Toronto

We are proud and excited to release the first group of sessions for February. Take a peek at them and mark down your favourites so that you can be first in line for tickets when they are released! If you are interested in hosting a program, there’s still plenty of time to sign up – email Amanda Lynne Ballard for more information.

Note: All dates and times of sessions are subject to change

Monday, Feb. 13 Theme: A Social Society

Host: KiwiCommons
Title: Digital Legacy: Raising a Social Generation
Description: Digital Legacy: Raising a Social Generation is a panel discussion on how youth use social media and the practices they should take to ensure they are socializing online in a safe way. Featuring Ryan Moreau of Kiwi Seminars, the panel will discuss topics such as privacy settings, how to be a social savvy parent/teacher, and evaluating the type of digital trails that youth are leaving behind.

Host: KiwiCommons
Title: P2P: The New Model for Social Good
Description: P2P: The New Model for Social Good is a panel discussion on using social media to create positive change. Social media has made a shift from business2business to person2person, creating a massive awakening of online humanitarian work. This particular discussion will focus on how simply paying attention to a person’s tweet or Facebook status update can spark the type of fire that can change a single life for the better.

Host: ING Direct
Title: The Money Movement Goes Social
Description: ING DIRECT Canada is bringing together several of Canada’s prominent Personal Finance Experts to discuss using social media as a means for teaching the public about important topics like saving, retirement, financial literacy and money.

Host: HeadStart Solutions
Title: Your Digital Footprint and Society’s Shift Online
Description: Society began shifting human interactions online since the early 1980s. In 2011, every kind of social group is finding their own space to interact with online in the form of niche communities. Do you have a digital footprint? Is it personal or professional? What is best? How do we cope with “default private” to “default public” in the generations to come?

Host: DevTO
Title: DevTO: Creating a community of Developers and Designers
Description: DevTO creates a successful meetup to build synergies and ideas in the developer community with the use of Social Media. Chris Jones from DevTO will lead a presentation/discussion on the community for developers which has lead to collaborations such as Epilogger/Atendy. Food and Refreshment will be provided 6:30-10pm.

Host: Artez
Title: Now Trending: Social media & the charitable sector
Description: Social media has transformed the way people can engage with their favourite nonprofits & charitable organizations. What does social fundraising mean for the future of philanthropy in Canada?

Host: Theatre Ontario
Title: 2AMT Meet up!
Description: It’s time for another 2AM Theatre Meetup! Theatre artists who are active tweeters and participate in the 2AM Theatre conversations are invited to an in-person meetup in Toronto to get to know each other better, and talk practically about needs and upcoming projects.

Tues. Feb. 14 Theme: The Community Within

Host: The Palmerston Group
Title: Project Butterfly: Escaping the Net
Description: What effect can learning about how sociable people interact in the real world have on the online space? We set out on a multi-city project, both online and in the real world, actively immersing ourselves in a variety of communities so that we could truly understand the elements that contribute to interaction and involvement. We entered worlds ranging from coastal skateparks to suburban supermalls, making observations and conducting ‘speedfriending’ experiments. By learning how we naturally interact with each other and by building a framework of how ‘highly sociable’ people work, we’re able to use this knowledge to help build online social communities that act more naturally.

Merging digital anthropology with cutting edge ethnography this is a presentation of Toronto’s The Palmerston Group in conjunction with Seattle’s Cole + Weber United.

Host: HarthTV
Title: Creating Content for Thousands of Audiences of One
Description: In this day and age, it’s not enough to tailor your message to your audience. You have to craft something special for each individual member of your audience. Everyone needs to feel like you made your thing just for them. Join Mark Reale, Logan Aube, and Sean Ward for a look at how this one-to-one approach informs their work on projects such as eightshit.me, Harth TV, and more.

Host: Art Gallery of Ontario
Title: Curation vs. Curation
Description: This panel discussion places art curators and online content curators side by side to discuss changing definitions of the word. Is there common ground and the potential for a common understanding? If we all have the potential to become curators online, what effect does this have on traditional concepts of the profession?

Host: Praxis Theatre
Title: Theatre & Online Interactivity
Description: Michael Wheeler and Aislinn Rose of Praxis Theatre will host a one-hour case- study analysis of the work they make in tandem with online community building activities, and how that community in turn helps build the work. A presentation lead by the editors of praxistheatre.com and community members, this conversation aims to not only explore the notion of social media as audience development tool, but also performance development. A conversation for industry professionals, students, producers, media, public relations professionals and industry enthusiasts.

Wed. Feb. 15 Theme: Business & Information at Light Speed

Host: Noise Digital
Title: The reality behind ‘real-time’
Description: The emergence of the real-time always on consumer has created a real-time marketing revolution. Data – it’s everywhere and always flowing. It’s fast becoming the main driver behind marketing, advertising, and communications successes, for commercial and social causes alike. This presentation will explore how data is the thread that informs real-time digital communication plans and campaigns, creates new roles and opportunities for digital creators and marketers, and how technology, great ideas, and these theories are driving the future of how people connect and relate to information and each other.

Host: ThirdOcean
Title: BankConnectTO
Description: How are financial institutions using social media, technology and other new media tools to connect with their customers and potential new markets?

Host: Nat & Marie
Title: Live Broadcast & Q&A Session with the Nat & Marie crew
Description: Live streaming is more than inserting digital media into a live conversation. When combined with technology, bright lights, multiple cameras and people, the flow of discussion changes into a broadcasting experience unlike anything else available in social media. Come RSVP for an exclusive behind the scenes audience with Canada’s first and foremost live-streaming show, Nat & Marie. Visit the studio, be a part of the broadcast, see the team in action and post show have access to the entire crew for a private Q&A session. Under one roof, those interested in live streaming will have access to the hosts, digital strategist, DJs, audio technicians, development team, director, technical director, producers and social media correspondents to learn how to build a brand & live broadcast online.

Thurs. Feb. 16 Theme: At Your Finger tips: social in the palm of your hand

Host: Toronto Travel Massive
Title: Getting Serious About Travel Blogging
Description: A panel of representatives from the travel industry, the media, PR, travel writing and travel blogging will examine the following questions — all within the “empowering change through collaboration” theme of the conference: What is travel blogging, and how developed is it as an industry? What are the opportunities for travel bloggers? Is travel blogging the future of travel journalism? How is travel blogging different than traditional media? How can travel companies, organizations, and PR firms, work with travel bloggers? How do travel bloggers fulfill their social media obligations on the road? What’s in the travel bloggers toolkit? We will be looking at ways media and industry can work together to provide travelers with good information, and travel bloggers with the tools, support, respect and remuneration they need. Hosted by Toronto Travel Massive. For more information visit Toronto Travel Massive.

Fri., Feb 17 Theme: Innovative Minds and Technology

Host: Wattpad
Title: Transmedia Goes Social
Description: Join our presentation and discussion on how producers and publishers create transmedia projects that incorporate social media, and how these innovative ideas are shaping the future of mobile technologies. We’ll go through examples from major studios to indie authors and take a look at what’s to come as more companies and their audiences embrace transmedia approaches to storytelling. Our fireside chat will be moderated by Nina Lassam, Wattpad’s Writer & Content Partnership Manager.

Host: Art Gallery of Ontario
Title: Social Art, Social Good
Description: Artists, arts professionals and cultural communicators come together to discuss the effect that social media has had on their lives and to share tips for using different platforms to promote their work.

All week long

Artist: Brototypes
Title: tweet2hold
Description: tweet2hold is a five-day interactive installation that transforms social media chatter into an artistic physical form. For Social Media Week Toronto, tweet2hold will amass a flock of origami birds – each one emblazoned with an individual tweet culled from twitter. The size, shape and colour of each bird is rendered based on the emotional character of the tweet.

tweet2hold is a project by Toronto media collective Brototypes. This will be the second outing for tweet2hold after its spectacular introduction at Nuit Blanche 2011.

Inspired by these sessions? Looking to host your own? Email Amanda Lynne Ballard for more information now!

Photo by Carmen Villadar, Social Media Week 2011

Social Media Week Toronto (SMWTO) announces that the week-long festival running from Feb. 13-17 next year will be organized around a group of themes for the first time.

“One of our goals for Social Media Week Toronto is to go deeper into how social media is affecting business, society and our personal relationships. These five sub-themes will shape the experience and create a richer event for both hosts and participants,” says Eli Singer, President and Founder of Entrinsic, the company producing SMWTO. Singer notes the sub- themes were extracted from the global theme of Empowering Change Through Collaboration.

These five sub-themes for SMWTO are:

• A Social Society (Mon., Feb. 13)
• The Community Within (Tues., Feb. 14)
• Business and Information at Lightspeed (Wed., Feb. 15)
• At Your Fingertips: Social in the palm of your hand (Thurs., Feb 16)
• Innovative Minds & Technology (Fri., Feb. 17)

Toronto is one of 13 city hosts for this global event held simultaneously throughout the world. A total of 18 events are already confirmed for the week-long festival in Toronto.

Social Media Week Toronto is produced by Entrinsic. The distribution of news releases for SMWTO is generously provided by Marketwire-Sysomos. Follow us on Twitter at @SMWTO.

About Social Media Week

Reflecting the global impact of social media – and its role as a catalyst in driving cultural, economic, political and social change in developed and emerging markets – Social Media Week is one of the world’s most unique global platforms, offering a series of interconnected activities and conversations around the world on emerging trends in social and mobile media across all major industries.

In just under three years, Social Media Week has expanded to 21 cities, including New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, Vancouver, Sao Paulo, Rio De Janeiro, Bogotá, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Istanbul, London, Paris, Rome, Milan, Glasgow, Berlin, Moscow, Beirut and Hong Kong. Starting in 2012, SMW is adding Tokyo, Singapore, DC, Hamburg and Miami.

Annually, SMW attracts more than 60,000 attendees across thousands of individually organized events, with half a million connecting to the conference online and through mobile.

“Social Media Week does not disappoint. It is a real-world manifestation of some of the best that new technology has to offer – ideas, strategies and insights shared by the people who are shaping the future,” Ellen McGirt, Senior Writer, Fast Company.

Social Media Week is owned and operated by Crowdcentric Media LLC.

About Entrinsic

At Entrinsic we build corporate social media strategies that energize brands, empower communications and bring communities to life. We design and execute tailor made strategies for your brand and specific needs using cutting-edge research and analytics. Our clients have included Google, Rogers, MoMA and the Bank of Montreal. For more info visit www.entrinsic.com.

Photo by Pam Lau, Social Media Week 2011

I was fortunate to attend meshmarketing 2011 on Nov 15 together with the Entrinsic and SMWTO team. As someone familiar with, but still relatively new to the digital marketing space, the conference was an excellent learning opportunity.

Part of my day was spent managing the backchannel during the three keynote speeches. Produced by Entrinsic and BMO, the backchannel gave conference attendees an opportunity to digitally interact during the keynotes through posting questions and comments, and voting for the questions they wanted answered most. It was fascinating to observe how new technologies are enabling the traditional keynote to evolve from a listening experience into a more active and engaging discussion.

My three favourite speakers at meshmarketing were:

Marcus Sheridan

Marcus spoke about content marketing and content strategies, and was definitely the crowd favorite of meshmarketing. A hilarious and engaging speaker, his sessions were chock-full of useful knowledge about how to improve your content and make you the go-to person in your industry. My takeaway? People have very specific questions or things that they search for, and the more specific they get, the more interested they are in your product. Use that to your advantage to target your SEO strategies.

Joe Fernandez

Joe Fernandez of Klout shared his thoughts and experiences with Klout. To be honest, I was a big Klout skeptic, especially given the recent hullabaloo around its changes and privacy issues. After hearing Joe’s passion and vision for his company, as well as his side of the story regarding those issues, I can better appreciate what his team is trying to achieve.

Greg Hounslow

This was by far the most inspirational session for me. Greg Hounslow shared WestJet’s story of how a few fervent advocates managed to change and involve the whole company in social media. This is a story I believe many digital folk dream of doing with their companies! It was inspiring and fascinating to learn how WestJet took calculated risks to start their social media program and connect with their customers.

The speakers at meshmarketing were entertaining, inspiring, and challenged some of my thoughts about digital marketing. One of my personal goals for SMWTO is to have a festival that entertains, inspires and challenges our attendees to think about social media and how it is shaping our world.

meshmarketing was a great event, and I met many great people that I hope to see again at  SMWTO!

For more conversation about the day’s events, check out the Twitter hashtag: #mm11

We are excited that planning for Social Media Week Toronto (SMWTO) 2012 is well underway for the week-long festival.

A first for 2012, SMWTO will have a group of themes to shape the experience for both hosts and participants.

The global theme, recently announced in New York, is Empowering Change Through Collaboration. Social Media Week curator, author and luminary Don Tapscott has initiated bi-weekly discussions on how social media is an enabler to further innovation in every aspect of our world, from business to education to social change.  His inaugural posting takes an interesting look at the area of health care.

In Toronto, we’ve broken down the global theme into five sub-themes that get us down to the underlying values and driving forces of the medium.  These five themes are:

• A Social Society (Mon., Feb. 13)
• The Community Within (Tues., Feb. 14)
• Information at Lightspeed  (Wed., Feb. 15)
• At Your Fingertips: Social in the palm of your hand (Thurs., Feb 16)
• Innovative Minds & Technology (Fri., Feb. 17)

What these themes mean for the event hosts:

The themes will shape the content presented each day of SMWTO. Choose a theme that fits your topic and aim to present on that day.  Connect your event with other like-minded individuals and organizations and let these themes inspire your content and conversation.

What these themes mean for attendees:

These themes will help you identify topics that speak best to you and the work you do. Your interests may compel you to focus on one day, several days, or the entire week.

In the spirit of SMWTO, we welcome your interpretation of these themes.

Image by Daniel Iverson as hosted on Flickr. Used under Creative Commons License – Attribution 2.0.

We are honoured to present the members of the 2012 SMWTO Advisory Board. Together they span a wide range of industries, and as a group we are meeting regularly to help define and refine our plans for the week.

Thank-you to all our advisors for volunteering their time.

Social Media Week Toronto’s 2012 Advisory Board is:

• Sarah Baird, Studio Director, Social Game Universe Twitter | LinkedIn
• David Crow, Consultant, David Crow Inc. Twitter | LinkedIn
• Sue Edworthy, Sue Edworthy Arts Planning Twitter | LinkedIn
• Mark Evans, Principal, ME Consulting Twitter | LinkedIn
• Sara Falconer, Online Content and Community Manager, WWF Canada Twitter | LinkedIn
• Lauren Friese, Founder, TalentEgg Inc. Twitter | LinkedIn
• Pritesh Gandhi, Senior Manager, Digital Strategy – Corporate Marketing, BMO Financial Group Twitter | LinkedIn
• Asif Khan, President, Location Based Marketing Association Twitter | LinkedIn
• Sheldon Levine, Community Manager, Sysomos Inc. Twitter | LinkedIn
• Bryan Segal, Vice-President, comScore Inc. Twitter | LinkedIn
• Sean Stanleigh, Editor, Report on Small Business, The Globe and Mail Twitter | LinkedIn
• Jenny Thompson, Director, Digital & Customer Base Management – Marketing Communications, Rogers Communications LinkedIn
• Jo-Anne Wallace, Marketing/Social Media Manager, Entertainment Company Twitter | LinkedIn

We are grateful for the time and expertise these individuals are generously contributing. Collaboratively, they are helping guide, support and direct our festival to realize a successful unique event in February.

Bios & Pics to come.

UPDATE Nov 25, 2011: We have found an intern! Thank you for your interest. If you are still interested in helping out with SMWTO, we’ll be posting volunteer information soon. Also, feel free to send us a shout if you are interested in volunteering.

Are you a recent grad / student looking for some hands on experience in the digital and event space?  SMWTO is looking to hire an intern for the 2012 conference.

Not only will you connect with some of Canada’s coolest brands, top marketing professionals, and be a part of a global movement – you get to work with us at Entrinsic. (And trust me, that’s a job perk in itself.)

Below we’ve included a lot of detailed information on what the internship is, what we can offer and what you will get out of your time with us.

Let us know if you have any questions but apply soon! The deadline to apply is Nov. 25, 5pm.  You can send your resumes directly to Amanda Lynne.

Good luck and we hope to have you working with us soon!

Cheers

Amanda Lynne

Event Manager, SMWTO / Entrinsic

Questions you may be asking yourself about this posting…

What am I applying for?

Official position is Assistant Event Manager Intern for Social Media Week as presented by Entrinsic. The internship takes place from Dec – March (exact dates to be determined based on availability).

What does that mean?

Social Media Week is a global affair, taking place in multiple cities around the world simultaneously this coming February 13-17, 2012.

Entrinsic’s goal in facilitating SMW Toronto is to advance conversations across Toronto’s creative communities about the impact of social media on business, culture, and society. With panels discussing everything from the implications of social media for journalism to DJs newfound abilities to reach global audiences, SMW Toronto proves a crash-course in social media’s truly astonishing penetration into just about every aspect of business and culture imaginable.

The successful candidate will be reporting directly to the Event Manger, assisting internal team leads and working along side 1 other intern.

What would I be doing?

A small team, your role will involve getting your hands BUSY and FULL with a wide range of projects that may include:

-       Sponsorship coordination  - some cold calling may be required

-       Volunteer coordination / outreach

-       Blogging / social media – assisting with writing, analytics, strategy

-       Being present at all internal team meetings, volunteer training sessions, and full length of conference

-       Scheduling and booking of venues

-       Liaising with venues, sponsors, etc.

-       Working with a team of graphic designers, and internal support staff

-       Other duties as required

What sort of employee are they looking for?

We don’t expect you to come to us with an extensive portfolio – this is why you are interning – but we do have some qualities that we would love to see in our ideal candidate:

-       A love for the word YES.  You might not have done a task before, but challenges excite you and you are ready to do whatever it takes to get a task done.

-       A passion for social media. You don’t have to run your own blog, but social media is an integrated part of your life and goes deeper than just Facebook. You RSS, you game, you love it and are excited about how the industry is changing.

-       Innovative and creative thinking.  Problems aren’t really problems, just roadblocks – and you have the skill set to get through it, make it look easy, and make it look good.

-       Strong attention to detail, ability to multitask, master of organization. Need we say more?

-       Experience with festivals a bonus.  If not, a passion for festivals is a definite bonus.

Who will I be working for?

Entrinsic is a communications agency founded on the belief that new and emerging media are reshaping the way consumers —  and by extension businesses — think, behave, and interact. We understand that a brand’s success in the social sphere relies on artfully weaving together technology and culture to create engagement. At Entrinsic, we develop and foster that engagement strategically, integrating social media touch points with a company’s overall communications to help forge a powerful and lasting connection with a brand’s customers.

From research and design through execution and analytics, we provide a full suite of services and dedicated account management at every step. The result? A robust, customized social media strategy that is tailor made for a brand and all their needs.

Where can I find more information?

If you don’t find what you are looking for over Google (we suggest you do) here are some key sites to check out.

-       SocialMediaWeek.org/Toronto

-       SocialMediaWeek.org

-      @SMWTO or follow: #smwto

-       Facebook.com/SMWTO

-       Entrinsic.com

What do I get out of working there?

- 3-4 months of practical industry experience

- ability to network and gain industry exposure working in a high profile event

- assistance in arranging information interviews with industry partners

- a glowing letter of reference upon completion

This internship sounds AMAZING, how do I apply?

Tell (or show) us why you want to be a part of the team.  Please include a resume or show us some examples of work you’ve done in the past.

It’s crazy to think another year has passed, but it’s that time again when we are start to plan SMWTO 2012.  To introduce myself, my name is Amanda Lynne and I am this year’s SMWTO event manager. From time to time you’ll see posts from myself, Eli our fearless leader, Hayden our SMWTO Intern and special posts from our community of partners and sponsors.

The hub of all things #SMWTO, this blog will be host to all must know information for this year’s conference.

We have lots of announcements coming in the next week, but in the mean time what we really want is to hear from you.  Are you interested in hosting an event? Are you part of a brand that would love to get on board as a sponsor? Did you have SO much fun last year that you want to volunteer? We have lots of opportunities for EVERYONE to get involved.

Our Early Bird Sponsor and Event announcement will be going out on November 10th (yes, as in next Thursday). If you would like to be part of that initial announcement, let us know ASAP. If you can’t confirm your involvement before then, don’t worry – you have lots of time to jump on board!

We look forward to hearing from the community! If you are interested in partnering, hosting and/or volunteering with us, please contact me at amanda.ballard@entrinsic.com.

I’ve included a bit more information below on what we’ve got going on for Sponsors and Event hosts.  Should you have any more questions, you know where to find me. : )

Look forward to working with you this year and stay tuned for some BIG announcements later this week!

Amanda Lynne

Sponsorship

SMWTO would not be possible with the amazing companies and organizations that provide us with sponsorship support. We are looking for partners to jump on board and help support this event! We have various sponsorship opportunities available so shoot us an email if you are interested in participating. We can  tailor all of our sponsorship opportunities to your needs, and are open to discussing various options, so don’t be afraid to start the conversation!

Speakers and Event hosts

We are looking for some amazing speakers and event hosts to join us! The success of Social Media Week is dependent on the events hosted by the community, and we would love for you to host some of the best events of the week worldwide.

Events could range from a speaker, to panels, or mixers and anything else you can think of. Be creative and show us what you got!

If you would like to host an event, but are unsure about what you could do, let us know! We can help you generate ideas and make your event fantastic!

Additionally, we are looking for event spaces for some of our events as well. If you have any space that is available during the week and you would like to share with the community, feel free to contact us.

Image by Paul Bica as hosted on Flickr. Used under Creative Commons License – Attribution 2.0.

Things are heating up in #SMWTO – Toronto’s a buzz with insightful conversations on how social media can be used for everything – from championing global causes to urban planning.

So much buzz in fact that we’re up to 6,066 Tweets and counting. Also, it’s worth checking out the stream of photos that have been posted to Burstn so far. Burstn is the official photo sharing app for #SMWTO – download it for your iPhone or iPod touch from the App store.

I know from the tweets, videos, photos and content floating around the interwebs that majority of people have been making the most of the week. Networking, listening, thinking and SHARING helps lead to a more robust social media community – one that fosters learning and growth – so thanks to all of you who’ve shared your experiences to date.

So far, I’ve been having a blast too. Checked out #mwmobile and #talkingcities so far – and coincidently Near Field Communication came up at both as something to watch in the year to come.  I plan to share much more with you guys soon but am heading out now to celebrate 100 Years of Marshall McLuhan.

Until next time, take care and enjoy the rest of the week.

Happy #SMWTO

Burstn is the official photo sharing App for #smwto.

Burstn is the simplest way to share what’s happening in your life. Snap a photo and within seconds it’s shared with the world. Post your favorites directly to Twitter and Facebook. Capture everything, the things you love, the places you go and the food you eat. Available on the iPhone and iPod Touch.

What better way to share your favourite #smwto moments!

Available for iPhone and iPod Touch.  Get it for FREE in the App Store and try it out.

Remember to share your photos with us using the #smwto hashtag!

For more info see www.burstn.com

The planning for SMWTO 2011 is well underway and we’re thrilled to be sharing with you today our initial list of event partners.

Before we do that, we’d like to pay special thanks to JWT and Nokia, two global Social Media Week sponsors that will be making big contributions to the Toronto event as well.

In addition, we are pleased to welcome Marketwire to the SMWTO team, as our media distribution partner.

Here are the great organizations we are proud to be partnering with – each will be hosting at least one event during Social Media Week Toronto – Feb 7-11, 2010:

• Google Canada
• Facebook
• Sysomos
• LinkedIn
• Marketwire
• WWF-Canada
• Bank of Montreal
• Urban Strategies
• ING Direct
• Bunch Family
• Artez
• PowerPoint Karaoke
• NKPR
• American & Canadian Red Cross, in collaboration with the Toronto chapter of the Social Media Club
• Ryerson University School of Fashion and Ted Rogers School of Retail Management at Ryerson University
• Spotlight Toronto

Excited yet? We sure are!

Look for a more detailed schedule in early January.

And, if you have a brilliant idea for an event to add to the mix, keep it handy – we’ll also be putting out a call for additional event hosts from the community in January.

Happy Holidays everyone,

The SMWTO Team

We’re pleased to announce that JWT is a Global Sponsor of Social Media Week and as part of that sponsorship, will be producing several events in Toronto.

JWT believes that its core business is creating ideas that people want to spend time with – a focus that is especially relevant in the social and mobile web era.

As a Global Sponsor, JWT will be hosting a number of content rich events for New York, London – and now Toronto.

In Toronto, JWT events will highlight advertising, marketing and brand engagement using social media – showcasing local and global work across the non-profit / social good, retail and other industry verticals.  JWT Toronto will also share international content.  JWT New York, for instance, has been selected as one of the four content hubs in New York with a focus on Business, Media and Communications.

We’re excited to have JWT as partners for SMWTO – look for more detail about their events very soon.

We are very pleased to announce that mobile communications giant NOKIA has signed on to serve as global headline sponsor of Social Media Week for all of 2011.  As part of its sponsorship, NOKIA will power a unique platform that will connect people in real-time across the twenty-plus cities that will participate in Social Media Week in February and September 2011.

“Nokia’s vision is to connect people to the who and what matters, anytime, anywhere” noted Craig Hepburn, Global Director, Digital, NOKIA. “We see Social Media Week as an opportunity to be involved in the new ways by which consumers connect with each other and to brands through real-time conversations.”

Progress for the Febuary 2011 edition of Social Media Week is expanding rapidly as hundreds of brands and organizations worldwide are getting involved in the activities, which simultaneously span nine cities across four continents. Cities include New York, London, Paris, Rome, San Francisco, Toronto, Hong Kong, São Paulo and Istanbul, which we are also excited to announce has just been added to the roster this week (more on that exciting news to come).

Support from corporate partnerships, both globally and locally, allows Social Media Week to provide hundreds of free events worldwide for its audience of hyper-social influencers. In addition to NOKIA, Social Media Week’s organizers announced support from other global partners including JWT and Meebo, to name a few.  Other brands involved around the world include Google, MTV, Financial Times, Oi Telecommunications (Brasil), and Fiat.

“JWT is heavily involved with Social Media Week on a global level,” said Social Media Week Board Member David Eastman who is Worldwide Digital Director and North American CEO at JWT. “The conference has grown in importance and stature, much as the social media space itself has. By hosting and participating in this essential series of events, we are helping both educate the audience as well as ourselves.”

Of course, the strength of Social Media Week lies in the collaborative efforts of the community. There is a place for almost any forward-looking organization out there, with content covering industry sectors ranging from media, advertising, technology, politics, healthcare, publishing, film, education, science, and music to topics such as the rise of location based services, social commerce, behavioral economics and social graph theory.

If you would like to participate as a brand partner, sponsor, host an event, speak on a panel, or volunteer to help out, please visit us at socialmediaweek.org/get-involved.

We’ve all been there: fidgeting in our seats as yet another “guru” tells us that social media is about conversation. Thanks for the newsflash!

So we know what you don’t want from a Social Media Week event. But what DO you want? What practical skill set would you like to build? What sectors do you want to see represented? Which social media celeb brains would you like to pick?

Tweet us your thoughts, or if you’re feeling oldschool, send us an email. Better yet, get in touch to find out how you can help build a Social Media Week event that will be truly unique.

Nothing pleases us more than seeing Toronto’s creative communities come together to discuss the growing impact of social media on the way we live, communicate and do business.

If Social Media Week’s most recent, record-breaking global conference series has taught us anything, it’s that we’re not alone in this passion.

More than10,000 participants flocked to September’s Social Media Week events in cities all over the world. In just a few months, this will happen once again – and you can take part.

From February 7-11, 2011 Toronto will be joining New York, London, San Francisco, Rome, Sao Paulo and Paris in hosting this unique, simultaneous global conference.

Jyotika Malhotra and I are your Curators this year, and Sara Falconer is SMWTO’s Community Manager. Entrinsic is producing social media week for the second time, and overall our collective, we couldn’t be more thrilled to provide one of the world’s most active social media communities with a platform for collaboration and conversation.

This conference is designed to attract a broad array of social influencers, practitioners and thinkers – from CEOs and brand managers to bloggers, non-profit coordinators, and traditional media mavericks.

There are a number of ways for you to get involved with Social Media Week outside of attending as a guest.

We’re currently recruiting dynamic team members to serve as panelists, speakers, curators, event promoters, and general volunteers.

Please feel free to contact us with information about your skills and interest in Social Media Week Toronto if you’re interested in taking advantage of this exciting opportunity.

We look forward to connecting with you.

After a week of intrigue and sabotage, the Social Media Ultimate Smackdown in Hogtown (SMUSH!) is now over.

Here’s a quick recap of how it all went down:
Early in the game, Squoozle was the team to beat. Tuesday saw the founding of Grammatron by a secret hacker collective at hacklabTO, lead by hypatia. Then on Wednesday, another startup entered the scene – Appkitten, launched by Squoozle defectee evilprguy and his Blog Studio posse. Despite the competition, Squoozle continued to dominate. This caught the eye of Google who bought them out on Thursday. Grammatron, Lunchpickr and Appkitten were left to battle it out. At first, Grammatron was a lowly one player team, but that all changed in the last few hours of play.

And what a nail biting finale! Sneaky players were hedging their bets and switching between the two leading teams, Appkitten and Grammatron. In the last hour, Grammatron was totally pwning but, in a surprise upset, top players evilprguy, liu111, lulua, amazinggrays, pem and mirmir all defected back to Appkitten (like Steve Jobs returning to Apple), pushing Appkitten to the finish and Grammaton to the bottom of the pile. Appkitten for the win!

The final breakdown of the winning team was:
1) EvilPRGuy ($1890k)
2) Mirmir ($760k)
3) lulua ($680k)
4) (TIE) Pem & liu111 ($640k) — Winner to be determined via on-stage Rock, Paper, Scissors.
5) amazinggrays
6) hypatia

We hope you had an amazing time and even if you didn’t win, do come out to Powerpoint Karaoke tonight at 8pm at the Drake to see all the winners receive their fabulous prizes from Crumpler!

Love,

Atmosphere Industries (makers of SMUSH)

PS We’d also love your feedback – send all love/hate/chocolate/flaming dog poo bags to kate at k4t3 dot org

DONATE to SickKid Hospital, the official charity for Social Media Week Toronto. Our goal is to raise $10,000 to renovate the Critical Care Unit waiting room at the hospital. Donate online or through your mobile at SickKidsCCU.ca.

Everyone who donates will have their name on a plaque in the new CCU Waiting room.

If you have been enjoying the free events of Social Media Week, then please support us in this cause.

Special thanks to Claire @ Artez Interactive for building our web and mobile donation form.

Thanks to Michael over at ScribbleLIVE for setting up this amazing #SMWTO livestream! Enjoy!

The incredible array of talent and week of Social Media is off to a momentous start.  Monday (Day One), we heard from leading experts in the mobile industry on their thoughts and predictions for 2010.  With mobile being called the next industry game changer, it was a fitting start to a week where technology coupled with innovation meets creativity and foresight.  We also got a taste of the intersection between Real Estate and technology at the Duke of Westinister in Toronto, led by George O’Neil founder of REtechTO.

Tuesday brought back the ultimate in Social Media prowess: Revisiting the roots of the epic and appropriately termed ‘Case Camp.’  One of the most highly anticipated events of the week, Case Camp, the brainchild of Eli Singer, city organizer of #SMW explored some timely and relevant topics with Peter Aceto of ING Direct and Susan Walker of CTV Media. Noel Biderman, Idan Cohen and Bryan Segal closed out this panel.

So what took place today? Plenty.  Admist a worldwide crisis in Haiti, the severity and intensity of this current day global crisis, was an important matter to address. Audience members learned from a conversation facilitated by Naheed Mustafa a freelance journalist and writer whose work has appeared in the publication ‘The Walrus.’ 

Tonight you’ll have the chance to delve into the Social Media trends of 2010 and discuss overly used terms such as ROI, FTC and TMI.  Led by the CEO of unmarketing Scott Stratten, you’ll learn the intricacies behind the ways in which you communicate to your customers.

Get ready tonight for an affair to remember at Pravda vodka bar and learn from four highly respected Toronto DJ’s as they talk about how social media has influenced their worlds in terms of audience reach, creating a global voice and the tools of the trade. A great venue and an even better concept, this is a must attend event and a necessary way to close off the mid-way point to Social Media Week Toronto!

For more information on the events between February 1^st-5^th, click here.

Today is day one of a five day series of live broadcasts from CODE Live, brought to you by the CFC Media Lab. Tune in each day this week at 1PM EST for a behind the scenes look at CODE Live, including interviews with the artists and producers who have come from around the world to present their work.

Visit the CODE Live Website

Chat and interact – Visit the UStream channel

The forth DJ on our panel for Reach and Remix is another big name and one we are lucky to have gotten. From clubs, to radio, to television and with over a decade in the game, DJ Mista Jiggz has built a reputation synonymous with some of Canada’s most talented and in-demand dj’s. Jiggz’ diverse musical knowledge and selections, live remixing, and his ability to rock any crowd are what truly set him apart. When Jiggz gets behind the decks, you can expect to hear a party-rocking mix incorporating Hip-Hop, Rock, 80s, Mash-Ups, RnB, Funk, House, Disco, Electro, and more.

Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, DJ Mista Jiggz’ love for all genres of music began at a young age. Armed with a ghetto blaster, cassette deck, his father’s old belt-drive turntable and a DJ mixer he was able to purchase with money saved from delivering local newspapers, Jiggz began to teach himself the art of mixing. At just 15 years old, Jiggz emerged onto the scene as a member of the infamous TKO soundcrew, headlining all-ages parties for over 2,500 people. His skills on the turntables quickly caught the attention of some of Toronto’s top promoters, and shortly thereafter, he was invited to join Soul Shock Entertainment Group’s exclusive DJ roster, where he was given the opportunity to share the turntables with some of Canada’s finest.

Throughout his extensive career, DJ Mista Jiggz has played at virtually every major venue in Toronto and has thrilled fans across the globe. Touching down everywhere from Osaka, Japan to Montego Bay, Negril, and Runaway Bay, Jamaica, to U.S. and Canadian cities such as New York, Las Vegas, Providence, Baltimore, Montreal, Kingston, London, Kitchener-Waterloo, Halifax, Calgary, Edmonton, and Whistler.

In addition to his lengthy DJ resume, Jiggz is also the founder and CEO of Toronto based concert and event production company Brown Eyes Entertainment.  DJ Mista Jiggz uses his website, Twitter, Facebook and Myspace to keep in touch and connect with fans and other DJ’s from across the globe. Come hear him spin and as part of our  panel Jiggz will explain his strategies for using these social media tools as he promotes himself and events for Brown Eyes Entertainment.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to hear four of Canada’s hottest DJ’s in one location – Get your tickets and join us at Pravda Vodka Bar for Reach and Remix.

Reach and Remix is fast becoming THE event to be at during Social Media week in Toronto.

The third remarkable DJ in our lineup is DJ Lissa Monét – 2009 Stylus Female DJ of the Year, Club DJ and New Media Marketing Coordinator. DJ Lissa Monét eats, breathes, and sleeps music. Her insanely popular iPod mini mixtapes have kept thousands of her loyal online followers listening to everything from electro to old school to hip hop/r&b and the buzz about these mixes are building online worldwide. 2009 was  a busy year during which DJ LissaMonét spun at Toronto hotspots Rockwood & Nyood, the highly anticipated Wayne Warner exclusive events, Toronto International Film Festival private events, & The Little Pink Party branded event in the Bahamas. Lissa has also DJed for celebrities such as Lebron James, Jay-Z, Ludacris, & Sienna Miller.

With a blog, Facebook presence, MySpace page and of course on Twitter, DJ Lissa Monét is no stranger to staying connected and sharing socially. During this SMWTO event, Lissa will be speaking about effective ways to promote your brands on social media sites such as Facebook, MySpace & Twitter.

You do not want to miss the opportunity to hear DJ Lissa spin and share her social media knowledge all at the same event – Get your tickets to Reach and Remix at the beautiful Pravda Vodka Bar.

SMW Toronto has its very own ambient social networking game, which will run throughout the week. And yes, there are prizes to be won. SMUSH (Social Media Ultimate Smackdown (in Hogtown)) offers a fun opportunity to meet and destroy new people. Social media startups (teams) will compete to earn venture capital (points) through a combination of networking, cajoling, and good ol’ fashioned theft. The game is “always on,” meaning that you can take action at any time through the game’s mobile-friendly website. For the most part, though, the game happens in the interactions between you, your friends, and your rivals (don’t act like you don’t have any.)

The prizes come from Crumpler, makers of high-end bag-like products.

For more info, visit smush.ca, and follow @smushca.

How does social media affect the world of books? What does social media do to enhance and/or subtract from literature? How has social media affected the business of publishing and what does it mean for its future? Is the community aspect of social media a positive influence on the community of readers? And can writers use social media to actually create their works?

These and other questions will be explored, metaphors will be trounced and tortured and geekery will be high on everyone’s minds when we gather at the fabled Rivoli to talk, debate, answer questions and share ideas. Join us for The Written Word & The World Of Books: An Interaction With Social Media.

On our panel for this session we are fortunate to have four tremendous speakers/wordsmiths. 

Julie Wilson is the curator of the online literary voyeurism project SeenReading.com; founder of Book Madam & Associates, a book and authors online promotion service; guest host of the CBC’s online book club; and co-founder of The Advent Book Blog, which in December 2009 pooled the reading recommendations of publishing professionals and bloggers to create a digital hand sell list of over one hundred book buying suggestions. She’s the past Online Content Manager for House of Anansi Press, and is currently finishing Truly, Madly, Deadly: The Unofficial True Blood Companion, which, not coincidentally, features a chapter on Twitter and building fan communities.

Erin Balser is a writer and critic living in Toronto, Ontario. When she’s not Twittering away @booksin140, you can find her hanging out at Books@Torontoist and Bookclub-in-a-Box.

Deanna McFadden learned a great deal at both Queens University and the University of Toronto before starting out as a content producer for Alliance Atlantis. She rose to the ranks of Executive Producer before her love of books landed her at Random House of Canada. Currently, her job as Marketing Manager, Online Content and Strategy keeps her on her toes at HarperCollins Canada.

Arjun Basu is a writer and editor. His first book of short stories, Squishy, was published in 2008 and he is currently at work on a novel. For the last 18 months he has been writing 140-character short stories on Twitter (@arjunbasu) and now counts over 11,000 followers. His Twitter work has been featured in Fast Company, The Globe and Mail, NPR and The Washington Post. He works as the Editorial Director of Spafax, and is based in Montreal.

Register for this this event today.

We’re lucky to have another great DJ participating in the Reach and Remix event during SMWTO! Named 2009 Canadian DJ of the Year, ‘Wristpect’ has quickly become one of the most sought after, and highly regarded entertainers in the country. A genuine love and appreciation for all sorts of music has allowed him to remain extremely versatile, captivating worldwide audiences by harnessing a plethora of genres.

Within the last year alone, Wristpect has been nominated Canada’s #1 Club DJ, joined Clinton Spark’s ‘Smash Squad DJ’ crew, played club dates in New York, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Bahamas, Costa Rica, Grenada, and has played and worked alongside the likes of DJ AM (RIP), Jazzy Jeff, Clipse, Steve Aoki, Drake, Busta Ryhmes, Usher, Just Blaze, amongst others.

He is not only the youngest, but the only DJ ever nominated simultaneously for five Stylus DJAwards, and in 2009, he became Canada’s Club DJ of the Year. He also won the 2006 and 2007 Showdown DJ Battles, as well as the 2008 Stylus Showdown.

Wristpect’s technical skill, paired with his unique ability to captivate a crowd, has led him to launch several successful tours across the continent and hold down residencies at some of Canada’s best venues. Not any one category defines Wristpect, as his range is exemplified by the diversity of his performances. He’s played for universal audiences at venues such as the highly coveted Playboy Mansion, as well as corporate engagements for the likes of Hennessy, Sony-Ericcsson, & Google.

Wristpect has further gained international attention with a series of acclaimed mix-tape compilations. These mix-tapes feature collaborations with some of music’s most recognized talents. Beyond his live performances, Wristpect plays to hundreds of thousands via live-to air-shows on both commercial and internet radio.

Using social media as a promotional vehicle and a way to connect with fans across the globe, Wristpect has been able to grow his reputation and fan base from Canadian to truly global. Wristpect can be found online in numerous places, from his website at wristpect.com to Twitter, Facebook, Vimeo, YouTube and more. Wristpect is a truly connected performer.

Join us at Pravda Vodka Bar for Reach and Remix and hear Wristpect along with DJ ASE, Lisa Monet and Mista Jiggz give there thoughts and experiences with social media and then stick around for a night of dancing, drinking and networking.

Social Media Week is fast approaching and Reach and Remix remains one of the hottest tickets. I encourage you to get one today.

Post written by Michael Cohen, @michaelgcohen

During this year’s Social Media Week, DJ ASE (along with other top DJs Lissa Monet, Wristpect and Mista Jiggz) will share his experiences with social media and will give his take on why it is important to stay in the loop and network using multiple social media outlets. Learn from DJ ASE on how he is using social media to drive online clicks, share word of mouth referrals and grow a national reputation in an effort to enhance business revenue.

With over 30 events booked in just the first two months of the year there is no doubt that DJ ASE is one of Toronto’s hottest DJ’s.

Owner and C.E.O at All Star Entertainment, DJ ASE brings not only a sense of style and flair but also diversity to Toronto’s music and entertainment scene. Coming from a music and entertainment background (his uncle was a drummer and father was an event planner), ASE has been active in the entertainment industry since an early age. When he was seven years old he was given a drum set and at the age of fourteen started experimenting with a home tape player, turntable and mixer. After a few years DJ ASE began to circulate his demo CD’s and began his first residency at Atlantis Nightclub. After graduating college, he worked at making music a full time career. Working out of his home office/studio for the past 5 years DJ ASE has gained the experience and knowledge to keep moving further in the music industry.

Spending nights DJ’ing at nightclubs, high schools, universities, corporate functions and weddings, DJ ASE has grown a following across Canada and uses a combination of blogging, Facebook, Twitter and a collection of podcasts and music mixes to connect with fans across the country. Today DJ ASE is in demand, playing the top nightclubs in the megacity’s Toronto’s massive dance party scene, being featured on national television programs and putting together private parties including for the likes of Jay Z, 112, Sean Paul, Belly, Kardinal Offishal, and more.

Blogging at www.djase.com, Tweeting as @djase, and regularly sharing music via mixtapes and podcasts at www.allstarmixshows.com, this Canadian DJ has found that sharing and connecting through social media is one of the most effective and business savvy ways for him to stay in touch with fans, promote upcoming events and stay up to date on other DJ’s across the globe. As DJ ASE has grown his own name and hence his brand he has discovered the pros and cons of using social media and has learned to balance between sharing enough without exposing his entire life online.

During this year’s Social Media Week, DJ ASE (along with other top DJ’s Lissa Monet, Wristpect, Mista Jiggz) will share his experiences with social media and will give his take on why it is important to stay in the loop and network using multiple social media outlets. Learn from DJ ASE on how he is using social media to drive online clicks, share word of mouth referrals and grow a national reputation in an effort to enhance business revenue.

Sign up Reach and Remix: SMW DJ Showcase at Pravda Vodka Bar (www.pravdavodkabar.com) and hear four of Toronto’s top DJs – Lissa Monet, Wristpect, Mista Jiggz, and DJ ASE speak about how they use social media to source, share and create music for thousands of adoring fans, friends and followers. Then, set your social self free and let loose on the dance floor when these spin masters (and mistress!) bring the house down. You didn’t think there’d be an event called Social Media Week without a dance party, did you?

SMWTO is blowing the roof off our expectations.  Over half the our events are full, there is clearly more demand than we had anticipated.

So this is a public call out to companies, clubs, agencies, government offices and individuals to come up with event ideas and invite the Toronto social media community to participate.

If you plan an event, you’ll be in the good company of The Globe and Mail, CaseCamp, Rypple, Artez Interactive, Social Media Group, The Canadian Film Centre, AdLounge and Refresh Events to name a few.

This is a great way to connect with digital early adopters and influencers in their fields from across Toronto. Who knows, maybe you’ll find some talent to recruit, clients, or make one of those connections that you’ll never forget.

Planning an event is free and as easy as 1, 2, 3.

1. Come up with your event name, pick a place, and time during the week, and send Eli, Jyotika and Sara all the information.
2. We’ll work out the tweaks with you, and then post it on the community Schedule with an Eventbrite page.
3. Our team will help you promote your event with out blog and Twitter page.

So what are you waiting for?  Time is ticking, and this kitty needs your help!

Event planning and programming is well underway here in Toronto as we partake in the global phenomenon that is Social Media Week! Event co-organizers Eli Singer, Jyotika Malhotra, Noorin Ladhani and Soniya Monga have been working hard to inspire some of the best and brightest in the city in order to offer a menu rich in art, music, design, technology and above all, passion!

With five days full of unique content and programming, there is surely something for everyone available at Social Media Week Toronto.

Here’s a taste of what you’ll experience at some of our city-wide events:

At the Rivoli, we’re going back to the roots of CaseCamp, at a small, intimate niche venue in Toronto.  Speakers include: Peter Aceto (President of ING DIRECT), Alyson Walker (CTV Olympics), Noel Biderman (Ashley Madison), Bryan Segal (comScore), Idan Cohen (Boxee) and Josh Erret (NOW Magazine).

In the Mars Discovery District, we’ll be talking the future of Mobile and wireless with industry leaders and insiders in the context of the global environment, capital markets, supported by innovative and cutting edge applications.  Speakers will include Michael Urlocker, Krista Napier and Ronald Gruia.

Moving to the Robinson Building, we’ll be asking the question “How do you raise money if you’re not Barack Obama?” With the goal to turn Social Media into Buzz dollars, we’ll review the most effective examples of social media integrated with regards to fundraising campaigns and map out some strategies that you can take to market as you fully synthesize the full scope of your holistic goals.

Check out the  event perspective here, thus far and REGISTER soon for all of these fantastic offerings. Look out for more events coming your way shortly and don’t hesitate to contact any of the city organizers for more information.

We can’t wait to see you during the week of February 1-5!

Your SMWTO team has been working hard since Jan 1 to put together an exciting program in Toronto. We’d like to unveil the first set of events below.  Visit the calendar for more details and to sign up for all events.

If you want to plan your own event, let us know and we’ll get you into the program. More on this later, but planning an event under the SMWTO umbrella is free and easy to do, just ask us how.

There are more events on the way, so stay tuned.  For now, follow us @SMWTO or check the calendar which is updated as events get announced.

We are thrilled to be one of six cities to be hosting Social Media Week in 2010, and have high hopes for Toronto’s contribution to this great event.

Our goal is to use this week of free events to help facilitate conversations across Toronto’s many creative communities about the impact of social media on business, culture and society.  We’re hoping for a massive mash-up of interests and ideas.

More news to come, but if you want to get involved as an event host or a sponsor, get in touch @smwTO or directly with one of the city organizers: Eli Singer, Jyotika Malhotra, Noorin Ladhani and Soniya Monga.

A very special thank-you to our brilliant advisory board.