TWESTIVALS have been described as the Live Aid of the tech world, and the last one in London saw 700 people queuing in the
snow to claim their place. Now organisers in Nottingham hope to raise hundreds of pounds through one of the events, for people who know each other through micro-blogging website Twitter. Called Twestival Local, it will be the first time Tweeters have been able to raise money locally for a charity of their choice. Twestival Global, in February, saw &pound250,000 raised in 202 cities across the world for charity: water and &pound250 of this came from Nottingham. Martin Wright, a 34-year-old software tester and organiser of both Nottingham Twestival events, said: “The first event struck a chord with me. It seemed like a great way to help a charity out. “It’s also an excuse to meet people who I was friends with on Twitter, and that event was the first time a lot of people had seen each other in the flesh.” The stigma once attached to blogging and meeting friends via the internet has been shaken, and Twestivals are more likely to be attended by young hipsters than internet geeks.
Tweeters in Nottingham have chosen the charity themselves, opting for the National Autistic Society.