Last week’s trip to Dublin was a terrific experience.

The workshop on social media and public relations I ran for the Public Relations Institute of Ireland – formally known as ‘New Media for Seasoned Professionals’ – on Thursday was a full day of listening and learning for everyone including me.

One thing I thoroughly enjoy, and get a great deal out of, when leading events like this is hearing and talking about others’ experiences with their communication and how social media works or not in their circumstances. Some valuable insights into trends and what’s happening in some organizations in Ireland.

The deck I used in the workshop is available on Slideshare if you want to take a look and get a sense of what the workshop was about. As always, a deck like this is only part of the overall experience. But it might be helpful to you nevertheless.

On Friday, I took part in a great discussion – a ‘social conversation’ – held at the Boston College. About a dozen folk were there and we enjoyed a wide-ranging discussion that focused on ten trends that matter.

Over the course of three hours or so, that focus led to some great exchanges of views and thoughts that embraced topics as diverse as Melanie Schregardus and the Irish Mail on Sunday kerfuffle and how to introduce social media thinking into situations of resistance.

The discussion-focus deck  is also available on Slideshare.

So it was a very worthwhile trip and I met many people with some great ideas including old friends like Krishna De, Joe Garde – with whom I enjoyed a splendid dinner at Jaipur, an excellent Indian restaurant: I highly recommend it for quality of food and service – and Bernie Goldbach.

Special thanks to Bernie for being such a terrific host and organizing Friday’s event. Thanks, too, to Thea Gilien of Boston College for being so hospitable.

Already looking forward to planning another trip to Dublin.

Related post:

• A social conversation in Dublin