sva theatre - Social Media Week New York (SMWNYC) - MAY 4

What Marketers Need To Know About Social Intelligence, a Talk at #SMWNYC with Synthesio

Posted on February 18, 2016February 19, 2016 by SMW Staff

Chimpery: n. 1. The act of mistaking motion for progress. 2. diffuse, undifferentiated activity without a clear goal 3. Flinging one’s shit and shrieking at the top of one’s lungs in lieu of actually solving a problem.

Matthew Zito (VP of Product, Synthesio) will explain to SMW New York attendees how Social Listening can help run a quality, strategic and effective digital campaign.

He will discuss how to discover and use true Social ROI metrics and data, provide actionable tips on how you can improve your campaigns and learn what is (and isn’t) working through Social Listening. In other words, Matthew will show you how you can stop flinging and start delivering!

Join Matthew and discover how Synthesio‘s Social Intelligence tools can enhance digital campaigns in Avoid Social Chimpery: Use ROI To Build Quality Campaigns and Stop Flinging Crap on Tuesday, February 23rd at 3:00pm at the SVA Theatre.

Mobile Photography Masterclass at #SMWNYC: Using PicsArt To Create and Share Beautiful Imagery

Posted on February 16, 2016February 17, 2016 by Tyler Becker

Explore the creative power that lives inside your mobile device. Using PicsArt, a photo editing app and global social network for 65 million creatives, you’ll learn in this interactive, hands-on masterclass how to easily create complex-looking edits (double exposure, drawing on photos, cloning) in a matter of minutes.

You’ll turn your personal pics into works of art or even create images that you can use in your job. This session, “Mobile Photography Masterclass: Using PicsArt To Create & Share Beautiful Imagery” will “WOW” you with easy interactive tutorials and a peek into the future of collaborative art with PicsArt’s #FreeToEdit images.

Carter Gibson (Senior Community Manager, PicsArt) will lead the session on Thursday the 25th at 2:00pm at the SVA Theatre, and if you want to get a head start with PicsArt, you can learn more about the app and join their global creative community by clicking here!

Also, if you want to hear from the Chief Business Development Officer of PicsArt, Wilson Kriegel, you can attend the session he’s speaking on titled, “Creativity Is More Than A Filter Away: How Mobile Tools Are Fueling A New Kind Of Artistic Expression” on Friday the 26th at 10:00am at the SVA Theatre.

Learn How To Effectively Monitor Your Audience On Social With Digimind at #SMWNYC

Posted on February 16, 2016February 17, 2016 by Tyler Becker

Are you listening to powerful online conversations that could change your business? Are you following the conversations happening on social networks revolving around your brand and doing something about it?

Social media monitoring is one of few ways brands can use listening to leverage technology and data to increase brand engagement, determine the impact of your marketing communications campaigns, identify key customer influencers, opinion leaders and developing trends, pick up on customer relationship management opportunities, and even benchmark your brand and products against your competitors.

In a world where social media has taken over everything we do, it’s more important to understand consumer behavior around it and use social intelligence to gain powerful insights for your business and marketing strategies.

Join Digimind at SMW New York for their session, “Are You Listening? Learn How To Effectively Monitor Your Audience On Social” on Wednesday the 24th at 2:00pm at the SVA Theatre.

Attendees will explore a case study on using social intelligence for the non-profit industry, how to monitor influencers and use social data to reach them, and examine the best practices to analyze clients on social media and provide them with valuable insights.

Speakers include Michael Hayworth (VP North America, Woody Media), Alexander McLaughlin (Business Intelligence Analyst, Who What Wear), Eric Schwamberger (Chief Marketing & Content Officer, Tenthwave Digital) and Neta Yoffe (Social Media Magician, Digimind).

8 Sessions Exploring The Biggest Social Media Platforms and Emerging Trends

Posted on February 15, 2016February 18, 2016 by Tyler Becker

Across the globe, messaging apps are amassing huge audiences, social networks are attracting massive media budgets, and the next Mark Zuckerberg or Evan Spiegel might be sitting in the building right next to you.

The current social media landscape is a beast in itself, with Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Vine, Periscope, and a few others that dominate the conversation. But on the horizon, if not already here, are a combination of messaging platforms and emerging communities that could enter this mix.

WhatsApp, Viber and LINE are increasingly gaining traction as hubs for multimedia content, and other players like Giphy, Anchor, PicsArt, Dubsmash, and even Product Hunt are taking slices of the overall pie.

As organizations start to catch on, several publishers have already begun to pave the way for how to best deliver news and content, and engage with the growing user bases on these apps and platforms.

1. If you want to learn about the future of communications from a Facebook executive…

The Future of Communications with Michelle Klein, Facebook’s Head of Marketing for North America
Hosted by Facebook • Tuesday 2/23 at 9:30AM • TimesCenter
The shift to mobile has already happened, and it’s radically changing the way businesses and people connect. Michelle Klein, Facebook’s Head of Marketing, North America, will explore the new kinds of tools and groundbreaking innovations completely transforming the way we communicate.

2. If you want to find out which brands are crushing it on Snapchat…

The Best Brands On Snapchat
Hosted by Nasdaq • Tuesday 2/23 at 12:30PM • TimesCenter
Snapchat is the new battleground for the most innovative brands. Meet the marketers behind the ghost that are already killing it on this emerging platform. Join leaders from MTV, VaynerMedia, Nasdaq, American Airlines, and The Wall Street Journal to learn more about the most innovating brands creating lasting experiences (that are more than 24 hours) on Snapchat.

3. If you want an overview of platforms taking over the media industry…

Mediapocalypse! Are Platforms Killing The Business Of Media And Advertising? And Why Won’t Anyone Talk About It?
Hosted by Deep Focus • Tuesday 2/23 at 2:30PM • TimesCenter
Platforms like Facebook, Pinterest, Snapchat, and Twitter are up-ending the media business. But will that end up killing it in the process? Publishers and advertisers, content producers and creators, advertisers and agencies are all dealing with the repercussions of distributed media models. Join Ian Schafer (Founder and Chairman, Deep Focus), Ricky Van Veen (Co-Founder and Executive, College Humor and IAC), and Lisa Weinstein (CEO, Engine Media Group) as they explore the end of times.

4. If you want to hear Mashable’s predictions on the future of multi-media messaging…

The New World of Social: How Publishers Are Using Messaging Platforms to Engage with Audiences
Hosted by Mashable • Tuesday 2/23 at 5:30PM • TimesCenter
Across the globe, messaging apps are amassing huge audiences. Though initially made popular as an alternative to SMS, chat apps such as Snapchat, WhatsApp, Viber and LINE are increasingly gaining traction as hubs for multimedia content. In this session, you’ll hear directly from the strategists and producers at Mashable on how publishers are approaching these emerging digital platforms.

5. If you want to explore BuzzFeed’s lessons on creating cross-platform content…

Building A Great Social Presence The Resourceful Way
Hosted by BuzzFeed • Wednesday 2/24 at 11:00AM • SVA Theatre
In this interactive presentation, you’ll learn how BuzzFeed used careful targeting and precise forms of social media storytelling to build BuzzFeed into what it is today. Social experts Rachel Christensen and Summer Anne Burton will discuss the scrappy and unconventional ways of thinking about content to create sharable, memorable experiences without a sizable budget.

6. If you want to learn how to develop a Snapchat marketing plan…

Snapchat: How Brands Can Effectively Market On The Platform
Hosted by VaynerMedia • Wednesday 2/24 at 12:00PM • SVA Theatre
There’s no doubt Snapchat is the hottest social media platform in 2016. In this masterclass, you’ll learn the strategies behind the brands finding success with Snapchat marketing, and how to think about this new platform in the context of your brand. Speakers of this session include Dan Grossman (VP of Platform Partnerships, VaynerMedia), Farrah Bezner (Head of New Business Ventures, Mondelēz International), and Talya Minsberg (Social Media Editor, The New York Times).

7. If you want to learn about social media automation by building your own Twitter bot…

Twitter Bots And The Automation Of Everything
Hosted by Code and Theory • Thursday 2/25 at 11:00AM • SVA Theatre
In this session, you’ll get a hands-on, step-by-step explanation of how to build a Twitter bot, and why algorithms on major social platforms are maturing to become more relevant and meaningful to digital professionals. Nick Macri (Associate Director of Analytics, Code and Theory) will lead a conversation around automation in social media, and how you can use it everyday on a variety of platforms and networks.

8. If you want to have an intimate dialogue with social media leaders…

The Future Of Emerging Platforms: An Interactive Shorty Awards Trivia Game
Hosted by The Shorty Awards • Friday 2/26 at 4:00PM • SVA Theatre
Join digital media executives from leading organizations on social to discuss in an interactive format what captivates, engages and moves audiences, and then put your noggin to the test with game show trivia questions on emerging social and digital media platforms, and the new ways that brands are publishing content and growing their community at scale. Hear from Reelio, BuzzFeed, About.com, Bravo & Oxygen and other individuals from innovative brands.

We hope to see you in New York for Social Media Week! Join over 1,000 leaders who register each year, and in 2016, #SMWNYC features two official venues: The TimesCenter (FWD Stage) and SVA Theatre (EDU Stage). Attend the 70+ events with 200+ speakers for an incredible week you won’t want to miss. Get your pass here!

Attendee FAQs: Everything You Need To Know About Pass Pickup and Beyond

Posted on February 12, 2016 by Tyler Becker

Social Media Week New York begins February 22nd with our Official Opening Party for Insider Passholders. On Tuesday, we’ll welcome attendees to the TimesCenter and SVA Theatre to kick off a week of incredible events, conversations, and ideas.

If you’re attending SMW New York, here are some frequently asked questions covering pass pickup, the official venues, the schedule, speakers, and other things you might be eager to learn.

Pass Pick-Up Information

On Friday Feb. 19, each Passholder will receive an email from our Check-in Technology Partner with a check-in barcode. Upon arriving to one of the SMW official venues, display that email on your mobile device to our check-in personnel at one of the official venues.

See pick-up schedule below, and please bring a valid photo ID or passport.

Monday 2/22

TimesCenter Front Lobby: 12:00 – 5:00pm
SVA Theatre Front Lobby: 12:00 – 5:00pm

Tuesday 2/23

TimesCenter Front Lobby: 8:30am – 5:30pm
SVA Theatre Front Lobby: 8:15am – 3:30pm

Wednesday 2/24

TimesCenter Front Lobby: 8:30am – 5:30pm
SVA Theatre Front Lobby: 8:30am – 5:30pm

Thursday 2/25

TimesCenter Front Lobby: 8:30am – 5:30pm
SVA Theatre Front Lobby: 8:30am – 5:30pm

Friday 2/26

TimesCenter Front Lobby: 8:30am – 3:00pm
SVA Theatre Front Lobby: 8:30am – 3:00pm

Who attends Social Media Week New York?

The SMW audience is made up of senior marketers, founders, entrepreneurs, influencers and digitally connected consumers across a range of industries including marketing, advertising, communications, media, publishing, technology, arts and entertainment.

When does SMW New York take place?

SMW New York takes place February 22-26, 2016.

All official events will take place at our two venues: The TimesCenter and SVA Theatre beginning on Tuesday the 23rd. You need a Campus or Insider Pass to attend official events. There are also Independent Events that occur Monday through Friday of the same week, and use separate registration via the independent event’s session page on the schedule.

Where does SMW New York take place?

Official programming during SMW New York 2016 will take place at two iconic New York venues:

The TimesCenter: 242 W 41st St, New York, NY 10036
SVA Theater: 333 W 23rd St, New York, NY 10011

The venues each have theaters that hold more than 400 people, which means no long lines or sessions at capacity, along with separate simulcasting theaters so that you can check what’s happening at each venue.

In addition, we’ll have co-working lounges where you can meet with colleagues or clients, connect to WiFi to get your normal work done, and space to relax as you enjoy the incredible sessions throughout the week. The aim this year is to provide attendees, speakers and partners with a much bigger stage and plenty of space to enjoy the entire week.

Reminder: only official events take place at The TimesCenter and SVA Theatre. Independent Events listed on the schedule are organized by the greater SMW community, and take place throughout the city. Please check the event descriptions for venue info.

Where can I view the schedule of events?

You can view the official schedule here for SMW New York. You can also download the official SMW mobile app which allows you to access the schedule, speakers, and even the sessions you’ve bookmarked from your SMW account.

Tip: “Bookmark” events on the schedule
Bookmarks allow you to easily view and save the sessions you’re most interested in. Just look for the small, blue bookmark icons on the schedule page, and click to save that event. You can then email all of your bookmarks with just two clicks.

Who is speaking at Social Media Week New York this year?

More than 200 industry leaders will speak at SMW New York. You can view them all on our speaker page here for SMW New York. Also, the official SMW mobile app allows you to see who’s speaking.

Does my pass get me into Independent SMW events?

Your pass is only for official SMW New York events. Independent Events are run by the larger SMW community, not us. Therefore, while your pass grants you access to all official (SMW) events, it won’t necessarily get you into Independent Events.

Can I share my pass with other colleagues throughout the week?

Every individual that attends official Social Media Week NYC events is required to have his or her own pass. We do not allow multiple individuals to share one pass. There will be attendee check-points and badge monitoring throughout the week.

Is there a mobile app for Social Media Week?

Yes! You Can download our official SMW Mobile App to connect with other SMW fans and attendees, access the conference schedule and speaker list, follow various social feeds, take notes, and more.

Will attendees have WiFi and space to work during the week?

Yes! Throughout the week, both venues will have co-working space for you to check email, and WiFi to connect all your devices. You can make either SMW New York venue your headquarters for the week to be productive and get your regular work done.

What is the official hashtag for Social Media Week New York?

You can follow along and join the conversation online using the official hashtag, #SMWNYC. Use this on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Vine, and anywhere else to participate in the conversations and discussions throughout the week.

Do any hotels offer SMW New York attendees a special rate?

We’re glad you asked! We have five official hotel partners. You can learn more about these hotels, and the exclusive rates they have for attendees, by visiting our Travel and Accommodations page.

Who are the official partners and sponsors of Social Media Week New York?

You can learn more about our official partners here. We’d like to thank each of them for helping make Social Media Week possible, and are proud to be working them this year in New York!

Are there discounts or scholarships available?

At the moment, our SMW Scholarship Program for students and non-profits is closed. If you’re still looking to purchase a pass, you can visit the SMW New York pass options page for the most up to date rates.

9 Sessions at #SMWNYC on Fan Engagement and Audience Growth

Posted on February 11, 2016February 11, 2016 by Tyler Becker

Without customers, fans, viewers, and people that value your business and work, you wouldn’t exist. The gap between casual customer and brand loyalist is not as distant as many assume, and with emerging tools and technology, many brands are figuring out how to convert one-time buyers into repeat customers.

Register to attend Social Media Week NYC, and experience a variety of sessions that dive into the world of fan engagement, audience development, and customer retention.

You’ll learn what the leading brands use and do each day to move individuals through the customer life-cycle, and hear industry leaders from Hootsuite, VaynerMedia, Brandwatch, WOMMA, Code and Theory, and many others discussing the next wave of trends and innovations.

1. If you work with digital campaigns or high-profile individuals…

Pope-emojis and Millennials: How Pope Francis Engages the Largest Generation Alive Today
Hosted by Tracx • Tuesday 2/23 at 10:00AM • SVA Theatre
Millennials now outnumber Baby Boomers, and brands and organizations are looking for ways to capitalize on this group. In this session, learn how Tracx, the leading social business cloud, collaborated with Aleteia, a global Catholic digital media company, to engage Millennials through an integrated campaign around Pope Francis’ visit to the U.S., and how “Pope-emojis” re-connected younger individuals to their religions and beliefs.

2. If you want to use data to better identify and retain customers…

Extending Lifetime Value – The Future of Customer Engagement
Hosted by Simon Data • Tuesday 2/23 at 1:00PM • SVA Theatre
Lifetime value is the magic word these days; everyone needs to find a way to create more enduring, valuable relationships with their customers. This session with Simon Data will provide an expert overview of the latest crop of marketing technologies, and outline a step-by-step breakdown of how to use data to improve your marketing efforts.

3. If you want to boost brand advocacy and create loyalists out of customers…

Advocacy FTW: How to Turn Your Superfans Into Impactful Brand Advocates
Hosted by Hootsuite • Wednesday 2/24 at 10:00AM • SVA Theatre
How well do you know your social superfans? Are you looking in the right pockets of the web to find the conversations they’re having about you? Join Hootsuite to learn how you can build your social brand with the support of your existing fans to maximize the reach of your social messages.

4. If your business needs to reach Millennials and Gen-Z consumers online…

Online Identities And Impact On Gen Y+Z Consumers
Hosted by Code and Theory • Wednesday 2/24 at 1:00PM • SVA Theatre
To reach teens and young adults online, the challenge is no longer about just posting on Instagram. This session with Code and Theory will cover the ins-and-outs of how Gen-Z and Gen-Y manage identities and relationships across multiple social networks, hide in plain site, and what type of content and brands they are willing to engage with.

5. If you work in television or at an agency with entertainment clients…

Keynote: How Comedy Central Gets Fans Talking with CMO, Walter Levitt
Hosted by WOMMA • Wednesday 2/24 at 1:30PM • TimesCenter
Comedy Central’s CMO, Walter Levitt, will attempt to organize and rationalize all their social media and on-the-ground tactics into a fully thought–out strategy, and explain how they promote their roster of shows such as Broad City, Inside Amy Schumer, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, and Drunk History.

6. If you want to improve your social listening and monitoring efforts…

Are You Listening? Learn How To Effectively Monitor Your Audience On Social
Hosted by Digimind • Wednesday 2/24 at 2:00PM • SVA Theatre
In a world where social media has taken over everything we do, it’s more important than ever to understand consumer behavior and use social intelligence to gain powerful insights for your business and marketing strategies. Join Digimind as they explain the important of social intelligence for agencies, non-profits, governments, and brands with influencers.

7. If you’re eager to learn how social media can drive new TV industry metrics…

Reach New Viewers! Develop Superfans! Impact Ratings! Launching a TV Show via Social Media!
Hosted by VaynerMedia • Wednesday 2/24 at 3:00PM • SVA Theatre
Social media offers more ways than ever to build awareness around TV programs, but did you know it can drive and impact the new markers of success in today’s ever-changing television industry? VaynerMedia will outline in this session how television shows and video networks can connect with existing and prospective fans across the many different virtual places where they’re spending time online.

8. If your brand has conversations with customers, or needs to create more interactions…

Consumer Pulse: Giving The People What They Want
Hosted by Brandwatch • Thursday 2/25 at 10:00AM • SVA Theatre
How we interact with potential consumers, haters, and brand loyalists has changed significantly over the past decades, and continues to rapidly evolve with how quickly we can exchange information. Brandwatch, one of the leading social intelligence platforms, will highlight best practices for capitalizing on emotions, purchase intent, influence, and consumer value.

9. If you need to learn best practices for developing a customer life-cycle…

Managing Brand(om)s and Fandoms: The True Story
Hosted by Everybody at Once • Thursday 2/25 at 12:00PM • SVA Theatre
These days, almost every single brand is expectedly active on social media. And almost every single one of those brands has a challenging time trying to find and interact with their audience. In this panel, audience development and social strategy consultancy, Everybody at Once, will lead an exploration around how a person or agency works to enable an audience in the best way possible, all while building a brand.

Brandwatch’s Guide to Decision-Making with Data and Rewarding Your Customers at #SMWNYC

Posted on February 10, 2016February 17, 2016 by Tyler Becker

Brandwatch is one of the world’s leading social media monitoring and analytics tools, chosen by pioneering brands and agencies including Verizon, British Airways, Digitas, Whirlpool, Dell, PepsiCo, Monster and Papa John’s. They’re one of our official Social Media Week sponsors (read more about our upcoming work with them!), and we’re excited for their two sessions at #SMWNYC.

The first, “Democratizing Data And Decision-Making: Unlocking The Socially-Powered Invisible Hand Of Technology” takes place Wednesday, February 24th at 10:30 AM at The TimesCenter.

In this session, Brandwatch’s Chief Marketing Officer, Will McInnes, will highlight the transition from mundane, ineffective business intelligence and market research solutions, to the next generation of smart tools, and how they are disrupting the way we analyze, measure, and process our various marketing efforts, utilizing trainable agents powered by human and machine intelligence. This is the next horizon of social intelligence, and Brandwatch will explain who is at the forefront.

The second session hosted by Brandwatch is “Consumer Pulse: Giving The People What They Want” which takes place Thursday, February 25th at 10:00AM at the SVA Theatre.

Two of Brandwatch’s leading minds, Kelly Autenrieth (User Adoption Team Lead, North America, Brandwatch) and Brit Ferguson (Account Manager, Brandwatch), will highlight key use cases for planning a social strategy that features a rewarding shelf-life for you and your consumer. Attendees will learn the most practical and effective ways to interact with potential customers, and how combining emotion with purchase intent can transform someone into becoming a brand loyalist.

Purchase your pass to attend SMW New York, and learn how Brandwatch has helped brands around the globe achieve their goals through smart social data and customer engagement.

EVENT SPOTLIGHT: The Future Of Emerging Platforms: An Interactive Shorty Awards Trivia Game

Posted on February 10, 2016 by Tyler Becker

The Shorty Awards are proud to present an interactive session featuring thought leaders from their community of Academy members, winners and collaborators. Hear from the top brands and organizations on social about what captivates, engages and moves audiences, and then put your noggin to the test with game show trivia questions the entire audience can participate in.

The topic of discussion will be emerging social and digital media platforms. At this point Snapchat is the emerging platform of record, Periscope is catching on, and no one seems to know what will (or will not) happen on Peach. This also extends to new ways brands are publishing #content and doing community management.

Register today, and bookmark this event to your schedule! On Friday, February 26th at 4:00pm, join the Shorty Awards at the SVA Theatre for “The Future Of Emerging Platforms: An Interactive Shorty Awards Trivia Game“. We’ll hear welcome the following leaders to the SMW New York stage:

Mark Borum (Co-Founder & VP of Marketing, Reelio)
Rachel Christensen (Managing Social Media Editor, BuzzFeed)
Gregory Galant (CEO & Co-Founder, Shorty Awards)
Matthew Knell (VP of Social Media and Platform Partnerships, About.com)
Rob McCarty (Chief Operations Officer, PopShorts)
Adam Zeller (VP of Social Media, Bravo & Oxygen Media)

After this event, come celebrate the end of Social Media Week at our VIP Closing Party! The closing party is for Insider Passholders only, so be sure to register (or upgrade) your pass in order to get your name onto the guest list.

EVENT SPOTLIGHT: The Story of Pope Emojis and How Millennials Re-connected with Their Religion

Posted on February 10, 2016February 17, 2016 by Tyler Becker

Millennials now outnumber Baby Boomers, and marketers are constantly looking for ways to capitalize on this group of consumers and social media enthusiasts. Not only are Millennials the largest generation alive today, but they are the largest demographic identifying as unaffiliated with any religion. Why is that, though?

Join Kathleen Hessert (Founder and President, Sports Media Challenge), as she discusses her collaboration with Aleteia, a global Catholic Digital Media Company, and Tracx, the leading social business cloud, which resulted in an incredibly successful campaign that many know as #PopeIsHope and #GoodIsWinning.

Kathleen will explore how her team leveraged social media conversations in order to connect Millennials to the Catholic Church, and the rising popularity of Pope Francis. She was able to spearhead a campaign which not only reintroduced Millennials to the Catholic Church, but inspired them to take action for the greater good.

Along with Kathleen is Eric Berkowitz (SVP Global Services, Tracx), who will walk attendees through the journey of identifying and listening to relevant social conversations, and contributing to these conversations by engaging in real-time.

Hosted by Tracx, “Pope-Emojis And Millennials: How Pope Francis Engages The Largest Generation Alive Today” will show attendees how to target and leverage social influencers, both at a massive celebrity scale and a smaller, local scale, as well as discover the best ways to engage Millennials through integrated campaigns, and how to measure its success.

This event takes place Tuesday, February 23 at 10:00am at SVA Theatre (EDU Stage).

Get Ready to Celebrate at the Official #SMWNYC Opening and Closing VIP Parties

Posted on February 9, 2016February 9, 2016 by Tyler Becker

We’re putting the final touches on the official schedule for Social Media Week NYC, and we hope you’ll join us for our Opening and Closing Parties, which are by invitation only, and exclusively for attendees with an Insider Pass. You can purchase your pass here to get added to the guest list!

Official VIP Opening Reception

To mark the launch of the the 2016 edition of SMW New York, global organizers Crowdcentric and our partner, OgilvyOne, will host the Official Opening Reception on February 22 at 7:00pm.

Held at Ogilvy’s stunning Headquarters in Manhattan (636 11th Avenue between 46th and 47th), the event will bring together Insider Pass-holders, Speakers and Sponsors for an evening of cocktails and food. The evening will mark the 8th anniversary of Social Media Week in New York.

Official VIP Closing Party

Then, at the end of the week, all Insider Pass holders, Speakers and Sponsors are invited to wrap up 2016’s edition Social Media Week NYC at the Official Closing VIP Party, presented by Crowdcentric and our Hospitality Partner, LDV.

The closing party will be held at one of New York’s premier venues, the Diamond Horseshoe at the Paramount Hotel on Friday, February 26th at 7:00pm.

The Closing Party is also by invitation only, so if you’d like to be on the guest list, be sure to purchase your Insider Pass, which grants you access to both events.

You must be 21 years or older to attend these parties.

You Might Also Want To Attend: The Inaugural Diversity In Tech Awards on Thursday, February 25th

Need to Dig Deep Into Snapchat? Learn The Latest Trends At These 3 #SMWNYC Sessions

Posted on February 9, 2016February 18, 2016 by Tyler Becker

Snapchat has an estimated 200 million monthly active users, and 100 million daily active users. It’s one of the most popular mobile apps for Millennials, Gen-Z, and even younger generations (30% of U.S. millennial internet users access Snapchat regularly). It’s so much more than a social network too. It’s truly an entertainment network.

It’s visual messaging, text messaging, mobile payments, art, comedy, storytelling, news, live event coverage, and a major advertising for brands and businesses across the world. 8,796 photos are shared on Snapchat every second, and Snapchat sees 6 billion video views every day. TO say the least, Snapchat is robust, and shows no signs of stopping (stats via DMR).

As Snapchat continues to expand and innovate, we want SMW New York attendees to learn everything there is to know in order to stay on top of its growth and capabilities. It’s not easy to fully understand everything there is to know about Snapchat, but a few events at SMW New York this month will teach you how to use it properly in business and in life.

Purchase your pass for SMW New York, and attend these three sessions that will dive deep into the world of Snapchat, and pull apart the many reasons why it’s a must-know platform for marketers and digital professionals.

1. The Best Brands on Snapchat

Hosted by Nasdaq • Tuesday 2/23 at 12:30PM • TimesCenter
Snapchat is the new battleground for the most innovative brands. Meet the marketers behind the ghost that are already crushing it on this emerging platform. Join Nasdaq, the bellwether for innovation, for an exciting chat with these Snapchat trailblazers, featuring executives from MTV, VaynerMedia, American Airlines, and The Wall Street Journal.

2. Atomization of Business: Content Strategies for Speed, Quality, and Efficiency

Hosted by Code and Theory • Wednesday 2/24 at 11:30AM • TimesCenter
As today’s brands, organizations, and governments confront the challenge of reaching multiple audiences with multiple stories, Atomization offers a playbook for producing content rapidly without sacrificing quality, reacting to popular news cycles with sensitivity, and injecting brands into culture with sincerity. Code and Theory Co-Founder, Dan Gardner, will introduce attendees to Atomization, and how today’s businesses take advantage of strategic opportunities via social media.

3. Snapchat: How Brands Can Effectively Market on the Platform

Hosted by VaynerMedia • Wednesday 2/24 at 12:00PM • SVA Theatre
There’s no doubt Snapchat is the hottest social media platform in 2016, and this masterclass will detail best practices for how brands can market on Snapchat. Attendees will walk away with answers to questions such as, “What makes Snapchat the “hot” platform in 2016?” and “What is the differentiation of Snapchat and its ROI vs. “more established” platforms like Facebook, Twitter & Instagram?”. Dan Grossman (VP of Platform Partnerships, VaynerMedia) together with Farrah Bezner (Head of New Business Ventures, Mondelēz International) will lead this session.

These three events are targeted at digital professionals who have experience leveraging social media as a key marketing initiative, or professionals in marketing who want to deepen their understanding of how brands can effectively market to the ever-growing consumer audience on Snapchat. Click here to register for Social Media Week New York!

EVENT SPOTLIGHT: How To Make Your Event Seem As Awesome Online As It Does IRL

Posted on February 4, 2016February 4, 2016 by Tyler Becker

Social media can make or break your event with fans, attendees, and audience members sharing their thoughts and experiences online and amongst friends.

Splash, the experience marketing software that maximizes event impact – before, during, and after, joins Social Media Week New York to explore how event organizers and experiential professionals can turn their next event into social media gold.

Click here to register for SMW New York, and hear from Splash’s Co-Founder and “Party Scientist” Ben Hindman, who will cover everything from how to create “Instagrammable moments,” to how to design an irresistible invitation.

Ben is an events planner-turned-tech entrepreneur who prizes people skills above all else, and has conceptualized and developed several successful companies—all of which revolve around the collective power of shared experiences.

As CEO and Founder of Splash, Ben works alongside technologists, designers, marketers, and party planners to make sense of the events industry by anticipating trends, identifying unspoken user needs, and finding the next great laser light. In 2015 alone, his venture-backed software has powered 500,000+ events for brands ranging from Red Bull to the Pope.

This session, “How To Make Your Event Seem As Awesome Online As It Does IRL” takes place Friday, February 26 at 3:00PM at The SVA Theatre (EDU Stage).

Image Credit: Mashable Studios

EVENT SPOTLIGHT: Extending Lifetime Value – The Future Of Customer Engagement

Posted on February 4, 2016February 4, 2016 by Tyler Becker

Lifetime value is the magic word these days; everyone needs to find a way to create more enduring, valuable relationships with their customers.

Register your pass to attend this masterclass session at SMW New York, where attendees will be introduced to the different categories of retention marketing, ways to operationalize data to drive engagement, and tangible examples of businesses doing it right. There will also be a broad overview of tools and services that should be a part of any successful stack.

Led by Joshua Neckes, President of Simon Data, a tool that transforms data into clear insights, and allows digital professionals to get the most out of their marketing efforts, this session will demonstrate how world’s savviest companies think about – and increase – customer lifetime value through data.

“Extending Lifetime Value – The Future Of Customer Engagement” takes place Tuesday, February 23 at 1:00pm at The SVA Theatre (EDU Stage).

6 Events at #SMWNYC Hosted by Industry Experts in Online Video

Posted on February 3, 2016February 3, 2016 by Erica Perry

You’ve likely realized how often you see visual content in your News Feed, timeline, and social feeds. Facebook’s video offerings expanded (now with livestreaming), and platforms like Snapchat and Periscope show no signs of slowing down in terms of popularity, cultural influence, and personal interactions.

At SMW New York, several sessions are lined up to help those looking to learn more about today’s video content ecosystem, and hear from industry’s leaders on how they approach video strategy, budget, goals, and measurement of the content.

Additionally, attendees will gain a detailed understanding of technology’s impact on the entertainment world, and how to use video tools and services to their full capacity in order to successfully engage with key audiences.

Click here to sign up for SMW New York, and join our community this February 22-26

1. Keynote Comedy: A Love Story With Evan Shapiro, Featuring Dan Harmon, Jonah Ray and Kulap Vilaysack

(Hosted by NBCUniversal)
This session, led by NBCUniversal’s EVP, Digital Enterprises, Evan Shapiro will discuss topics of comedy, technology, and social media’s impact on entertainment.

2. Building a Great Social Presence the Resourceful Way

(Hosted by BuzzFeed)
This presentation will focus on offering participants a new way at looking to hire social candidates, the best ways to manage a social editor’s workflow, and how to create sharable content without a sizable budget through a discussion of how two BuzzFeed social gurus rethought the industry.

3. Funny & Buzzy: How Comedy Central Gets Fans Talking With CMO, Walter Levitt

(Hosted by WOMMA)
In this entertaining session, Comedy Central’s CMO Walter Levitt will attempt to organize and rationalize the social media and on-the-ground tactics of Comedy Central’s marketing team into a fully thought–out strategy.

4. Reach New Viewers! Develop Superfans! Impact Ratings! Launch A TV Show Via Social Media!

(Hosted by VaynerMedia)
This masterclass will detail how efficient, strategic media spend, time-shifting strategies and always-on content with a consistent voice can combine to increase buzz, awareness, and viewership (both linear and elsewhere like video-on-demand), with concrete, indisputable results.

5. Building A Startup Under The Infrastructure And Data Of A Legacy Media Company: A Great Big Story

(Hosted by Great Big Story)
In this session, you’ll learn how to build a content strategy that’s informed by data taken straight from your social media properties. Find out the secrets that can harness your data for audience targeting, distribution and much more. Great Big Story, a socially-distributed video network that covers stories, will lead this talk.

6. How 360° Video is Changing the Content Game

(Hosted by BOLD Worldwide)
Brian Cristiano, CEO of BOLD Worldwide will explain the value, excitement and execution of 360° video through an in-depth discussion and real-life examples. Attendees will walk away with a deep understanding of the technology, why brands need to use it and how to leverage social media to drive interaction.

Register to attend today, and join us in New York this February 22-26 to hear from visionary speakers, industry leading brands, and thousands of New York’s media and technology professionals.

Learn How 360° Video Is Changing The Content Game at SMW New York

Posted on January 30, 2016 by Tyler Becker

If you’re a marketer or content creator that engages audiences, you need to understand 360° video, and its potential to revolutionize the content ecosystem. While 360° video is quickly emerging as a new content frontier, it is still in its infancy. Now is the time to get in the game.

Register for your pass, and hear Brian Cristiano (CEO, BOLD Worldwide) explain the value, excitement and execution of 360° video through an in-depth discussion and real-life examples. Attendees will walk away with a deep understanding of the technology, why brands need to use it, and how to leverage social media to drive interaction.

Brian’s session at SMW New York, “How 360° Video is Changing the Content Game” will open your eyes in all directions and shed some light on how you can utilize this technology for entertainment, engagement and sales. This event takes place Thursday, February 25 at 3:00PM at the SVA Theatre (EDU Stage).

Putting Your Brand at the Center of Storytelling with Sam Olstein, GE’s Global Innovation Lead

Posted on January 28, 2016 by Tyler Becker

Entertainment, experience, and authentic engagement can transform brands in the eyes of fans. Today’s Millennials are hungry for stories that are relevant to them, and they don’t want to be sold to. Instead, they want to be active participants with a direct connection to their favorite brands.

At General Electric, there’s an ongoing goal to foster global innovation on new digital channels, and introduce the GE brand and story to new audiences. Sam Olstein (Global Innovation Lead, General Electric) will participate at SMW New York to discuss insights on community management, the power of social influence, and how mobile technology facilitates “advertainment” in today’s digital ecosystem.

Attendees that register for SMW New York and attend this session will learn how to use content and stories to reach and engage a Millennial audience, the differences between a welcomed entertainer versus an unwelcomed sales person, and the keys to find and work with the right influencers for your brand.

This session, “Your Brand, Their Story: Exploring The Shift In Content Creation And Consumption” takes place Friday, February 26 at 9:00AM at The SVA Theatre (EDU Stage).

Image Credit: USC Annenberg

Unpack the Industry’s Latest Social Measurement Guidelines with IAB at #SMWNYC

Posted on January 22, 2016February 3, 2016 by Tess Kaytmaz

Social media, including paid, owned and earned, continues to rapidly evolve, which is why Social Media Measurement Guidelines are needed to help agencies and marketers better understand the real impact of social media spend.

Recently, the Media Rating Council (MRC) issued Social Media Measurement Guidelines to help establish a detailed set of methods, definitions and common practices for organizations that measure social media activity.

Join us at SMW New York to hear leaders from IAB, Ogilvy & Mather, The Coca-Cola Company, Crowdtap, and Media Rating Council (MRC) to unpack these new guidelines, and examine its impact on the media industry. Why was it necessary to prepare these guidelines? Why it is important that we all used the same definitions to define key words? How, practically speaking, should the sell-side and buy-side use the guidelines on a daily basis?

Susan Borst, Director of Industry Initiatives at IAB, will lead this session, “Social Media Measurement: How Everyone Wins” on Tuesday, February 23rd at 9:00am at the SVA Theatre (EDU Stage).

★ Join thousands of industry leaders at SMW New York ★

About Susan Borst

Susan Borst is a Director of Industry Initiatives, heading up the Social Media, Content Marketing, Native Advertising, B2B and Games member committees to identify key challenges and opportunities for growth, and setting standards and best practices.

After 20+ years at top NYC creative agencies (Gotham, Kaplan Thaler Group, Grey Worldwide and Hill Holiday), Susan made the move to digital in 2010. At IAB, Susan leads the Social Media, Content Marketing, Native Advertising, B2B and Game Advertising committees, leading hundreds of digital publishers/platforms and technology providers to identify key challenges and opportunities for growth, and setting standards and best practices. Under her leadership, these groups have produced the IAB Native Advertising Playbook, Content Marketing Primer, Social Media Buyer’s Guide, Game Advertising Ecosystem Guide, User Generated Content guide, Building a B2B Brand Online For Dummies guide and many more.

Recent speaking engagements include OMMA Native, Business Insider Ignition, SXSW, Social Media Week in NYC and Chicago and more. She is on the jury for The Shorty Awards and the Content Marketing Institute Awards and was named one of the “15 People in NYC That are Changing Advertising That You Need to Know About” by Alley Watch (8/14) and named a “Top 50 Marketing Thought Leaders Over 50” by Brand Quarterly (2015.) She is based out of NYC and lives in CT. She is also half Icelandic, but loves Swedish Fish.

View The Initial Program Of Events for SMW New York

Social Media Week New York, now in it’s 8th year, brings together thousands of professionals in marketing, media and technology. We’re excited to announce the initial schedule and speaker lineup for SMW New York, which takes place this February 22-26.

Join us across our two official venues, and hear from organizations such as Ogilvy, Starcom MediaVest, MRY, Forbes, Mashable, MTV, The Economist, GE, Pinterest, Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, Spotify and many more!

Register for SMW New York

If you’d like to hear from visionary speakers, and join the thousands of attendees that come to Social Media Week in New York each year, register today by purchasing your pass.

Image Credit: Izea

Generate Leads and Become a Brand Partner During #SMWNYC

Posted on January 21, 2016 by Toby Daniels

SMW New York is just five weeks away, have you made final plans yet on how you and your company will be involved? We wanted to share a few ways for your brand to establish a presence including:

If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor, or would like to know more about the opportunities still available, we would very much like to hear from you. As an official partner you’ll be joining brands and agencies like Microsoft, Ogilvy, Brandwatch, Spotify, Accenture, Ford, Edelman, Google, YouTube, Capital One, American Express, Sysomos and dozens more who have all been integral to the growth and success of Social Media Week over the past 7 years.

Up Next: Announcing The Launch Of SMW New York’s Initial Program Of Events For 2016

“The evolving social landscape will impact how people discover, consume and share music; and we are thrilled to work with Social Media Week to host a dialogue around this globally.” – Josh Karpf (Global VP, Social Media Marketing at Spotify)

To get more info about partnership packages, or our group pass discounts, please email sponsorships@socialmediaweek.org

Building Your Social Presence at #SMWNYC with BuzzFeed’s Social Team

Posted on January 14, 2016January 20, 2016 by Tess Kaytmaz

In this interactive presentation, BuzzFeed social experts Rachel Christensen and Summer Anne Burton will discuss how they helped successfully build the largest social networks in media—by rethinking the way the industry sees social media editors, content, and distribution.

They’ll cover how BuzzFeed stuck to scrappy and unconventional ways of thinking about and creating content for social platforms, and how they used data to inform their strategies. There will also be examples of BuzzFeed’s biggest wins and fails (in the form of a quiz!), with insight to how, why, and where BuzzFeed experiments.

Summer’s session “Building A Great Social Presence The Resourceful Way, Presented By BuzzFeed” will take place on Wednesday, February 24th at 11:00am at the SVA (EDU Stage).

★ Register today by purchasing your pass ★

About Summer Anne Burton

Summer is the Editorial Director of BFF, a team at BuzzFeed that makes cool original stuff on social networks and platforms. She was previously the Managing Editorial Director in BuzzFeed’s editorial department, and once upon a time she was BuzzFeed’s first Weekend Editor.

Before she started at BuzzFeed, Summer lived in Austin Texas as a freelance illustrator and writer who contributed to ESPN: The Magazine, The Hairpin, Fangraphs, The Classical, and more. She was also a waitress, barista, bookseller, toy store clerk, advertising manager, hair salon receptionist, a writer at a now defunct website for tweens, and a stablehand.

She also has a new project called “Every Hall of Famer,” a blog where Summer is drawing every single member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. (via Summer Anne Burton)

About Rachel Christenson

Rachel Christensen is the managing social media editor for Buzzfeed, the social media manager for Food52, the James Beard Award-winning online food community, recipe hub, and home and kitchen shop. She formerly led social media for Real Simple magazine and at NBC’s Television Without Pity. She lives in Brooklyn.

View The Initial Program Of Events for SMW New York

Register for SMW New York

If you’d like to hear from these speakers, and join the thousands of attendees that come to Social Media Week in New York each year, register today by purchasing your pass.

Image Credit: Texas Monthly