Tag: SMW13

5 Minutes with BuzzFeed’s Jon Steinberg

Posted on by Lindsey Taylor Wood

We sat down with SMWNYC Supporting Sponsor Buzzfeed’s Jon Steinberg to talk journalism, branding and more. BuzzFeed is the leading social news organization, intensely focused on delivering high-quality original reporting, insight, and social content across a rapidly expanding array of subject areas. Here’s what he had to say:

What is BuzzFeed’s greatest success with social media to date?
I’d largely attribute it to our singular focus on social, which really comes from Jonah’s vision and focus for the company from day one. Our technology, editorial, and ad products all focus on creating and optimizing things that excite and inspire people to share. This has allowed us to grow the site rapidly and do only truly social advertising in lieu of banners.

What do you think is the most exciting thing happening in the emerging technology and/or new media space right now?
Well, it’s certainly the big move to social and mobile. And I think that’s one trend. This summer, the BuzzFeed Partner, which includes 300 million unique visitors from sites like Time, Daily Mail, and Huff Post got more traffic in aggregate from Facebook than from Google. And at BuzzFeed we now get about 30% to 40% of traffic from mobile. People are literally discovering and consuming media in a completely different channel then even a few years ago.

What are you looking forward to most at SMWNYC 2013?
I always like to hear about what brands that I’m unfamiliar with are doing. It’s always a great place to get ideas, and the sessions tend to always have people who are eager to chat after their panels. I love catching a few sessions each day.

Tell us about your goals for SMW. As the 2013 Official Supporting Sponsor and a host of several events, what do you hope attendees will take away from the experience?
I hope that people who have never heard of us will get to understand what BuzzFeed does in Social Advertising and that those who are curious already will attend events and panels where we can answer their questions.

What is the most creative way you’ve seen social media used?
I love these new social illustrations and infographics we’re doing for brands like AT&T and AMC’s Walking Dead.

…………………

It’s a new genre for our social ad products that our new Chief Creative Officer Jeff Greenspan has rolled out.  They are very native to the web are a designed to be shareable and relatable to fans (of say Zombies) or people interested in a given area (Classic Literature).

This year, our global theme is “Open & Connected: Principles for a Collaborative World.” How does BuzzFeed embody or support this idea? 
In many ways BuzzFeed is a site that couldn’t exist without a connected world where people collaborated to share and and inform each other with all varieties of content. BuzzFeed is the oposite of an isolated, individual in front-of-a-disconnected-terminal scenario.

What brands do you think are leading the way in innovation with social and digital?
I look every week at the campaigns we’re running and think about which one interests me the most and why. I’d honestly say the answer is different every week. This week I’m loving the AT&T and AMC campaigns. From a longer term perspective, GE and Virgin Mobile have been working with us in a deep and long term fashion and are consistently pushing and innovating in what it means to be a social, always-on publisher.

 
We couldn’t be more excited to have Buzzfeed on board for SMW NYC! Stay tuned to the special announcements coming out on Buzzfeed, like this video reminding us how to do social media. Then, see them in action during the week at JWT with Genuine Appeal — Creativity and Authenticity in the Social Age on Wednesday, February 20th; at The Golden Age of Storytelling on Thursday at Hearst; Longform in a Shortform World at 92Y on Friday; and at our Opening Reception on Tuesday!

5 Minutes With LiveWorld

Posted on by Lindsey Taylor Wood


Photo: LiveWorld CEO, Peter Friedman

Our NYC Opening Party Supporting Sponsor and Event Host, we sat down with LiveWorld to talk all things social media. A user content management company, LiveWorld is a trusted partner to the world’s largest brands, including the number-one companies in retail, CPG, pharmaceutical, and financial/travel services.

1. What is LiveWorld’s greatest success with social media to date?

LiveWorld has hundreds of success stories from our stellar roster of Fortune 500 clients. To name just one story is tough, but to highlight our capabilities: we brought a Fortune 10 brand from an initial social media presence to being the #1 most engaged brand on Facebook worldwide, #1 brand for fans in the US and #1 share of Twitter voice in its category. We achieved this by deploying our proprietary user content management technology and working closely with the client on social strategy, insight analysis, engagement content and moderation.

2. What do you think is the most exciting thing happening in the emerging technology and/or new media space right now, as it relates to the health and pharmaceutical sector?

Healthcare is undergoing significant change in this country. Everyone is feeling it, and consumers have more questions regarding their healthcare and an increasing need for emotional and content support from other consumers and brands. Healthcare and Pharma have an unprecedented opportunity to become trusted sources of information and support for consumers, but are constantly caught battling legal and regulatory stipulations that hinder their ability to engage in social media. At LiveWorld, working these issues is our core strength. Our solution ensures regulatory and legal considerations are met through careful content monitoring, moderation, engagement, and crisis management protocols.

3. Tell us about your goals for SMW? What do you hope attendees will take away from your installation and reception?

All brands, including those in healthcare, must be actively engaged in social media across all of their strategically important markets. This worldwide and highly targeted approach to social media can seem complicated and intimidating to many brands that lack the internal resources or knowledge to implement such a program.

Our goal is to impress upon our attendees the importance of a comprehensive social media strategy, integrated implementation approach, and keeping the human element at the forefront.

LiveWorld’s brand clients go beyond just being on social media – they achieve something. The programs we develop with our clients are world class. They protect the brand, obtain actionable insights, and true engagement.

4. What is the most creative way you’ve seen social media used? (This could be a meme, campaign, installation, etc.)

We highly recommend the Walmart Elves Twitter Program and Sprint/Unilever Suave Shampoo In the Motherhood Program. Through creating a dialogue and relationship with consumers, both social media programs have had a transformative power to positively affect the consumer experience and brand loyalty.

5. This year, our global theme is “Open & Connected: Principles for a Collaborative World.” How does LiveWorld support this idea overall?

“Open & Connected” is what we at LiveWorld have been evangelizing for over 28 years. User content moderation and true engagement is a challenging element of social media for many large brands, and we work hard to make sure that everyone’s voice is being heard. Sometimes, however, we encounter harassment, spam and other comments that do not contribute to the conversation. In fact, they detract from it. This is where LiveWorld steps in so that our clients’ fans have a safe and respectful atmosphere in which to interact.

We like to think of social media as the brand’s big, online party. You want to create an engaging memorable party that your customers will recommend and want to come back to. We always ask our clients to consider questions like: “What kind of party are you throwing?”, “Who is invited?”, “What is the topic of conversation?”, “How will your customers experience your brand, when the primary method is through conversations with other customers?”.

Social media is all about human beings connecting, dialoguing, and building relationships. Our approach from strategy, to moderation, to engagement, to actionable insight, keeps that human element at the forefront. If social media is a brand’s party, consider LiveWorld a brand’s party planner who brings the bouncers, ushers and DJ, all to create the best customer experience.

LiveWorld partners with Fortune 500 brands to develop social media strategies user content moderation, engagement, and insight that span across 70 different country-language combinations, over 4,000 social media properties and over 1 million pieces of user content/month. We leverage our backend social content management system technology for scale, quality, and flexibility.

Every piece of user content is seen by a real, human LiveWorld moderator. We create true relationships and understanding among consumers and with the brand.

Make sure you check out Liveworld during SMW NYC when they join up with Pfizer to talk How to Improve Social Media Engagement in Regulated Industries and Consumer Sensitive Markets. It’s bound to be a day full of knowledge and information.

Surveying the Visual Social Media Landscape

Posted on by Linnea Zielinski

As you might have read on Mashable, this Getty stock photo was widely circulated through social media in the wake of hurricane Sandy and purported to be a shot of the storm approaching New York, an example of one problem discussed during Tuesday’s Social Media Week panel.

Tuesday’s “The Rise of Visual Social Media” panel, moderated by Rubina Madan Fillion (Social Media Editor, The Wall Street Journal), featuring Sean Mann (Social Media Editor, The Wall Street Journal), Sion Fullana (Freelance Photographer), Liz Eswein (Co-Founder, The Mobile Media Lab), and Brian DiFeo (Co-Founder, The Mobile Media Lab) honed in on various aspects of the current state of visual social media, remaining largely within the Instagram realm.

In the culture that procrastinates by staring at posts of aggregated pictures of everything from puppies to family portraits, complacency may characterize our relationship with visual social media. Images are simply captured, consumed, and cast aside across a multitude of social media platforms. We are a community of SnapChat-like consumers. Do you actually remember what your friend’s wedding dress looked like from the photos you looked through for 20 minutes on Facebook? Didn’t think so.

Most of the panelists of Tuesday’s talk at 92Y Tribeca seem, like most of us, to take an observational role in the landscape of visual social media. Rather than discuss where technology is taking us and the cultural implications of these changes, whether they manifest themselves in the way we communicate with each other, frame our understanding of the world, or maintain (or don’t) our culture in an increasingly globalized world, the discussion almost exclusively orbited Instagram, “photoshopped” images, and how to take a good mobile photo.

Questions of practical issues were also discussed among the panelists, such as what should be done about any entity that republishes an image without attribution or credit, a very real concern in today’s world of unlimited content. Mann attempted to push the discussion to a wider vantage point by patiently cutting to the center of each question with targeted observations and commentary. Glimpses of deeper conversation were seen, but not explored in depth.

Despite this, each panelist pulled from their varying professional experiences to weave together a lively discussion. Mann assured audience members that news agencies have checks and balances, namely jigsaw replication (piecing together a scene of an event by looking at images taken from various angles by different people present), in place to avoid printing or publishing fraudulent images, while Fullana urged caution, citing a prominent Spanish publication that paid 30,000 Euro for an adulterated photograph. DiFeo and Eswein, with their extensive knowledge of Instagram, weighed in on the omnipresence and ease of photo-altering apps. According to Eswein, the presence of filters on mobile phone cameras is “just an evolution of how filters have been enabled previously” and offers the ability to bring out nuances of a photo. DiFeo assured listeners that a photo filtered the wrong way would jump out at them.

One such moment occurred when the panelists discussed newcomer to the visual social media scene, Vine, a platform for creating six-second videos and what they see as the limitations of this new format. Fullana cites our decreasing attention spans as a major obstacle to Vine’s success in the news industry, claiming no one would invest six seconds in a video when they could instantaneously gauge their interest in a story from their reaction to a photo. Fullana’s claim seems akin to promoting a movie through posters rather than trailers and, therefore, rather shortsighted. The panel seemed to unanimously agree that Vine contextually doesn’t work for news coverage because Vine videos are planned and edited rather than shot in the moment. But what if Vine-like videos, produced through this app or another technology, could prove to be the movie trailers of feature news stories Couldn’t they be more attractive than a correspondent or anchor’s one sentence pitch?  I wish, instead, they had discussed what it means for modern-day reporting if a package of six seconds or 140 characters is seen as too much content.

Maybe no one knows what advancements in visual social media mean for an array of visual industries, but Social Media Week is the best time to contemplate that horizon. Conjecture may be all we have at this point, but that’s where the exciting ideas and innovations happen. If the talk had dabbled more in the unknown, everyone’s passion for visual social media would have been more fulfilled.

Linnea Zielinski is a freelance project assistant and intern at Serious Eats and a grad student studying publishing at NYU SCPS.

Top image courtesy of istwitterwrong
“Rise of visual social media explained in a pic of the audience – almost all on their mobile phones #smwvisual” Photo and Tweet by Sean Mann (@fieldproducer)

Smarter Every Day: Nokia@Work

Posted on by Nicky Yates

With the pace of today’s always-connected business world, being both productive and efficient is key to staying on top. The way business people structure their offices, their teams, and of course, their time is hugely important.

To assist here, SMW Global Headline Sponsor Nokia launched their Nokia@Work initiative, helping businesses of all sizes to get ahead through productivity and in utilizing mobility so that we can all get “Smarter Everyday.” Something we’re excited to get behind.

Courtesy of Nokia@Work and their Smarter Everyday campaign, we are giving away 150 complimentary passes (regularly priced at $99) to the Global HQ at the Metropolitan Pavilion between February 19-21. Our Global HQ will explore how we can architect our own future, collaborate together for better solutions and invent better ways of doing everything. We’ll also feature Master Classes from Nokia and leading brands and experts like Dachis, Percolate, Tumblr and more to give you hands-on opportunities to really grasp new skills and concepts – making it a great experience for businesses and their employees.

How do you get involved? Share something unique about your work space environment!

It could be the way your meeting rooms are designed or the style and function of your desks. Or it could be something completely unique, like a slide that enables people to move between floors or a tree-house you use for company meetings. The more unique, unusual and, of course smarter, the better.

We want to see what inspires you every day.

Take a picture, upload and share on twitter using the hashtag #SmarterEveryday. Nokia will pick their five favorite ones each week. As always, we encourage you to see the full rules here.

Get snapping and show us how you work smarter. Then, if you’re in NYC, make sure you take a break from the HQ to hear how Nokia is creating a Smarter Everyday on Tuesday, February 19.

Best in Show: LiveWorld at SMW NYC

Posted on by Lindsey Taylor Wood

With only a few weeks until Social Media Week New York, we are daydreaming constantly about one thing: the opening party. Our partner LiveWorld, a user content management company and trusted partner to the world’s largest brands, is one of several sponsors making it happen. Along with Nokia, BuzzFeed and Whole Foods, LiveWorld is throwing a most fabulous VIP fete at the Metropolitan Pavilion – home to our new Global HQ.

Featuring, interactive installations, a mobile photo studio, a live simulcast lounge and food and drink, the event will mark the 5th anniversary of SMW NYC. As an added bonus, you’ll also have the opportunity to strike a pose at LiveWorld’s flip book photo booth and nab a complimentary copy of Ekaterina Walter’s bestselling book “Think Like Zuck”, which illustrates how to make your mark in the world using the five success principles of Facebook.

(Please note: The Opening event is by invitation only, however, if you wish to attend there are a limited number of Insider Passes available, which grant you access to both the official Opening and Closing events, Ideas Connected at Global HQ and full access to all four Official Content Hubs.)

But LiveWorld didn’t stop there! They, along with Pfizer, are hosting an afternoon long series of events at Pfizer Headquarters, focused on social media engagement for regulated and consumer sensitive markets such as Healthcare, Financial Services and CPG. This event will appeal to communicators and marketers in Healthcare, Pharma and other regulated industries. See the agenda, below:

  • 2 PM to 3 PM: Case Study — Building A Global Brand Through Content Marketing, Cleveland Clinic
  • 3 PM to 3:30 PM: Coffee break
  • 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM: Panel — Legal & Marketing Social Media Allies or Enemies
  • 4:30 PM to 5:15 PM: Keynote by Peter Pitts — Social Media and Pharma: The age of Reality
  • 5:15 PM to 6:45 PM: Cocktail Reception

To see the full details of this day, and register for the event, click here.

We look forward to seeing you there!

 

Clear Your Cache

Posted on by Lindsey Taylor Wood

(A Guest Blog by our friends at Breathe Repeat) We aren’t the most tech savvy women, but that didn’t hold us back from building BreatheRepeat.com. Handstands are a breeze compared to the challenges we faced starting this business. Terms like “coding” and “transferring to the live server” and “staging sites”… I mean, could you give it to us in Sanskrit please?

PHP, J Query, SRS, Cache? We didn’t even know we had a cache until our valiant coder, Bennett, asked us to clear it.

“The cache temporarily stores images, scripts, and other parts of websites while you’re browsing,” Bennett explained patiently. “When I make changes to the code you have to clear your cache, so that you can access the new, improved version of the site instead of getting the older version.”

Hmmm, clearing your cache… With a click of the mouse, we can clear away the old stuff that isn’t serving us and let the new, improved version come forward? We started wondering… if it’s a piece of cake to clear your cache in the virtual world, how do we clear our caches in the real, flesh-and-blood world?

The first step is to “build our new code”. Our mind-body-machinery is much more complex than a computer’s, because we are indeed living, breathing beings with many interrelated systems. So, what is the gateway in? Ahhhhh — through the breath. By using our breath and subtly manipulating the posture of our body, we begin to redirect the blood flow and neural impulses in our body which help to carry our biological code.

For updating your code in a flash, we here at Breathe Repeat are big fans of breathing and twisting! Anyone can do it, regardless of fitness level, it’s detoxifying, and it’s something you can do right in your desk chair. Alright… let’s get started.

The double-helix, clear your cache twist maneuver:

  • First things first, sit up so that your breath begins to come and go more easily.
  • Place your left foot firmly on the floor, turned a few degrees to the right.
  • Cross your right leg over your left, and allow your legs to fall to the right naturally – it won’t be much. This will begin to take your hips and torso to the right as well – like you are a winding strand of DNA being built from the ground up. Go with it!
  •  Now place your left hand on your knee and your right hand on the side or back of your chair. Notice if the breath is still coming and going easily – this is as important as keeping the power of your computer turned on.
  • The spine will have the greatest opportunity to twist if you start from the base. So let your pelvis turn, then swivel your low back, then start to engage the arms to wind the upper torso around and up. Still breathing easy?
  •  Now, you’re going to have to look away for a moment, but before you go, here are some tips: Allow the head and neck to follow the twist of the torso rather than lead it. You can even turn your eyes to gaze in the same direction as the twist. Stay as long as the breath remains easy or until your body naturally unwinds back to neutral.
  •  Don’t forget the other side… take your time… we’re in no hurry. Perhaps it’s this last part, this turning of the head for a minute to look away from your computer and gaining a new perspective that helps us wipe the slate clean.

Presto! Consider your cache cleared!

 

My Top SMW NYC Events

Posted on by Nicky Yates

When I was asked to share my top SMW NYC events, I must admit I got a bit excited. Coming from the non-profit background, I love the tools that SMW NYC provides to organizations seeking to create change and the discussions that evolve around making a positive impact. It’s interlaced in so much that we offer- and that excites me. But the best part is — that’s not all SMW NYC offers. There’s a bit of everything for everyone.

So, when I’m not exploring our new Global HQ (and seriously, why wouldn’t I be with our hands-on classes, disruptive speakers and interactive exhibits), I’ll have my eye on these events for the big week. If you’re there, make sure you swing by and say hey!

1197 Monday Event: Opening Reception 1197Juried Exhibit & SMW PicYourCity
There’s no greater feeling than seeing a project come to fruition; and having spent the past two months manning the PicYourCity competition, I couldn’t be more excited to see the gallery with 1197! Plus, there’s wine & cheese. Monday, evening, I know my plans. And if mobile photography is your thing, 1197 is a weeklong series of events entirely devoted to the topic, brought to us from our friends at Nokia. If you don’t make it out on Monday evening for the reception, I encourage you to check out many of their events throughout the week!

gsummitX- Gamification in NYC
I had the pleasure of hearing Gabe Zichermann drop his gamification knowledge last year. And let me tell you, the man is a phenomenal speaker. I’ve never heard the concepts broken down in such an intuitive and easy to understand manner. So, on Tuesday, if you’re wanting to learn more or wanting to go deep with gamification, loyalty and engagement, be here. There will also be 1-2 demos from companies using gamification in their business model, and Gabe’s unique workshop-like game called “Play for a Cause.”

So You Think You Can Start Up?
Ok, confession time: the recovering reality show junkie in me LOVES pitch events. So, when I saw our friends at Hearst were putting together the ultimate fashion startup pitch event, I was in heaven. On Tuesday, digital fashion start-ups will go head to head in this ultimate “elevator pitch” challenge and demonstration. Teams will have a total of 5 minutes to impress the judges, competing for editorial coverage on ELLE.com. Just make sure we all dress to impress for it.

Giving Gangham Style: An ideation With the #GivingTuesday Team
If you’re into NGO’s, the phenomenon that is #GivingTuesday is something you’re well acquainted with. The backstory: on November 27, 2012, thousands of companies, NGOs, small businesses and individuals came together to celebrate the first-ever #GivingTuesday— a new social media-driven campaign to create a national day of giving. It was a success and on Tuesday of SMW, the creators behind will share what made it a success and how social is a major player in philanthropy.

The Rise of Visual Social Media
Being in community management, the increase in visual is something you learn to deal with. Images are so vital to telling stories. But the ethics of using them is still a bit more nebulous. So, on Tuesday, the WSJ is bringing together photographers and social media editors to talk about how images can be used ethically in social. With everything from copyright issues, elements of a viral photo, photoshopped images, the use of filters and Instagram’s TOS changes, it’s a must if you’re in the field of social media content.

Girls Empowerment & Women’s Empowerment in Real World Social Networks
Kicking things off on Wednesday, She’s the First will touch on the power of education and female empowerment. It’s a serious topic and one we can all contribute to to create more sustainable and lasting change. And the panelists on this event know what they’re talking about.

PSFK: The Future of Work
Ok, another confession for you: over the past 3 years, I’ve become a big PSFK fan girl. If you’ve not read through any of their reports, you’re missing out. And this year, PSFK is delivering big again. They’ll be sharing an exclusive preview of their upcoming Future of Work report, part of a series of in-depth analysis of trends driving key sectors and subject matters. Don’t miss it.

Equalizing the Playing Field
Social media is the great equalizer. It’s been fascinating to see how small and large companies respond to it. Pulling together 3 unique companies of various sizes, we’ll be exploring how each is navigating the space. The best part- it’s got Nokia’s Craig Hepburn. This guy drives some serious discussions around social and doesn’t hold back. If you missed him last year, don’t make the same mistake again.

Daria Musk and Google: Social Media and the Rock Star
Continuing on the trend of exploring case studies, few make a greater example of the power of collaboration on Google+ than Daria Musk. With the power of social media, Daria has become a self-made rock star. Dara will join a fireside chat to talk how social has helped her career (and dreams) grow- and perform a mini-set for all those in attendance. It’s sure to be inspiring, and our friends at Google+ will share tips on how you can maximize the platform. Win- win.

How To Be Funny in 140 Characters or Less, Part Deux
I missed the original last year- and I’ve been kicking myself ever since. Seriously. Our How to Be Funny in 140 Characters or Less was amazing. It was funny; relevant; and informative. I’m not missing the sequel. You better believe come Thursday, I’ll be in the audience taking notes, and all my friends will hope I pick up better jokes and comedic timing. So, join me as we watch Lizz Winstead, Julieanne Smolinski and Jon Friedman break down comedy in brevity and aim to take the #1 trending spot in an hour.

Deep Focus Presents: An Evening of Disruption
We’re big fans of Deep Focus and Advisory Board member Ian Schafer. It’s really hard not to be. They are pulling together some of the industry’s biggest disruptors for a thought-provoking evening of why we should all learn to feel very comfortable being uncomfortable. Knowing them, it’s bound to be insightful, humorous and an all-around great time. Thursday evening, this is where it is.

Betting on Journalism: Andrew Sullivan & Buzzfeed
Ok, if you’re never gotten a chance to view the Buzzfeed offices, you’re missing out. But aside from that, this Thursday event will pull together two seemingly opposite styles of journalism and talk how these models work. Exploring what content counts online and dissecting what everyone means when they talk about “the future of journalism,” this event will be great for the news geek in us all.

You Can Do It: Words of Wisdom from a Social Media Week Veteran

Posted on by Lindsey Taylor Wood

This is a guest post from Joyce Sullivan, founder and CEO of SocMediaFin, which first appeared on our Global SMW blog. February is a tough time to be in NYC. It’s too cold; the holidays are over; spring is still far off; everything seems mundane, except for the arrival of one of the best networking events of the year: Social Media Week (SMW).

I got involved with SMW in Feb 2011, pitching my first event partner idea with an industry colleague. After filling out the very straightforward online SMW event form, we held our breath, and hit the ‘send’ button.

We waited to hear the results, and our topic was picked! Great.

Now, we wondered, could we possibly pull this off, and get anyone to sign up for our obscure topic? Or so we thought, at the time.

Not only did they sign up, we sold out within 2 hours of our selected venue space. What to do? How could we turn away an audience that was looking to soak up the info we were so passionate to share?

Serendipity, itself greeted us, when a larger venue became available and we were able to accommodate our 300+ attendees. For those who’d like to see what it looks like, here’s my very first SMW event info and the videotape: Financial Services Social Media Champions Tell Their Story

Having had such a great experience in Feb 2011, I returned in Feb 2012 again as both:

Speaker and Event planner: Social Media Strategy for Financial Services
Blogger and attendee: My Day as a Social Media Week Speaker

It does include lots of work; so you may ask, why be a SMW event host?

For me, the benefits include:

  • + Increasing your online influence and reputation
  • + Introducing your ideas to the world
  • + Becoming a disruptive innovator
Why I Continue to Host SMW Events

As a veteran Social Media Week event partner, there are numerous reasons I continue to get involved. I love bringing what I know to others who want to learn about social media. It also gives me an opportunity to get to know the SMW team more. The SMW team vibe is positive and supportive. In addition, by hosting an event, I get to meet the most fabulous people from around the globe. I still keep up with folks I have met in person (aka IRL = In Real Life) and those who live-tweeted around the world.

What I’ve Learned as a SMW Host
  • + The best way to hone your craft and knowledge is by sharing it with other from the SMW stage.
  • + Even though you’re only in one city, you have access to over a dozen cities around the world participating in SMW events.
  • + Even if your city is not on the list, you still get to participate virtually. I *attended* a September 2012 London event and blogged about the experience: SMW London: Export is Easier Than You Think
Tips for First Timers

I understand being intimidated. It’s work, but here are my tips to you if you’re considering taking part for the first time!

  • + Just fill out the SMW event form! We were all first timers once. You can do it and your ideas are waiting to be heard.
  • + Once you’re selected – congrats! Give your social media skills a workout by getting your friends and fans to spread the word about your event.
  • + Remember to tweet me up @JoyceMSullivan for SMW love and support. SMW event alums are here for you first timers!
  • + Keep working your SMW tweets and hashtags to get the word out about your event.
  • + Get all your details squared away ahead of time and ask questions of the SMW staff earlier than later. They can ensure you are prepared so you can rock your audience.

You can do it. No matter which city you’re in, you can make it happen. Remember, you are the only one who knows what you know.

You are amazing. Let everyone at SMW know it. Let me know it, too!


Joyce Sullivan is founder and CEO of SocMediaFin, a social media consulting firm for financial services, specialty firms and industry executives: http://SocMediaFin.com. With over 20 years experience as Vice President with firms including, Citi, Credit Suisse, JPMorgan Chase, and Wells Fargo/First Fidelity, Ms. Sullivan brings a seasoned industry perspective to the emerging world of social media. As an advisory board member of the Financial Women’s Association, she serves as their Chief Digital Strategist. Ms. Sullivan holds an MBA from the Zicklin School of Business, Baruch College, City University of NY in International Finance and Marketing, a BA in Education from University of Saint Joseph, Connecticut, and the Project Management Professional (PMP) designation from the Project Management Institute.

SMW 101: The Full SMW NYC Experience

Posted on by Lindsey Taylor Wood

Today is the day. Registration is open. Conversations are starting. Excitement is building! If this is your first Social Media Week, however, you probably have a few questions. No problem. We’re here to break it down for you:

What is it? Social Media Week is a global event that explores how technology is shaping our lives, and how social media is impacting society, culture and economies around the world. And you’re just in time for our next series of activities — happening, simultaneously, in 10 cities around the globe — February 18th through 22nd.

Interested? You can attend SMWNYC in person or join via our SMW Livestream – which you can also access from your phone when you download our Social Media Week app. To participate:

1. Create an account or Log-in

2. Register for Events

• Visit the Schedule page and identify the events you would like to attend

• Click “Attend” (Note: A small number of our event partners choose to use 3rd-party technologies to process registration. If this is the case, the event page will clearly provide instructions on how to access the 3rd-party event registration page)

• Verify your registration by going to your profile and selecting “My Schedule”

• For those joining virtually, events eligible for streaming can be identified by a camera icon on the schedule. The corresponding livestream link will be updated as soon as we have it.

• We will continue to add events through February, so keep checking back!

3. Purchase a Pass
(Though most SMW events are free, we’re shaking things up this year by introducing our first Global HQ and a number of passes that will provide a more exclusive experience. Note: if you would like to attend events at the Global HQ a pass is required.)

• Insider Pass: Full access to ALL Hubs, Global HQ, VIP Opening & Closing Parties, guide & special offers. No pre-registrations needed. No walkups.

• Global HQ Pass: Full access to events, classes, lounges and more at our new Global HQ (pass required), plus special offers.

• Hub Pass: Unlimited access at this Hub, plus special offers. No walkups.

4. Volunteer:
Interested in a more immersive experience? Volunteer! SMWNYC relies upon volunteers to make SMW a reality. Checking in attendees and providing assistance to speakers and panelists are only a few of the many critical roles that volunteers play. Not sure what to expect, find out what past volunteer Amelia Shroyer had to say.

We’re looking forward to the most rewarding SMW NYC yet. Here’s to you for being a part of it!

Technology & Collective Intelligence: A Recipe For Impact And Success

Posted on by Lindsey Taylor Wood

(Part 3 of 3 in the Architects, Inventors and Collaborators Blog series.)

It’s no secret that our world has become increasingly social. I wonder, however, if those outside the technology industry have paid mind to the way in which technology has become intrinsically linked with collaboration.

Whether crowdstorming, crowdsourcing or crowdfunding, hackathons or strategic alliances, technology has become a vehicle for our world’s brain trust, and a way to tackle the most pressing issues of our time. Organizations and individuals can utilize these frameworks to problem solve, create usable software, discover new ideas and prototypes, pool money to fund initiatives, outsource tasks and even to save lives.

Technology paired with our collective intelligence is the ultimate recipe for impact and success.

Speaker Tonya Surman embodies this collaborative ethos. The founding executive director and current CEO of the Centre for Social Innovation, Tonya’s work revolves around building shared spaces and fostering cooperation among networks of social innovators. Her latest book, The Community Bond: An Innovation in Social Finance, is a testament to the efficacy of this approach, as CSI renovated its Annex location by raising $2 million dollars through community bonds.

Not just allowing, but pushing for open innovation and alliance building is critical to our future. As is incentivizing the Architects, Inventors and Collaborators that are rethinking traditional structures and developing new frameworks, manifesting their ingenuity and facilitating partnerships for impact, respectively.

One person who does this brilliantly is speaker and Quirky Founder & CEO, Ben Kaufman. To date, Quirky has developed 288 products with the help of 188 retail partners and 328,000 investors. By removing barriers for inventors, he has been able to bring two new consumer products to market each week, and share revenue with the people who helped to inform and produce them.

Essentially, Ben architected a new way of producing by connecting inventors with a larger community of collaborators: everything this year’s theme stands for.

Join Tonya, Ben and a number of other speakers at our Global HQ on Thursday, February 21st, when we continue the discussion on how to create and embody a more open, connected and collaborative world. We look forward to seeing you there.

Inventors: Blow Shit Up

Posted on by Lindsey Taylor Wood

As I began writing this blog, Part 2 of 3 in the Architects, Inventors, and Collaborators blog series, the name Cindy Gallop was top of mind.

You could say she’s notorious (befitting, as her apartment was once the set of a late Christopher Wallace music video) for her radical approaches to marketing, technology and advertising.

A household name in the UK, she was central to advertising firm Bartle Bogle Hegarty’s expansion into the Asia Pacific region and the US, where she served as the Chair. In 2003, Advertising Women of New York named her Advertising Woman of the Year, and in 2006 she started her own consultancy, Cindy Gallop LLC. It is Cindy’s work in the last three years, however, which appears to fuel her now cultish following.

During a 2009 TED talk, Gallop launched the website MakeLoveNotPorn.com, a forum for discussion on sex. Just four months ago she launched MakeLoveNotPorn.tv, a site aimed at redefining the myths that pornography perpetuates by featuring “real people” engaging in sexual activities. As she explained in an interview with the New York Times this September, “The issue I’m tackling is not porn. It’s the complete lack of open, healthy dialogue around porn and sex.”

The following year, Cindy launched IfWeRanTheWorld.com, which the site describes as “a real-world experiment in tapping good intentions and turning them into tangible, do-able microactions that anyone and everyone can help you to do.” Participants include fashion behemoth Levi’s Jeans who partnered for a campaign aimed at revitalizing the manufacturing town of Braddock, Pennsylvania.

Social Media Week believes that technology can empower individuals to direct their own future through sparking change and pursuing creative endeavors. And for that to happen, we need disruptive, audacious inventors like Cindy Gallop to keep inventing transformational tools, blazing new trails and inspiring the masses.

(Or in her words: “I like to blow shit up. I am the Michael Bay of business.”)

Join Cindy and our other inventors on Wednesday, February 20th, when we discuss new tools for taking the future into our own hands, and ask “what will your role will be in this changing world and how can we help you can get there?”

 

Architecting the Future of Social Media

Posted on by Lindsey Taylor Wood

(Part 1 of 3 in the Architects, Inventors, and Collaborators blog series.)

The theme of Social Media Week this year, Open & Connected: Principles for a Collaborative World, has been the catalyst for a number of hot debates in the Social Media Week offices. Identifying what, exactly, openness, connectedness and collaboration mean in an increasingly social world can be, well… tricky.

As conversations around the idea continued to percolate, so did a noticeable shift in their direction. The focus was no longer how to define the social media landscape, but a question of who was defining it. Who are the influencers, producers, and shapers driving social media?

While sifting through the heaps of notable tastemakers, we discovered most belonged to one of three distinct archetypes: Architects, Inventors, or Collaborators. So, we decided to dedicate three days of the conference (and this three part blog series), to exploring what that means.

Architects: devisers, makers, creators. At a time when “openness” is zeitgeist and transparency and collaboration are the very nature of social and digital media, architects must rethink traditional structures and develop new frameworks that reflect those ideals. It’s quite the paradox: design boundary-less boundaries.

This seemingly daunting task has done little to deter trailblazers like Susan Crawford. A visiting professor at the Harvard Kennedy School and former Special Assistant for Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy to President Barack Obama (for more on her laundry list of accomplishments, click here) her Fall class, Solving Problems Using Technology, embodies this type of progressive design process.

Her students, from both Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, partnered with three community groups and The Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics in an effort to address Boston’s urban and civic challenges through technology. This month, The Mayor’s Office will select and fund the best of the student’s designs.

It’s this type of innovative approach to 21st century architecture that will inform the future of social media, and it’s imperative that we embrace and learn from these new models. To learn more about Susan’s work, and the work of other “architects”, join us at our new Global Headquarters on February 18th.

We look forward to seeing you there!

2013: A Bright, Collaborative Future

Posted on by Lindsey Taylor Wood

Today is the last day of 2012. It marks a number of triumphs for our team at SMW NYC, but it also marks the day before a New Year’s adventures begin.

One of those adventures, our 5th annual Social Media Week New York City, occurs in less than two months. And as you may have read in blogs prior, producing it is no small feat. It takes a number of talented individuals to pull together an event with over 11,000 attendees and more than 2,000 events. But the challenge is greater than logistics alone, it’s the thought, care and intellectual investment that goes into crafting something we hope you will enjoy.

As we develop the programs that underpin our theme Open and Connected in a Collaborative World, we continue to reflect on the new and exciting ways in which new media is created, landscapes affected, and industries impacted. You would be amazed at the conversations (yes, philosophical conversations about social media are possible!) that unfold as our staff shapes the programming. So, it‘s in this vein that we would like to invite you into these discussions: conceptual, comical and otherwise. After all, it’s you we are creating this content for!

From the Individual Industrial Revolution to Global Perspectives On Openness to Peer to Peer Economy and Crowdfunding, we are diving deep into the ways social media permeates our culture today. Starting this week, we hope to give you a front row seat into the making of SMW NYC. So please, feel free to comment, email, Facebook or tweet us. Let us know what you think of the events, speakers, and opportunities as they unfold. Make suggestions, give us feedback, or submit your own.

You should also be on the lookout for blogs by our Media Partners, Advisory Board Members, Sponsors and Speakers. We aim to include them in the conversation too!

Happy New Year from all of us at NYC’s Social Media Week team. We look forward to a bright, collaborative future ahead.

It Takes A Village: The Team Behind SMWNYC

Posted on by Lindsey Taylor Wood

It’s been an exciting year for Social Media Week. Our events in NYC and around the world have been a testament to the power of social media and the role it plays in furthering our connectedness; the catalyst for our new global theme Open & Connected in a Collaborative World.

As the next SMWNYC fast approaches, it’s been thrilling to watch the programming unfold. Each piece lovingly curated with the intention it will inspire you to join the conversation by attending sessions and submitting your own events. As you can imagine, planning something this large (we had over 11,000 attendees last year!) takes a team of extraordinary people. So, before the fun begins we thought you may like to learn more about them.

Brian Quinn and Jessica Lawerence are the dynamic duo leading Programs for SMWNYC. Brian has produced both concerts and consumer events for a wide range of companies in the culinary, tech, and corporate worlds, and founded a groundbreaking NYC supper club. Jessica is the Managing Director of NY Tech Meetup, a TEDx organizer, speaker, columnist, and former CEO for the Girl Scouts in Southern California. Their wide ranging expertise is a perfect fit for the scope of material featured in our 4 Content Hubs and Global HQ.

In addition to this remarkable pair is a powerhouse Advisory Board comprised of Manhattan’s premier connectors, community builders, business leaders, entrepreneurs, thought leaders and practitioners. Their institutional knowledge, personally and collectively, has been invaluable in creating the upcoming event. Visit our Advisory Board page and take a look around! These are the trailblazers shaping media as we know it, and we couldn’t be more grateful for their contribution to SMWNYC.

Last, but certainly not least, is our very own SMWNYC team working around the clock to create an experience you’ll never forget. Feel free to introduce yourself in February. We love meeting our attendees! And don’t forget, if you buy your tickets before December 21st you get 40% off!

It takes a village to create SMWNYC and we would love for you to be a part of it!

Our Global HQ: A New Kind Of SMW Experience

Posted on by Lindsey Taylor Wood

You could say we have a special type of affinity for our new Global Headquarters. Not just because it’s the first of it’s kind, but because it embodies the type of immersive experience we’ve been dreaming about. Combined with our hallmark top-notch speakers and gold standard programming, basically, it’s our very own version of Social Media Week Heaven.

The Metropolitan Pavilion will house the HQ from February 19th to the 22nd. It’s the perfect environment for the interactive installations, activities, and lounges that will complete this experiential space. Speakers Tonya Surman, CEO for the Centre for Social Innovation, Ben Kaufman, founder & CEO of Quirky, Cindy Gallop and the MakeLoveNotPorn.tv team, and Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit are among the cadre of thoughtleaders that will guide conversations around our theme Open & Connected: Principles for a Collaborative World. Stay tuned, however, there are many, many announcements and surprises to come.

Each and every hub that comprises the SMW NYC experience will provide unique and valuable content for free, but the Global HQ will be the home away from home for those patrons looking to submerge themselves in our programming.

For access to the Global HQ, you’ll need to purchase one of our Premium Insider or Global HQ passes. This will not only provide access to all of the perks aforementioned, but free classes too! To ensure you snag a seat at an unbeatable price, get 40% off from now until December 21st. (Plus, if you tweet about your pass purchase with #SMWNYCPass, you can could win one of two $200 Airbnb vouchers! Only before Dec. 21)

You won’t want to miss it. Trust me.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Super Early Bird Passes on Sale, Global HQ & Content Hubs Announced

Posted on by Nicky Yates

It’s our 5th Birthday at SMW NYC and we have some BIG announcements! From February 19th to the 22nd, we, alongside headline sponsor Nokia and speakers including Ben Kaufman, founder & CEO of Quirky, Cindy Gallop and the MakeLoveNotPorn.tv team, and Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit will explore our global theme Open & Connected: Principles for a Collaborative World

And we want you to join us! So, we’re offering Super Early Bird passes, a sneak peek at our schedule and a road map of where you can find the content that speaks to you most. Want to host your own event? You can do that too! Read on to find out what’s in store and how you can get involved:

Global HQ: Our first ever global headquarters has found a home at the Metropolitan Pavilion and will feature interactive installations, classes and a main stage with programming centered on the Architects, Inventors and Collaborators changing our world.

Advertising & Marketing Hub: JWT, a leading global advertising agency, will host conversations on the impact of creativity, collaboration and community in the world of marketing and brand communications. These people invented the grilled cheese sandwich for client Kraft in 1930. Enough said.

Lifestyle & Culture Hub: No one does media quite like Hearst Corporation, the perfect place to talk arts, fashion, entertainment and cultural trends. Their mission is to inform, entertain, and inspire, which they have done for 125 years!

Business and Entrepreneurship Hub: A multinational mass media corporation with a premier site for business and financial market news. Can you think of a more appropriate setting to explore disruptions in business and commerce than Bloomberg? We think not.

Society and Social Impact Hub: 92Y is the city’s premiere nonprofit cultural and community center, and they’ve been all about social good since 1874! We couldn’t think of a better home for conversations on the role of social, digital and mobile media and their interplay with social change than 92Y’s downtown venue, 92YTribeca.

Independently Hosted Events: Our community hosted events have been the heart and soul of SMW in the past and this year is no exception. Past hosts include The New York Stock Exchange, MoMA, BBH Labs, IDEO, Instagrammers of NYC, Digitas, Storycode, and The Guggenheim. Submit your ideas, here.

As mentioned, we are releasing a very early peek at our schedule of events TODAY! So add the one’s you love to Favorites or submit your own events ideas by January 11th. The full schedule will be live in early January.

But WAIT. There’s even MORE good news!

Purchase one of our special passes to avoid having to register for individual sessions in the Content Hubs, attend all three days in Global HQ, access special perks and benefits, and attend SMW VIP Parties – did we mention one of the Jonas Brothers was in attendance last year?

With our Super Early Bird discount they are 40% off the standard price. And if you tweet about our passes with #SMWNYCPass, you can could win one of two $200 Airbnb vouchers.

We look forward to seeing you in February!

The Early Bird Gets the Worm- Super Early Bird Pass Options

Posted on by Nicky Yates

SMW started in NYC right off the heels of the 2008 elections, almost 5 years ago. It’s incredible to think on how it’s grown and changed over the years. A year after we started, we began adding livestreamed content. Then three years ago, we introduced the Content Hub, separating out content in verticals to make it easier to select events of interest. Because the content at our official Hubs is highly curated and in higher demand, last year we began offering special passes to ensure you get to see what is of most interest. Pass holders got to skip registration at a particular Hub or with our Insider Pass, overall- in addition to special perks and benefits from our partners and access to our Official Parties.

This year, we’re keeping the trend and going bigger and more convenient again. SMW NYC returns with 4 Official Content Hubs and a little something new- a Global Headquarters. Our Global HQ will feature interactive exhibits, food and beverages, classes and main stage programming dedicated to the Architects, Collaborators and Inventors who are changing the world.

From targeted Hub Passes to all-inclusive Insider Passes to just scoping out the new HQ, we want to give you the opportunity to see it all. Starting Monday, December 10th until December 21, SMW NYC Passes will be available at a Super Early Bird discount- 40% off the standard price.

We’ll still be offering plenty of events a la carte for free with amazing content. You can check out what to expect with our initial schedule- live on Monday as well. And if you’re still holding off on getting your event in, now’s the time. We’ll be pushing out events regularly until event submission closes January 11th. Get it in early so we can start saving your event to our “Favorites.”

Looking forward to seeing you this February!

Architects, Inventors, & Collaborators: SMW NYC Daily Themes

Posted on by Nicky Yates

Connected.
Two ideas linked together because of one bond.

Open.
No restrictions or barriers, leading to a transparent ecosystem.

These two words are the centerpiece of our global theme. Open & Connected: Principles for a Collaborative World. But what does that look like here in NYC? Using it as our framework, we want to explore the archetypes that will help create that collaborative world- the Architects, the Inventors, and the Collaborators.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, we’ll present a different archetype and focus on how that role is crucial in creating a more open and connected environment.

The Architects: Creating an Open World
We know that people around the globe are innovating and interacting together through the use of social and digital media at an ever-increasing rate. However, many of our traditional systems and structures inhibit, rather than promote, those ideals and interaction. On Tuesday, February 19th, we will address ways in which we can rethink traditional structures to be more reflective of a 21st Century World that thrives on openness and collaboration. Our goal is to challenge you to think big about new structures.

The Inventors: Making Your Own Future
Technology is empowering individuals to direct their own future through sparking change, pursuing creative endeavors, and finding economic stability in nontraditional ways. Wednesday, February 20th, will focus on how we can use new tools to take the future into our own hands, inspiring you to ask what your role will be in this changing world and how you can get there.

The Collaborators: Innovating Together
Collaboration is becoming increasingly essential to accelerate and amplify the flow of ideas. Thursday, February 21st, will feature discussions on how allowing open innovation and collaboration to permeate more of our society and business culture will be a key component of securing our future. We want to explore what that looks like together, as a society and a world.

Structures, individuals, and society. They all play a role and we can’t wait to explore them with you and how it will help us build a more collaborative world. Just a little more inspiration as you brainstorm how to join the conversation this SMW NYC!

Image courtesy Charlot Group.

Switch It Up: New Event Formats for SMW NYC

Posted on by Nicky Yates

Who doesn’t like a good idea? With our initial schedule going live December 5th (it’s just around the corner!!), we’re expecting some amazing ideas coming out of SMW13! However, we don’t want any of your ideas to get lost in the shuffle. Even the best content can get buried if not highlighted properly. So, to help your idea stand out, we think a little change of format will help it shine. This week, we’ll sharing our tips to step out of the mold and switch up the traditional event.

1. Go fast.
Channel a little Speedracer. Rapid-fire presentations keep the audience engaged and on our toes. For example, PechaKucha 20×20 is a simple presentation format where you show 20 images, each for only 20 seconds. It was originally devised because most of us- talk too much. So, by using this format, you get the best in a short time frame. The best PechaKucha presentations are the ones that uncover the unexpected — unexpected talent, unexpected ideas. For example, this one on our irrational fears, like our fear of sharks.

2. Get secretive.
Speakeasies are popular for a reason. Sometimes a little mystery and intrigue are all it takes to pique our curiosity. Keep some details undisclosed and consider planning a few surprises throughout the event. Consider asking attendees for personal likes and dislikes and then build that into how you plan out the session. Or even release the event location the day before. Small things can create big experiences. A little secrecy can make your event different, personal and memorable.

3. Turn the event on its head.
We love collaboration. Consider having your speakers present the topic and have the crowd do more of the talking- or even give attendees homework before they arrive. Our friends at Econsultancy did this. Bringing in Lee Huang of Barnes and Noble, attendees were presented a brief and developed ideas for how Barnes & Noble could innovate. This put them at the center and gave them hands-on lessons about the challenges of innovating for a global company in a struggling industry. Involving the attendees in an interactive fashion is a sure-fire way to make the learning stick and make it more engaging.

4. Duke it out.
We all don’t need to agree. Debates are lively and insightful. Don’t believe me- just think of how many of us tuned in to all three of the presidential debates. Few things are black and white, so consider putting people with opposing views against each other. One of our favorite events, 7 Deadly Sins of Social Media, did this regarding hot-off the-presses results from their own survey. After the exchanges, let the audience decide who won. You’ll have plenty to talk about and it won’t be dull.

5. Draw on our wanderlust.
Who says an event has to be in ONE place? Put it on the subway, a bus, a walking tour or somewhere we haven’t even imagined yet! We’ve been jealous watching SMW Toronto and SMW Rome host an intensive, intimate rail event for special attendees. It’s time we brought that to NYC. Now, it’s just a matter of who decides the route. It’ll create an intimate atmosphere and and experience to make the event go well beyond the average.

6. Get creative.
These 5 ideas are just that- 5 suggestions. Don’t limit yourself to these formats or any other one for that matter. Ask yourself what you would love to sit through and experience, and then add it! But don’t wait too long- event submissions closes in just 6 weeks. It’ll be here in no time, and you can capitalize on getting your event the most visibility by submitting it now to be one of the first on our schedule!

We’re looking forward to seeing all the pieces come together for a great week with you.

Top image by Peter Gorges. Final photo by Joe Thomissen.