The Sentinel plans Twitter gathering at The Leopard in Burslem

The Sentinel and This is Staffordshire have decided on a date for a 'Tweet-up' of local Twitter users. The event will be held at The Leopard in Burslem on the evening of February 5. If you are interested in attending and haven't already done so, you can sign up using the form at the bottom of the page. Here, David Elks, aggregation co-ordinator and data journalist for Local World, explains the thinking behind the 'Tweet-up' concept...

WORKING in the digital world is all very well, but it can be a bit removed from reality.

I follow something like 2,000 people and organisations on Twitter, with updates from politicians, community figures, sportsmen and women, as well plenty of people from the Potteries.

While it’s a useful network, especially for finding out about breaking news, there aren’t always many opportunities to meet up and speak face-to-face.

So I’m pleased to say that The Sentinel has decided to stage a so-called ‘Tweet-up’ to allow people who use the network to do exactly that.

As the former digital publisher of www.thisis staffordshire.co.uk, I staged something similar two years ago while sat bored watching Coronation Street early in the New Year.

Out of simple curiosity, I posted a single tweet without thinking I’d get much reaction. It read: “There’s at least 1,000 Twitter users in Stoke-on-Trent – anyone fancy a tweet-up to say hello?”

To my surprise, that initial Tweet and subsequent updates were replied to and retweeted around almost 100 times over the next three weeks while readers picked a venue, time and day of the week for the event.

In total we drew in 60 people who mixed and mingled and put faces to some of the most active users on Twitter.

This time around we’re looking to do something a bit more special.

After all, more than a dozen of The Sentinel’s journalists and photographers have joined the social network since then and many will be available to meet and talk to on the night.

Do you love our coverage of Port Vale or Stoke City, or sport in general? Sports reporters including Guy Pearson, Michael Baggaley and Pete Smith are on Twitter and are open to talk about their respective teams while Sports Editor Keith Wales can talk about the way our coverage is compiled, both in the newspaper and on the web.

More bothered about local news? You can quiz or pass tip-offs to the likes of our Council Reporter Alex Campbell or our Business Editor Ann King.

Perhaps you’re interested in the way we’re using the web in our coverage of news? The www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk website’s current Digital Publisher Chris Hogg will be available to talk about some of tools which we now use to both report and curate the views and pictures of readers posting updates on Twitter.

As a star turn, The Sentinel’s columnist – and sometime Tweeter – John Woodhouse is to perform a stand-up slot with some of his wry observations on the curious customs and conventions that users on Twitter have to get used to.

The ‘tweet-up’ will take place at The Leopard in Burslem on February 5.

If you’re interested then submit your details on the form to sign up.

In the meantime, or the latest news from the This is Staffordshire and Sentinel team on Twitter be sure to follow the accounts below:

•This is Staffordshire

•The Sentinel photographic team

•Mike Sassi

•Richard Bowyer

•Chris Hogg

•David Elks

•Martin Tideswell

•Maryann Astle

•John Woodhouse

•Ann King

•Alex Campbell

•Keith Wales

•Michael Baggeley

•Charlotte Littlejones

•Tom Mullen

•Guy Pearson

•Pete Smith