The nature of Inman Connect events is that not only are they great learning opportunities, but they are very social events.  There is a lot of meeting, greeting, networking, and discussing that goes on.  One of the great things about the emergence of new media is that it allows just about anyone to participate in all of this social activity.  Whether you are there meeting people and shaking hands, or back at the home or office, there is no reason to feel left out.  Here are some of the great ways you can use the power of new media to "connect with Connect:"

Facebook:  For those of you using Facebook, there is a very active group of folks in the Inman News Facebook Group.  There are sure to be lots of wall posts and pictures during Connect NYC '09, so be sure to stop by and check things out.  

LinkedIn:  There is actually an Inman group on LinkedIn specifically for networking before, during, and after Connect.  The group is called Real Estate Connect.  With thousands of members, you are sure to make some valuable new connections.  

Flickr: There is now a group for Real Estate Connect photos on Flickr.  Since so many folks take great pictures while attending the Connect events, it seemed like a good idea to have a central place for all of the pics.  The Flickr group is that place.  All you have to do is upload your Connect pics to Flickr, become a member of the group, and then submit the pics to the group.  

Twitter: There is bound to be plenty of Twitter activity around Connect NYC '09.  If you want to follow the action on Twitter, one of the best things you can do is to use hashtags.  The official tag for Connect NYC '09 is:  #icny  For those of you who are tweeting, please tag your Connect-related posts accordingly.  If you are just trying to follow along, you can go to search.twitter.com, and then enter a search for #icny.  That will show you the latest Connect-related tweets.  

There are sure to be tons of Connect-related blog posts during and after Connect NYC '09 as well.  Technorati should be able to help you find some of them, and if people use the "icny" tag on their blog posts, it will make it even easier.  The same holds true for photos.  The more people use the tag, the easier it is to connect with the right content.  

So those are the main ways you can connect with Connect this January.  So if you are going to be joining us in Times Square in January, these are great ways to catch up on anything that you might have missed, and if you aren't going to be able to join us, these are great ways to live vicariously.  

See you in Times Square!