Last night, Social: IRL joined KU Athletics at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, for our latest “Behind the Brand” event.

Attendees learned how KU Athletics use the web, mobile, and social media to engage with fans. We heard about both challenges faced and opportunities discovered, and learned some of “what’s next” as KU continue to evolve their online and mobile strategies.  We also addressed issues such as pros and cons of student athletes being engaged in social media, the reality of Tweets becoming news stories, and social media implications of NCAA regulations. Attendees then enjoyed a special behind the scenes tour of Allen Fieldhouse and the Wagon Student Athlete Center, not just seeing parts of the complex many attendees had never had access to before, but discovering fun and interesting facts about the Jayhawks along the way.

Thank you KU Athletics, web designer Kevin McCarty, and interactive media manager Annie Werner for making the event possible and for being such gracious hosts. Special thanks to Kevin McCarty for the great presentation and for leading the tour – your passion for communicating the history and tradition of KU Athletics was abundantly clear.

Here’s a Storify recap of the event, made up of attendee tweets and photos.  Click to view.