stedavies.com - communications consultant

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VENUE: THE MARRIOTT HOTEL, REGENTS PARK, LONDON
DATE / TIME: FRIDAY 23 MAY 2008, 9.30AM TO 4PM
TICKETS: £295 + VAT, £250 + VAT EARLY BOOKING & CHARITY RATE
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ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

The internet has revolutionised the way we seek and share information and has acted as a catalyst for wide ranging social interaction and potential communication opportunities with individuals, niche audiences and mass markets. In a few short years weʼve seen the rise of social networking, hugely popular user generated sites and bloggers with the influence to make or break brands and
reputations.

The Donʼt Panic Guide To Social Media is aimed at senior communicators and will examine the rapid growth of online PR and the social media tools that are driving the revolution. Delegates will hear the latest insight into how and why social media is an essential part of the communications mix alongside case studies as diverse as Oxfam, Frank PR and Dell.

The conference takes place at the Marriott Hotel, Regents Park, London and features an unmissable line up of speakers. Refreshments, lunch and access to presentations are included in the ticket price.
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SPEAKERS

SAM BARRATT, HEAD OF MEDIA, OXFAM
Oxfam is one of the world’s most respected aid agencies and continues to be at the forefront of pioneering fundraising work to tackle poverty and famine and raise awareness of climate change and fair trade issues. Sam will be talking about Oxfam’s online activity that has increasingly made use of social media to reach new and existing audiences through their blogs, Facebook
groups and YouTube channel.

He has worked for Oxfam since 2000, leading on all of Oxfam’s campaigns as well as events such as Oxfam’s response to the tsunami, the WTO meetings in Cancun and the war in Afghanistan.
www.oxfam.org.uk

KERRY BRIDGE, HEAD OF DIGITAL MEDIA & COMMS, DELL (EMEA)
Dell is a leading manufacturer and retailer of computers and peripherals with millions of global customers in over 100 countries. Kerry’s presentation will examine the value of social media to a multinational organisation and will cover the learning curve resulting from the much publicised ‘Dell Hell’ case.

Relations with consumer bloggers are now firmly at the fore of Dell’s communication strategy including the customer focused online forum IdeaStorm and Direct2Dell blog.
dellideastorm.com
direct2dell.com

STEPHEN DAVIES, SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER, WEBITPR
News travels fast on the World Wide Web and as citizen journalists, bloggers and the mainstream media increasingly use multimedia content some might say the traditional press or news release is dead. Stephen’s presentation will provide an insight into the rise of the Social Media News Release, a modern alternative that enables the sharing of information, links and even
content such as Flickr galleries and YouTube videos.

Webitpr have distributed SMNRs on behalf of a number of multinational clients such as ITV, Sage and Cisco and the likes of Coca Cola, Ford and Yahoo! are also using them to reach audiences and create dialogues with consumers, influencers and traditional news outlets.

Stephen blogs at stedavies.com

ROBIN GOAD, DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH, HITWISE
Hitwise are leaders in online analysis and each day provide an insight into how almost 8.5 million UK internet users interact with over a million websites across a variety of industries. Robin will be delivering highlights from their latest white paper on the impact of social networking in the UK including analysis of who’s using social networking sites and predictions for the impact they will have in 2008.
www.hitwise.co.uk

GRAHAM GOODKIND, CHAIRMAN, FRANK PR
Graham was previously MD of ‘Absolutely Fabulous’ PR consultancy Lynne Franks PR, he then founded Another.com, one of the UK’s leading internet brands, before returning to PR and setting up Frank. Frank are one of the giants of the UK PR scene and Graham’s presentation will look at creativity, buzz and word of mouth and how they successfully generate these elements online. Frank also look after a retired greyhound called Flying Frank, the only dog with a blog.
www.frankpr.it

NEVILLE HOBSON, NEVILLEHOBSON.COM
Neville Hobson, ABC, is a communicator, blogger, podcaster and Second Life explorer, one of the leading European early adopters and influencers in social media communication for business. He is a passionate advocate for new and emerging technology tools and channels with over 25 yearsʼ experience in public and media relations helping companies build dynamic relationships with customers, employees, shareholders and other key audiences and influencers.

Neville will be chairing the conference and providing the opening overview presentation examining the rise and impact of social media and the opportunities it presents for communicators. Along with his California-based colleague Shel Holtz, Neville is responsible for the highly influential business podcast For Immediate Release: The Hobson & Holtz Report forimmediaterelease.biz

He has been blogging since 2002 and currently does so at nevillehobson.com

MARSHALL MANSON, DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL STRATEGY, EDELMAN UK
Marshall Manson is Director of Digital Strategy for Edelman in London, and a leader in the field of online strategy, communications and reputation management. Previously, he was Vice-President of Online Advocacy for Edelman in Washington, DC.

His presentation will focus on how technology is driving changes in the way audiences get and share information and the implications of that shift and where it may lead us in the future. He will also examine how businesses are using social media in the US, UK and elsewhere and the success or otherwise of their strategies.
Marshall blogs at ontapblog.com and edelmandigital.com

MEG PICKARD, HEAD OF COMMUNITIES AND USER EXPERIENCE, GUARDIAN UNLIMITED
Meg describes herself as a creative geek and has worked in New Media for about ten years including consultation roles with small startups, global brands and charities. She currently works at Guardian Unlimited where she is responsible for developing and managing existing and new social web strategy and experiences. Before this she was Consumer Experience lead for Social Media at AOL Europe.

Her presentation will examine the importance of social media strategy for organisations and their audiences.
Meg blogs at meish.org

SIMON WAKEMAN, HEAD OF MARKETING & PR, MEDWAY COUNCIL
Simon is a qualified marketing and public relations professional with a passion for new technology and its impact on the way we communicate. He will be exploring the extent of social media usage in local government with examples of those authorities who have used social media channels to reach their audiences. He will also consider the reasons why some authorities may still be reticent to create truly open dialogues with those they serve.
Simon blogs at simonwakeman.com/blog

SOCIAL MEDIA PANEL DISCUSSION
The conference will close with a social media panel discussion where delegates can seek the advice of our speakers, raise issues and get involved in the conversation.

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BOOKING

Ticket prices are £295 + VAT or £250 + VAT for charities and early booking before 30 April 2008. For event booking or further information please contact Nicky or Andrew at Donʼt Panic on 01706 828855 or alternatively places can be securely booked online at – www.dontpanicprojects.com/booking.htm