Author: Sara Adam

(Almost) Everything you Missed at SMW NYC

Posted on by Sara Adam

Social Media Week New York was a whirlwind of excitement with all Official Events under one roof for the first time. Though it would be impossible to dive into every single incredible event from the week, we will try to outline some of our more memorable moments (for our short list, check out our CULTURALIST Top 10 here).

We kicked things off at our VIP Opening Night Party nomming on Chipotle chips and locally grown appetizers from Wholefoods. This party certainly helped get things started on the right foot, showcasing some of the awesome installations on the ground floor at Campus at Highline Stages.

Campus buzzed with excitement on Tuesday morning about hearing BuzzFeed’s Jonah Peretti interviewed by Social Media Week’s Executive Director, Toby Daniels. Percolate packed the house, sharing seven useful tools for content marketers and Refinery29 dished on how to make money through digital publishing platforms. For attendees in regulated industries, Pzifer and Liveworld discussed the nuances of connecting to customers within the restraints of their industry. Tuesday evening ended with a panel on Startups To Watch, where 10 companies showcased their value propositions.

betaworks CEO, John Bothwork, discussed the betaworks approach to product creation on Wednesday morning, and Eli Pariser of Upworthy made an announcement (you won’t believe what happened next!). Next, leaders in the non-profit tech world inspired us with the ways that technology can be leveraged for the good of society. Steve Case, founder and CEO of venture firm Revolution, was interviewed about the industries most ready for disruption, and Merck tackled innovation in health. Tech in Motion hosted a fashion show of wearable tech. Though we might be biased, one of our favorite Wednesday events was the launch of our book, “On! The Future of Now,” whose profits will go toward the amazing work happening through charity: water to increase global access to clean drinking water.

Halfway through the week on Thursday morning, Lisa Gansky, Robin Chase, and Seth Godin shared with us the value the can be created simply by connecting people and their resources to one another. In a three-hour track they brought together some of the leading minds creating value through collaboration. Unmetric quizzed everyone on their brand knowledge, while Cindy Gallop hosted a three-hour panel about Changing the World Through Sex. MKG led a discussion on mobile innovation, and our evening ended with a screening of the documentary, WEB.

Nokia announced Friday that they would be powering the live camera-feed broadcasting Fabien Cousteau’s record-breaking expedition, Mission 31, in real time. Planet Earth always fascinated us, so we can’t wait be a part of this ocean adventure! Then, Spotify brought together an incredible lineup from the music industry to discuss the future of music, and The Huffington Post explored new definitions of success at The Third Metric. MRPR looked at the ways millennials are changing the landscape of the Internet.

And throughout all week, we were in and out of Nokia’s NOWStudio, making awesome short-form videos, visiting 140 Proof to get our social portraits, getting glammed up for Leica’s close-up, and checking out the other installations throughout Campus.

Our Closing Party hosted by Nokia MixRadio did not disappoint with a great acoustic performance by husband-wife duo, JOHNNYSWIM, DJ Sean Glass, followed by a performance from The White Panda. Between booze sponsors keeping us in the proper spirits and music to dance to, the closing party really was the only proper way to end another epic Social Media Week. And if you missed out on anything, be sure to check out the sessions on Livestream and make sure it doesn’t happen again! See you in 2015!

7 Photos That Describe Our Closing Party Better Than Words Ever Could

Posted on by Sara Adam

Sometimes words can not do justice to an event. Our SMW14 Closing Party, hosted by Nokia MixRadio, is one such event — and it leaves us dreaming about next year’s VIP Closing Party.

  1. Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Dobel Tequila, Pere Ventura Wine, and Terra Andina Wine hooked us up, making the night quite an (un)memorable one.

  2. JOHNNYSWIM got things off to a great start.

  3. Nokia was an unbelievable partner, making the night possible.

    4. `

  4. Everyone was dancing and having an awesome time.

  5. Sean Glass kept the tunes spinning and the energy high.

  6. The White Panda broke down the house.

  7. All in all, SMW14 was a week not to be forgotten!

    8. `

Playing 5 Questions with Sean Glass

Posted on by Sara Adam

Social Media Week is just behind us, so we caught up with the industry’s favorite entrepreneur, Sean Glass. Glass hosted the Official Closing Party for Social Media Week, with White Panda as the special performance on February 21st. Check out our brief Q&A as we get ready with Glass about advances in music technology and Social Media Week down below.

  1. How often do you use social media: number of tweets a day, number of likes on Instagram, etc?
    I’ll generally tweet a few times a day, maybe once regarding something I’m working on like a release or an event, and then I’ll talk about Ryan Gosling or something like that here and there. Instagram — once or twice a week I’ll post, generally peruse my friends once a day on average, like a few. Facebook, I mainly use as a messaging service; I don’t read other feeds much at all. But I make sure to post events and releases on there, as besides email, it is the most important marketing tool.
  2. How has social media changed your life?
    It’s not even worth noting specific instances at this point; it’s just a part of life. It’s like asking someone how the telephone changed their life. Everyone is connected, information travels instantly and disappears in seconds or minutes if you’re really engaging. We can be working and programmed nonstop. There is no off switch, no office hours, no vacations, or days off. I’m less interested in how it’s changed those of us who grew up without it than I am interested in what the work force will be like when kids who were raised on it grow up.
  3. What is the best way of utilizing social platforms leading up to and during an event?
    It’s weird to say this, because I hate getting emails, but email is still by far the most important marketing tool. If I tweet, I can count on my hand how many people will show up. If I create a Facebook event, engagement is probably about 5%, and that means it’s an interesting event. Recently, I sent out an email to 3000 people, and 1000 showed up.
  4. What are you currently interested in music technology? A specific app/service?
    Data. I’m interested in companies that are compiling data that we did not have before, and analyzing it to create more informed decisions than we are making in our current day to day. A lot of inefficiencies will be made redundant by data, which I am excited for, as the work will become more creative and focused on building interesting creative ideas and products rather than sifting through the noise.
  5. How do you want to see music technology grow this year?
    Less noise, more creative products. We do not need more “music discovery,” we need distinguishing factors for why an audience will notice my stuff rather than someone else’s.

10 Places You’ll Find Nokia at SMW NYC

Posted on by Sara Adam

Social Media Week is now officially underway. Nokia has been an amazing partner, and they are a big part of what will make your Campus experience great. We’ve shared about the incredible Vine artists coming your way. We’ve talked about the smart Work Pods to keep you productive. But that’s not all they’re doing.

Here are 10 places you need to see Nokia throughout SMW NYC:

  1. The Future of Now: Connecting the Dots Between the Virtual and Real Worlds
    How can we design our devices to integrate technology into our lives in the most seamless ways possible? This will be a stimulating conversation with WIRED and none other than our favorite Nokian, Craig Hepburn.
  2. Mission 31 – First Underwater Expedition That Will Be Entirely Interactive and Why It Matters, Presented by Nokia
    Ocean explorer, documentary film maker and environmental activist, Fabien Cousteau, joins Alex Oberberg from Nokia to present Mission 31, an upcoming 31-day endeavor where Fabien and his crew of aquanauts will be living, working and sharing their experience as they live 20 meters under the sea. The two together will look at the project and why enabling these projects to be interactive is key.
  3. Einstein & The Lumberjack
    The Social Media Experience Director from Nokia helps us understand the best ways to communicate ideas using visuals and proper storytelling — a topic that’s important to us all.
  4. Get Loud: Six Rules of Social Disruption, hosted by Nokia
    When you are trying to raise your voice for what you believe in, how can you be sure that anyone will even be able to hear? Using social channels, learn how to break through the noise on social with your message.
  5. Here’s My App, So What Now?: Getting a Product To Market and Into the Hands of the Public
    It’s all about execution. Once you have built an incredible product, there is a still much that needs to happen to ensure that it is well received. Nokia will be walking us through the process, helping developers get to market.
  6. On! The Future of Now: Making Sense of our Always Connected World (Discussion, book launch and reception)
    Join us for the launch of our first book, On: the Future of Now, written in partnership with Nokia. The collection of essays services, by many people who will be leading sessions at Social Media Week and includes Seth Godin, explores what technology means for us now and in the future. All proceeds from the sale of the book will go to charity: water, so this is a win-win.
  7. Brand New World: The Expanding Role of the Digital CMO
    The role of CMOs is rapidly shifting with the digital age and leaders need to be prepared for these changes. We’ll have Nokia’s Valerie Buckingham share her experience and expertise.
  8. Opening and Closing Night Parties!
    We can’t wait to party with Nokia and artists like JOHNNYSWIM and The White Panda. You don’t have to invite us twice!
  9. The NOW Studio
    Learn from some of the best short-form video makers in the scene in the NOW studio and create your own. And remember to share your creations for a chance to win!
  10. Nokia Work Pods
    When you need a quiet moment to get some work down or make a call, just step into one of these work pods on our ground floor.

Social Media Week starts on tonight with our Official VIP Opening Party! And access is only to our Insider Passholders, but there is still time to get your pass. So, don’t wait!

5 Amazing Vine-rs in the NOW Studio at SMW

Posted on by Sara Adam

This year, we’re bringing more opportunities than ever for SMW to be a practical and fun experience for you — no matter your level of expertise. So, we sought out the best and most creative in one of the hottest marketing trends: Vine.

These amazing artists are going to be in our NOW Studio, brought to us by Nokia. They’ll be on-hand teaching SMW attendees about creating stop-motion video and all things vinetastic. The NOW Studio is a full video studio focusing on short form video, with some amazingly talented artists who are leading the way in content creation. Come and learn from them or just watch them work!

  1. Yves Das
  2. Jade Butter
  3. Dylan Blau
  4. yelldesigns
  5. Andrew Jive

At SMW, you will have the opportunity to learn from these incredible artists and how you can put short-form video to work for your brand. The NOW Studio will be on the first floor of our venue, located in our Future of Now Exhibition area, where you will be able to network with other SMW attendees, work in the Nokia Work Pods, and buy snacks from the food marketplace.

But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be checking out the amazing content on the second and third floors, where masterclasses, panels and keynotes will be taking place. We can’t wait to see you!

Crowdsourcing: Be an Artist at Prodigy Networks’ Unplugged Playground

Posted on by Sara Adam

Prodigy Network is known for its emphasis on the power of the crowd and crowdsourcing. The crowd can make decisions about where to spend their money, the crowd can pool money together to create increase visibility and access to real estate development; and the crowd will be responsible for the world’s first Cotel, 17 John.

Unplugged_Playground_Artwork.psdThis Cotel in New York’s Financial District will be specifically designed for today’s business travelers, with spaces to connect with other guests, places to work and places for downtime. In addition to hosting an event, Prodigy Network will be joining us with an installation on our ground floor that takes collaboration back to its roots. The resulting piece will be incorporated into the design of 17 John.

When you first enter the “Unplugged Playground,” you will find yourself surrounded by white walls. These walls are your canvas to be creative by writing a message or drawing a picture. This exhibit not only let us live out our childhood fantasy of drawing on the walls but also lets us collaborate with others in a tangible, real-time way. After creating a masterpiece in the unplugged playground, feel free to plug back in to share your creation using the hashtag #MyCotel.

To put your artistic mark on 17 John, register now for Social Media Week. Also check out our schedule to see Prodigy Network’s event about the power of the crowd, along with many other incredible masterclasses and panels. The countdown is on!

Brandwatch Watching Social Media Week

Posted on by Sara Adam

People are conversing constantly online, and that means an increasing likelihood that your brand is being mentioned in places that you aren’t aware of. Who is talking, who is listening, and what do you really need to be paying attention to? 

Brandwatch is a software that allows you to access the most relevant conversations happening on social media that impact your brand. Their platform gives you access to all of these data points, so you can slice and dice in the ways that make the most sense for your brand and their intuitive user interface makes it less frustrating to extract the information you need.

They use their own crawlers to look through over 70 million sources, which include blogs, news, forums and major social networks. Additionally, their channels allow the tracking of public Facebook pages, without needing any admin rights. That’s a score for your team.

And we couldn’t be happier to have Brandwatch joining us at Social Media Week Campus on our ground floor and hosting an event. We recommend you hear Will McInnes, CMO at Brandwatch, as he discusses his perspectives on 21st century business and how the internet is radically changing our personal behavior, our organizations and our society. Then, swing by our Future of Now Exhibition area to see them showing us data in real-time about what is happening across the social channels as it relates to SMW. They will monitor social mentions and display items for the top influencers, hashtags and topics. Get people talking about your event, and then see it up on the Brandwatch screen!

Today is the last day to get a campus pass at the current price- the price will go up to the walkup price tomorrow so don’t wait! Check out the schedule for the amazing lineup of speakers and events and make sure to check out our opening night party, hosted by Nokia.

Leica Cameras: Equipping Content Creators for 100 Years

Posted on by Sara Adam

Leica is an amazing example of a company that has been around for generations, yet still manages to keep innovating and releasing cutting-edge products. This year they are celebrating their 100th anniversary of engineering precision photographic tools that help people realize their vision.

10419824775_a68b42966d_bJust like this one by Andrew Xu, taken with a Leica X2.

A Leica is the kind of camera that makes photographers drool. Committed to the basics, Leica cameras use manual focus, making the resulting images that much crisper.

As a company, Leica understands that the camera is not the one that takes the amazing photographs; it is the person behind the camera.

As a company whose core competency is creating tools for content makers, they have done a great job of engaging their community to share what they create with their Leica cameras.

2014 marks a Century of Innovation for Leica Cameras. To celebrate, Leica will be providing Professional portraits to all Social Media Week attendees at Campus, utilizing their unequaled Medium Format S-system Camera. This means you’ll get to take home something to be proud of.

Register now for Social Media Week, February 17- 21, to get in on the amazing sessions and panels in our lineup this year. Bonus points for anyone photographing the events and parties of SMW with a Leica camera! See you there!

Featured image courtesy  of s58y.

Jonathan Basker of betaworks’ Guide to SMW NYC

Posted on by Sara Adam

betaworks is a network that builds new products to change the media landscape — some of their work includes Bitly and Tweetdeck. Additionally, they make seed investments in companies and products that they believe have the potential to be game changers. VP of People, Jonathan Basker, is responsible getting some of betaworks’ amazing talent on board. Jonathan is joining us at Social Media Week and took the time to share with us the events that he is most looking forward to and why.

  1. How To Build a Brand That People Don’t Buy, They Join
    This is an impressive panel of brand-forward companies. I’m excited to learn more about how these companies think about strengthening their businesses through brand identity and branded community.
  2. Using Social Technology to Galvanize Residents and Improve Neighborhoods
    With San Francisco, Detroit, Austin and dozens of other US cities in periods of transition, we’re facing a real challenge in bringing our local communities together in useful and meaningful ways. I’m excited to hear how these men and women are using technology as a tool to elicit social change.
  3. The Content Marketing Revolution, hosted by Percolate
    Percolate is awesome. Their branding and marketing work is awesome. I’m really excited to hear what they have to say.
  4. Is Social Killing Storytelling?
    Content is King? Content is Queen? Content is King, but he’s very short? Our communication tools have changed so quickly in the last 20 years…how has this affected what we’re choosing to communicate?
  5. Building Essential Products for the Social World, with John Borthwick, CEO of betaworks
    This is not to be missed. Having worked for John for over two years, I can tell you that he is one of the premier thinkers working with the Internet today. The betaworks team is cooking up some incredible stuff!

Social Media Week is just around the corner, but it isn’t too late to get your pass to see these awesome events and more! And definitely don’t forget about our VIP opening night party, Monday February 17th, hosted by our partner Nokia.

The Millennial’s Guide to Social Media Week

Posted on by Sara Adam

Because of the way Social Media Week is set up this year, it can be tough to justify the expense of a campus pass if you are a recent post-grad with a laughable bank account balance. From one millennial to another, here are a few reasons why it’s worth it to shell out to come to SMW this year. It’s actually quite the steal for access to these amazing sessions and more.

  1. Beyond LinkedIn: Using Niche Social Media Platforms in the Job Hunt
    If you already have a job and aren’t living on your parent’s couch, you might not be a millennial. Jokes aside, landing your first “real job” is not an easy task, event if you did all the things you were told to- like go to a good school and get good grades. It takes a multi-lateral effort to get your foot in the door and this is a good place to start.
  2. 7×7 Mentor Session: Industry Leaders Share Career Advice on Getting Ahead
    And when we do finally get that job, how can we make sure that we are staying on the right track? Through mentorship. All good millennials have a copy of Lean In and know we need a mentor who can help us talk through the difficult situations in that life throws us as well as how we want to move in our careers.
  3. Secrets of Not-For-Profit Tech Success: Nancy Lublin, CEO of Do Something and Charles Best, Founder & CEO of DonorsChoose
    Having grown up hearing stories and watching documentaries about how terrible the education system is in the US, it is difficult to know how to respond. When the only option is to turn to the political system, it can feel like your small voice has no impact. I love Charles Best’s work to connect people who want to help directly with educators who need resources to continue their amazing work.
  4. The New Frontier of (Un)Branded Content: A Screening and Discussion of Farmed and Dangerous, Hosted by Chipotle
    With the unbelievable increase in connection through social media, how is it that we are still so disconnected with the sources of our food? I barely even buy groceries, and when I do I don’t have a good idea of where they are coming from and what the worker conditions were like. Though this web series is a humorous take on the idea of disconnection from our food, it is good that Chipotle is asking us think more critically about where our food is actually coming from.
  5. Hood to Hipster: Silicon Alley’s Impact on NYC’s Underserved Communities
    Not just because it has the word hipster in the title, but as wealth is created through innovation, how do we prevent this wealth from merely circulating through pre-existing networks of privilege? I’d definitely be interested in hearing about this- plus the title is great.

There’s only a few more days to go before the event so register now!

Join an Ocean Expedition at SMW NYC!

Posted on by Sara Adam

Screen Shot 2014-02-09 at 11.06.25 PM

Humans have gone to the moon and back, and yet, we have not fully explore the depths of the oceans on our very own planet. Grandson of explorer Jacques Cousteau, Fabien Cousteau is seeking to expand our knowledge of ocean life. He will be spending 31 days under water on a research expedition off the coast of Florida, studying the effects of climate change on the reef as well as the psychological effects of long-term under-water confinement.

Fabien followed closely in his grandfather’s legacy, which has been both a blessing and a curse. In Fabien’s words, “I take it upon myself to honor it. It’s also a lot of work. When you go through that door, you have to be twice as good as anyone else.”

Fabien’s voyage will commemorate the 50th anniversary of his grandfather’s similar expedition, resulting in the documentary, “World Without Sun” that went on to win multiple awards. He will follow in his grandfather’s footsteps and go further, diving twice as deep and staying one additional day underwater.

Fabien, an NYC local, jokes that the size of New York apartments will help him adjust more quickly to the confined space of Aquarius, their underwater lab/headquarters. What makes this expedition so unique is the way that you will be able to participate, even from your tiny apartment. The mission, occurring 20 meters under water will be live-streamed, making it possible for anyone to join the adventure, all thanks to some support from our friends at Nokia.

Hear from Fabien before he sets off on his adventure by registering for Social Media Week, February 17-21. We have a feeling this is going to be big!

Image courtesy Carrie Vonderhaar.

Social Media Week Un(filtered): Steven Rosenbaum’s Guide

Posted on by Sara Adam

Another Social Media Week rockstar who will be joining us this year is Steven Rosenbaum. Steven is best known as the producer behind the creation of MTV News UNfiltered. Then, in 2011, he published Curation Nation, a book that explores the need for brands to curate content that engages their customers. Currently, he is the CEO of Magnify, a video curation platform that enables companies to create a uniquely engaging experience for their customers. Needless to say, he is an expert on all things storytelling and all things millennial. You will not want to miss these events, so  register for SMW before it’s too late!

In Stevens’ own words, here are 5 reasons he is pumped about Social Media Week: 

The thing is, I’m a long-form storyteller that’s increasingly in love with the democratization of new platforms that are connecting audiences with new voices. Ah, therein lies the conundrum. Are we unleashing a new force for social and editorial good, or are we hooked on a new drug that ties speed, viral headlines, and funny cat videos to an audience that scans rather than reads?

With those big questions in mind, I’m counting on SMW to provide the answers (or at least engage in a smart conversation about the trends facing storytelling). So, my Curator cape is on, and I’m ready to nail the five most awesome presentations and panels in this week, chock full of content.

Here’s my Curator’s top 5.

  1. Is Social Killing Storytelling?
    This panel is going to be a minefield of twists and turns. The panelists are from ‘big media’s Bravo TV, The guardian, The Atlantic, and ‘big web’  Huffpo and Mashable. So they are going to say that social is awesome! But at the same time, what happens when social “Is Storytelling” and Twitter replaces The Guardian. Yikes.
  2. Keynote interview: Jonah Peretti, Founder and CEO of BuzzFeed
    So, first off — Toby isn’t going to let Jonah just have a BuzzFeed commercial. The fact is, BuzzFeed is a traffic machine. Massive and growing. But is it a trick, or is it really the future of editorial? Toby will find out – and the whole world will finally know 🙂
  3. Upworthy’s Real Mission: A Keynote Announcement from Eli Pariser, Founder
    Since I can’t see Eli and Jonah in a cage match, this is the next best thing. Eli has a mission, and I think we know what it is (see: moveOn.org) but there may be more. And in a world of Filter Bubbles, Upworthy needs to continue to grow while not creating a bubble of it’s own. Can’t wait to hear what he’s got to say.
  4. Five Ways Millennials’ Habits Are Changing How Content is Made and Shared
    Even as BuzzFeed and Upworthy sort out the new traffic world, millennials are morphing yet again. From computer screens to mobile devices, from SMS to vanishing text, Vine, Listicles – the kids today are turning content upside down. And they’re just getting started.
  5. The Future of Giving: Storytelling, Big Data, Crowdfunding, and Finding New Donors
    Storytelling at its core is about having an impact. And this panel connects the story of change with the dollars that drive change. It’s a unique conversation -and the kind of panel that makes me love SMW all the more. Stories connect and change the world. I’m in.

We only let Steven choose 5 events, so make sure to check out our schedule for a wealth of events on topics like journalism, marketing and technology.

The Future of Business: SMW in the Eyes of Sara Holoubek

Posted on by Sara Adam

Sara Holoubek is the founder and CEO of Luminary Labs, a network of experts that helps create the business models that make organizations resilient to changing markets. Technology and social media are an important part of the business models that will be successful in the future of our always-on, always connected-world. Something Sara understands intimately. As a longtime friend and partner, we trust her recommendations completely — and so should you.

These are the events that Sara is most excited for:

  1. Startups to Watch in 2014 presented by Entrepreneur.com
    Because I always love big, messy, industries, and the startups about to disrupt them.
  2. The Future of Now: Health Innovation Track, Presented by Merck
    Health tech is hot.
  3. What (bio)Tech Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Tesla.
    If you haven’t been to the Harlem (bio)Space yet, it’s a must. Right here, in New York City, evolutionary biotech ideas now have a space where they can become the products that solve real health problems. Plus, they have really cool t-shirts.
  4. Fueling Social Fandom at MTV, VH1 and Comedy Central
    Everything I learned about influencer engagement came from Don Steele.
  5. Upworthy’s Real Mission: A Keynote Announcement from Eli Pariser, Founder.
    Because it is brilliant to make “what’s important popular, even if what’s popular isn’t considered important by the masses.”

To catch up with Sara at Social Media Week, check out these events (and others) and register now! We are excited for her to join us and we want you to be there!

3 Ways To Grow Your Brand with Google+ at SMW

Posted on by Sara Adam

Google+ is heavily favored among early adopters as a social layer. With 540 million monthly active users, with 300 million viewing their Google+ stream at least once a month, while an additional 1.5 billion photos are uploaded to the site every week. “Slowly but surely we are getting a feeling that there’s a real momentum, but it is still early days and there are plenty of opportunities to grow and add new features and make them easier to use,” Matt Cooke, product marketing manager for Google+, says.

We at Social Media Week are big fans of the tool. Our office regularly uses Google Hangouts for remote meetings. And we are building our own Google+ community (if you aren’t already joining us there, you should…) So, naturally we were excited to have them join us here at SMW NYC as a City Supporting Sponsor. Through their multiple events at Social Media Week New York, Google+ is teaching us how to do social better and connect with customers in a personalized way — something we all need help with from time to time.

  1. Grow With Google
    Every brand wants to grow and expand their influence. This practical session will outline examples from smart brands that are using Google platforms to do just that. Learn how to get more content in a Google search, how to increase android downloads, and meet your marketing objectives.
  2. Make Your Brand Social Across The Web
    Did you know that your Google+ posts show in search results? It’s just one way you can use Google+ to help get your brand discovered across the web and build deeper relationships with current and future customers. Through social, brands are becoming more human and Google+ can play a significant role in helping you and your brand make more meaningful connections.
  3. Continue the Conversation with Google+ Hangouts
    Used by Barack Obama, the NFL, and the Huffington post, Hangouts are a great way for brands to connect with their customers in an increasingly personal way. In fact, our team regularly uses them to conduct remote meetings. Additionally, their feature set facilitates continued engagement by allowing you to record and rebroadcast hangouts, embed them into your own site, and allow users to subscribe for future Hangouts. Which means the tool could really help your business advance.

We are definitely looking forward to learning from the experts at Google at these seminars this week. When a leader offers to show you how to maximize what they do, you take note. Join them.

Last Call: Apply Before Friday to Win a Scholarship to SMW NYC Courtesy of Nokia!

Posted on by Sara Adam

Social Media Week starts in less than a week! We could not be more excited for the incredible program of sessions, master classes and panels that are going down at the SMW campus.  Because all events require a pass this year, we have teamed up with Nokia to make sure that Social Media Week stays accessible to everyone.

In partnership with Nokia, we are sponsoring 500 complimentary campus passes for those who qualify. The Campus Pass will give you access to our experiential floor, made up of co-working spaces, networking lounges, The Future of Now Exhibition, and a Pop Up Marketplace for Digital Brands. In addition, this will include all official sessions, including two floors of programming consisting of keynotes, panels and masterclasses (which are always subject to availability).

Sound good? We thought so. Here’s who is eligible to enter!

  1. students (currently enrolled)
  2. non-profit employees
  3. startup or small business employees (defined as a company with no more than 10 employees)

If that sounds like you, apply here, and the last day to enter is FRIDAY. Please note, that we have a limited number of Scholarships and cannot guarantee that your application will be accepted.

Thanks again to Nokia for supporting this campaign! Their ongoing support our mission at SMW makes this Scholarship Program possible.

Can Your Office Design Make You a Better Worker

Posted on by Sara Adam

At home, most of us understand how much space impacts our lives, spending large amounts of time and money choosing the perfect furniture and color palate. However, we often forget the ways that our physical surroundings at work affect our productivity and sense of well-being. In addition to affecting our mood, our office spaces can dictate how much serendipitous interaction occurs throughout the day and affect worker perceptions of leadership.

Many offices are expanding or planning to expand in the next few years, making office design a topic that leaders will want to understand fully. People are leaning more and more towards open floor plans, making private offices as a thing of the past. This increases trust in executive level leadership and reduces barriers to access that leadership. Additionally, by opting for more open layouts, employees have more and more unplanned interaction throughout the day opening doors for creativity and collaboration

As important as the floor plan is, another important factor for the office environment is color. Few things are more soul crushing than spending 40-plus hours per week in a drab brown/ grey office with bad fluorescent lighting. Adding bright colors can increase workers’ moods and well being. Green and blue are calming colors; good for the busy and fast-paced office. Red has been shown to boost performance in detail-oriented tasks. Yellow and orange are great colors for the break room, with their cheery and energetic effect.

Poppin is a start-up that strongly believes in bringing color into the work place. Their motto is “Work Happy,” and they believe that people should be surrounded by beauty wherever they are. Not just another office supply company, Poppin considers itself a company that sells workstyle products. They carry an assortment of typical office products, like desks, staplers and folders, but in atypical, happy colors.

And this SMW NYC, they want you to share what your happy color is. You’ll get to see more of what their products look like, vote on your favorite happy color, and then strike a pose in their photo booth. So, grab your pass and help us see what color makes New Yorkers the happiest.

Christian Borges’ Fave 5 for SMW NYC

Posted on by Sara Adam

Christian Borges, a leader in the world of marketing, has led a impressive career focused on  reputation and social media strategies that help brands connect with customers wherever they are. Christian is the currently the Senior Vice President of Marketing at true[X] media, a company that helps brands increase engagement and capture the true attention of their customers. We are really excited that he will be joining us for Social Media Week again this year — so, we asked him to share with us some of his favorite events in our lineup this year.

In his words:

First, let me say that boiling down this year’s list of scheduled sessions down to a Top Fave 5 was no easy task. Seriously. This year’s list of topics seemingly takes the SMW NYC experience to the next level, both with regards to relevant, meaningful content and knowledgeable expert speakers. Excited as always to be a part of it!

My Fave Five:

  1. Masterclass: Impulse Response, A Strategic Approach to Algorithmic Encounters
    Wait – I get the chance to learn and interact with the NYTimes R&D Lab and learn about movement tracking and facial recognition, etc.? The Future of Now, damn straight!
  2. Masterclass: Building Wearables: A Hands-On Intro to Open-Source Interaction Platforms
    I’m both personally and professionally obsessed with all things #wearabletech, and see this vertical as one of the key drivers of data and intelligence for marketers in the very near future.
  3. The Future of Social Music, Presented by Spotify
    Music and advertising have forever been linked. In the past few years, music consumption has experienced such a drastic and aggressive transformation with the explosion of streaming music services such as iTunes, Pandora, Spotify, and the newly launched Beats (amongst many others). Where’s it all going?
  4. It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens, a Conversation with Author danah boyd and Andrew Rasiej
    I am a HUGE fan of dana boyd, one of the preeminent experts and researchers on all-things related to privacy and youth-culture. Now more than ever, as a father of two little men, her words of data-driven intelligence and insight resonate with me more than ever before. When danah speaks, I listen.
  5. Man vs. Machine: Advertising’s Epic Battle for Human Attention
    How can brands and agencies compete in an attention-driven economy? Joe Marchese has a vision: less advertising that delivers more powerful storytelling for greater effectiveness. If you can’t handle the truth, don’t come to this session.

Honorable Mention:
The Changing Face of News Consumption, Hosted by WSJ
The past few months has seen the launch of such renegade news outlets as The Information, The Ozy, and even re/code. Couple that with the likes of Circa, Pulse, Flipboard – the shift in news consumption has in fact become the news.

Social Media Week, February 17-21, is fast-approaching so register now! Christian said it himself- choosing just five is hard! So make sure to check out the amazing lineup of other events that you won’t want to miss!

Getting Personal: 140 Proof Makes Advertising Social Again

Posted on by Sara Adam

Ever wonder how much someone can learn about you from your social activity? 140 Proof has come up with a creative way to show you just what your social presence reveals about you. Bringing caricature artists, Dan Springer (aka, the “Caricature King”) and John Sprague along with them to Social Media Week, you will be able to see 140 Proof’s work in a personalized way.

140 Proof is a social advertising company that allows brands to send their messages to the people who are most likely to be interested in them. We keep talking about content marketing, but what if your following isn’t where you want it to be and you want to expand, reaching new users where they are? That is where 140 Proof comes in, a social advertising company that allows brands to create advertising content native to social media platforms that is inherently sharable.

274532334_640140 Proof allows brands to create an advertisement that looks just like a Facebook post or tweet (bonus: you can also add images and video) and push it out to the most relevant audience possible. They do this through their Blended Interest Graph technology; they find the most relevant users based on who they follow, what they like and many other interest signals. For example, if a brand wanted to target people who who are interested in comedy, they could advertise during the Daily Show or they could target people who had engaged with Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Ricky Gervais, Steve Martin, or checked into The Improve through social media, so they find the people most interested in engaging with the brand.

And we’re not the only ones who are impressed with these options. Some notable brands that use 140 Proof’s API include Victoria’s Secret, Nike, GM, Chevrolet and Microsoft. All of which makes us excited to have them join us at SMW NYC — and give you a chance to see it in action. At SMW, they are turning this incredible technology on attendees to create your unique personal social portrait.

So, join us and 140 Proof to analyze your interests based on your social activity and then have artists draw you with what you care about. So what will be more embarrassing: your most prominent facial feature or your loves as revealed by Twitter? All you have to do is bring your Twitter handle, visit the 140 Proof installation and you’ll walk away with your own social portrait. Get yours done, and then look for more by searching #MySocialPortrait. 

How to Be More Spontaneous: Curated by YPlan

Posted on by Sara Adam

Some argue that technology has eclipsed our ability to act spontaneously- smart devices have maps that prevent us from getting lost and reviews that prevent us from choosing the wrong menu item. When trying to decide how to spend a Saturday night in New York, there are too many options, making it is easy to be to just stick with what you know: Netflix. However, technology can help us move outside of ourselves to try new things and seek out new experiences.

YPlan is an event app, available in New York and London, that allows you browse through a curated list of events happening tonight in your area. Curation is at the core of YPlan’s success. By offering a digestible number of options and making it easy to pay on your phone, friends can keep the momentum for the night going, beyond the first round of drinks. Maybe you wouldn’t normally go to a comedy club or play, but seeing it on a short list of options makes you more likely to try something new.

We live with an abundance of information at our fingertips that often cripples our ability to make choices and dive into a new experience with an open mind. We believe that we could all benefit from a little bit more spontaneity, but there are some things are worth planning for, like Social Media Week (of course).

Register now for SMW NYC, February 17-21! We realize that  you may feel overwhelmed by the number of amazing events on our schedule, exploring topics like, technology and society, media and entrepreneurship. Inspired by YPlan, we are making some curated lists to help you decide which to attend!

Then, make sure you swing by and say hello to YPlan at SMW NYC’s Campus Pop Up Marketplace.