SMWNYC Attendee Tips…from an Attendee

Many of your fine social media-savvy folks are aware that the official floodgates for Social Media Week 2012 registration have opened. As a resident New Yorker, I’ll be hitting the pavement hard throughout the NYC boroughs, blitzing innumerable SMWNYC 2012 events for the second consecutive year. As a returning attendee, I figured it apropos to offer some helpful suggestions to newbie attendees mapping out Social Media Week schedules. My attendee tips for planning your Social Media Week visit:
  • Don’t fret if your schedule looks kind of sparse right now.  As of this writing, even I – as an overzealous, overenthusiastic attendee – have some gaps in my week-long schedule. But have no fear…there are TONS of events that are going to be added in the next days.
  • Be sure to actually register for the events you want to go to.  So often last year naive attendees thought that just because SMWNYC events were free, they could just walk in…NOT TRUE. Planners are understandably strict about having your registration with you, so just make the reservation. It’s quick, painless and FREE!
  • Vary your schedule with “different” kinds of events.  While obviously every event is centered around social, digital media and tech, it’s important to keep your schedule of events diverse with events that you are passionate about. Be bold! Sign up for events that are related to your true personal interests: music, fashion, the arts — whatever it may be. The great thing about the week is that it brings ALL kinds of worlds together to speak about social, so there is a tremendous depth and breadth to the schedule for attendees to enjoy. It’s totally worth it, for both mental stamina and sheer happiness. Happy Planning!
Greg is a motivated Cornell University Hotel School alumnus, affectionately known as a Hotelie for life, with keen interests in social and digital marketing for hospitality and lifestyle brands. He’s passionate about sales and marketing in the hospitality industry, specifically as it relates to the dynamic online space. In his free time, Greg obsesses over growing his musical intellect (both modern and past-time artists apply), tennis, and running skills. Check out his lifestyle blog covering these topics at http://www.thesocialsonictraveler.wordpress.com.

Event Spotlight: Fueling Passion for Music Discovery, Hosted by Pandora, Big Fuel and Social Media Advertising Consortium

It’s the second day of Social Media Week and we hope you are all enjoying the awesome panels and parties! Have you been meticulously and strategically planning out your agenda for this week?

Well don’t forget to pencil in this event hosted by Pandora, Big Fuel and Social Media Advertising Consortium:

What is this event called? Pandora Presents: Fueling Passion for Music Discovery

Where am I going? Entertainment, Sports and Gaming Hub at the Red Bull Space

When? Wednesday February 9th from 6-9 PM

What’s this all about? Join industry executives, social media insiders and bloggers to share insights and ideas in a relaxed setting fueled by good music, food and cocktails.

Don’t forget to register here!


Event Spotlight: Expanding the View: Promoting LGBT Human Rights Through Arts Activism and Social Media

This event spolight is brought to you by Marcia G. Yerman, co-founder of cultureID and blogger for The Huffington Post. You can follow here tweets here.

The power of social media to expand our view of global cultural issues emphasizes the interconnectivity of our communities and our lives. It offers the opportunity to inform and be informed and creates a more intimate global community through shared experiences.

Intersections International and cultureID will co-present “Expanding the View: Promoting LGBT Human Rights Through Arts Activism and Social Media.” Panel participants will discuss how creative communication advances and amplifies the call for LGBT equality in the United States and globally. A Q & A forum with the audience will be part of the presentation. Questions can be submitted before and during the event via Twitter to @IntersectionsNY or @cultureID with the hashtag #smwexpand.

Topics will include:

  • The use of social media in tandem with online exhibits, e-zines. and video to disseminate creative work addressing social justice issues.
  • Issues concerning ideology / iconography and ownership in the age of digital reproduction and dessimination.
  • An examination of the Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture exhibit in Washington, D.C. where the video “A Fire in My Belly” by David Wojnarowicz (created in 1987 in response to the AIDS epidemic) was pulled by Smithsonian Secretary Wayne Clough. With social media, how has push back changed from the 1980s when the NEA was under attack?

Panelists:

  • Macky Alston, Documentary filmmaker and former Director of Auburn Media

This event is being held on Tuesday, February 8th from 7-9 PM. You can register here.

Event Spotlight: 140 Characters Project Launch Party

Be a part of  “twistory” and join Edelman Digital and Ish Entertainment in celebrating the kick off of the 140 Characters Project, a year-long search documenting 140 people whose lives have been forever transformed by social media. The search and documentary’s filming will begin at this cocktail party.

Get the 411 on the exclusive, invitation only event below (did we mention there is an open bar?):

What is the name of this event? 140 Characters Project Launch Party

Who is hosting this? Edelman and Michael Hirschorn

What time is it and where can I drink for fr–, I mean be a part of this awesome event? Tuesday, February 8th from 6-9 PM at 250 Hudson Street (16th Floor-Penthouse).

Aside from me, who else is excited about this? Libby Pigg, Senior Vice President at Edelman Digital. She wants you to know:

“Social media is something that we at Edelman have a tremendous amount of passion for, so it seemed like a perfect fit to align with a global initiative like Social Media Week. We hope our event on Tuesday evening  will be a good combination of entertainment, content and networking with an amazing group of  ‘characters’ that one might not typically see at a social media conference.”

This event has limited space so register now!

Joanna Firneno is a contributing writer to the Social Media Week blog and is an Associate Communications Manager at Deep Focus.

Event Spotlight: Social Good for All

If you want to be a successful brand in the social media age, there are three words you must live by: transparency, openness, and honesty. More than ever, consumers are embracing social media to forge open dialogues with brands — even putting pressure on companies to demonstrate their corporate social responsibility across digital platforms.

What’s the event? Social Good for All
Where? People & Society Hub at The Paley Center for Media
When? Friday, February 11, 12PM – 2PM
Who is hosting the event? SapientNitro

What’s the event all about? Are companies really being more altruistic or are they taking advantage of this newfound openness to propagate their marketing messages to consumers? Through pre-filmed “on the street” interviews to live panel discussions, this session will delve into topics, such as crowdsourcing platforms for fundraising, the real impact of social media on these philanthropic efforts, and how social good continues to shape consumer perspectives — now and in the future.

Sapient started out as a business & IT consulting company in 1991. Today, it is comprised of three business groups, over 30 offices, and 7,000 people. Read more here.

Alysha Lalji is a contributing writer to the Social Media Week blog and works in digital communications at Deep Focus.

Event Spotlight: WikiLeaks and Online Civil Disobedience

This blog post is a contribution from Daniel Teweles, the VP of Business Development and Marketing for Personal Democracy Forum (@pdfteam). You can follow him via @dteweles and www.danielteweles.com.

Personal Democracy Forum (PdF) has been experimenting with and documenting how politicians and governments are using social media long enough to appreciate having the term “social media” to describe these technologies!

In our role as conveners abroad and domestically (PdF’s annual conference in NYC is the world’s leading conference exploring and analyzing technology’s impact on politics and government), PdF regularly gets to interact with, learn from, and promote social media innovators and applications. In our editorial role on techPresident.com (the web’s leading blog covering the intersection of technology and politics), we regularly analyze, dissect, and explore the implications of the growing role social media plays in affecting change.

And so, with the idea of taking our ever growing and (often) random assortment of community all stars and zeitgeist tapping topics, we’re thrilled to announce our event at Social Media Week NYC 2011: WikiLeaks and Online Civil Disobedience, Hosted by Personal Democracy Forum, hosted at the Art & Culture Hub at Hearst.

On December 3rd, noted cyber-libertarian John Perry Barlow tweeted:

Internet freedom activists using distributed denial of service attacks to shut down websites say they’ve invented a new kind of online civil disobedience. Critics worry that the tactic can backfire, and moreover, that the internet is more an ally of authoritarian regimes than we think.

We are pleased to bring together a ridiculous group of luminaries to provide their assessments of this ever changing status quo, while taking your questions. John Perry Barlow, co-founder of the Electronic Freedom Foundation, Evgeny Morozov, author of the new book The Net Delusion: The Dark Side of Internet Freedom, and Deanna Zandt author of Share This: How You Will Change the World with Social Networking will all be there. Will you?

Tickets available here.