Kevin (@SYRDT) and I (@deafgeoff) put together our first tweetup last night as a fun attempt to try something new — we incorporated pub-style trivia and twitpic challenges for tweeps to earn points and win prizes. We also had two social media-inspired drink specials, the Fail Whale Martini and the Tiger Blood Cosmopolitan (thanks to @NikkiFeroni for the recipe on the latter). Thanks so much to everyone who came, and a BIG THANK YOU to the Syracuse Doubletree Hotel for hosting. Re-live the fun experience below, plus see all the trivia answers!

THE TRIVIA
Tweeps formed teams for trivia (questions compiled and emceed by yours truly). There were five rounds with three questions each, and teams had one song’s length to turn in their answers. (We also took a 5-10 minute break for social interaction in between each round to keep the spirit of a tweetup!) At the end, the team with the most points won an overnight stay at the Syracuse Doubletree — and those awesome DT cookies! Here are the questions (with answers posted way at the bottom of this entry, after the jump):

Round 1: Current Events
1. 50 years ago this week, Russia sent the first man into space. What does NASA stand for? (3 points)
2. A photograph of a sign in front of a store saying “No restrooms. Try Amazon.” made headlines last week. What store was it? (5 points)
3. A cobra went missing in the Bronx Zoo last month and became instantly popular on Twitter. When the snake was found, what name did zoo officials give it? (5 points)

Round 2: Entertainment
1. How many times has Britney Spears been married? (1 point)
2. What SU graduate won an Oscar for best adapted screenplay for The Social Network? (3 points)
3. Besides Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer, who appears on the most episodes of “Seinfeld”? (5 points)

Round 3: Sports
1. What Major League Baseball team has currently gone the longest without winning a World Series? (1 point)
2. Syracuse had a professional basketball team in the American Basketball Association for half a season in 2007. What was their team name? (3 points)
3. What football player won two MVP awards and a Super Bowl despite not being picked in the NFL draft? (5 points)

Round 4: Syracuse
1. Where can you find an upside-down traffic light? (1 point)
2. Before Otto the Orange, what was the Syracuse University mascot? (3 points)
3. Other than the 24-second shot clock, name a commonly used invention that originated in Syracuse. (5 points)

Round 5: Famous Phrases
1. Who said “They call me Mr. Pig”? (1 point)
2. Finish the quote: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are…” (3 points)
3. What song has the line “I’ll be beside the phone waiting for you”? (5 points)

(Trivia Answers at the bottom of this entry, after the jump.)

* * * * *

THE TWEEPS:
These awesome people all stopped by the tweetup. Thanks for coming!
@syrdt
@deafgeoff
@doubletreecutie (+ her mom, who isn’t on Twitter)
@nikkiferoni
@blunick / @mozeo
@dagsly
@mitch_m
@kelvinringold
@fosterdad2
@scottseverance
@jhatchDJ / @thesocialDJ
@mmccormickcny
@mandeewidrick / @chargedupmedia
@calebwidrick / @calebsusedbikes
@tdog4494 / @asktim
@missbrittz
@jbbusch
@joshshear
@toddengel
@whoislauramcg
+ Lara (who also isn’t on Twitter yet – let’s remedy that…)

* * * * *

THE TWITPICS:
People who played trivia got bonus points for taking pictures of tweeps and posting them with hashtag #syrdt. The catch? Pictures had to be of people who weren’t on their trivia team, to encourage them to go out and meet new people! Some of my favorite pictures:

@kelvinringold, @mitch_m & @dagsly

@blunick & @nikkiferoni

@mandeewidrick with @doubletreecutie & her mom

@dagsly

More Twitpics:
@calebwidrick: @mitch_m & @dagsly
@mandeewidrick: @syrdt
@jhatchdj: @mmccormickcny
@kelvinringold: @kelvinringold & @mandeewidrick
@calebwidrick: @fosterdad2
@thesocialdj: Lara & @deafgeoff
@mandeewidrick: @deafgeoff, @missbrittz, @dagsly & Lara
@thesocialdj: @deafgeoff & @missbrittz
@mandeewidrick: @scottseverance & @jhatchdj
@fosterdad2: @tdog4494 & @mandeewidrick
@jhatchdj: Empty glass that was a delicious Tiger Blood Cosmo
@calebwidrick: @mitch_m “These chips are awesome!”
@mandeewidrick: @kelvinringold & the cookie monster (@mitch_m)

* * * * *

THE TRIVIA ANSWERS:
Round 1: Current Events
1) National Aeronautics and Space Administration
2) Borders
3) Mia. As in “M-I-A,” Missing In Action.

Round 2: Entertainment
1) Twice. A 55-hour marriage to Jason Alexander, and a 2-year marriage to Kevin Federline.
2) Aaron Sorkin
3) Superman (I would’ve also accepted Ruthie, the coffee shop cashier, who was on 101 episodes; Newman was only on 47.)

Round 3: Sports
1) Chicago Cubs – since 1908.
2) Bullies (or Raging Bullz)
3) Kurt Warner, quarterback for St. Louis Rams.

Round 4: Syracuse
1) Tipperary Hill
2) Saltine Warrior (Also acceptable: Vita the Goat.)
3) Acceptable: dental chair – Syracuse’s Milton Waldo Hanchett in 1840; serrated knife – Syracuse’s Joseph E Burns in 1919; and traffic light – Crouse Hinds manufactured first traffic light installed in 1921 in TX. One team guessed Brannock’s foot measuring device, which in fact was invented by an SU student! Cool!

Round 5: Famous Phrases
1) Pumbaa (in The Lion King) voiced by Ernie Sabella
2) “…powerful beyond measure.” Nelson Mandela
3) “Build Me Up Buttercup” by The Foundations

How many did you get? The winning team, Team Jackpot (@scottseverance, @jhatchdj & Lara) only had 34 out of a possible 45 points from the trivia — their total score was 44 points for twitpic-ing new friends and a martini. Congrats!

Hope to see everyone at the next tweetup!