talked about photography, blogging and twitter in it’s early days. We have come a long way since then and looking forward to seeing everyone on January 29th at Edge Office.

How many tweetups have you attended?