Overwhelmed by the many amazing events lined up for Social Media Week? Here’s our guide to those you shouldn’t miss. No time to attend? Just check in online.
Now Trending: Social media & the charitable sector
Monday, February 13 at 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Social media has transformed the way people can engage with their favourite nonprofits & charitable organizations. What does social fundraising mean for the future of philanthropy in Canada?
Hosted by: Artez Interactive
Location: Artez Interactive
Social Media ROI: Myth or Reality?
Monday, February 13 at 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Many believe the social media industry is coming out of its awkward teenage years and into adulthood. But there is still one nagging question: How can we demonstrate the value of social media?
There are many schools of thought on the measurement, metrics, and outright existence of “return on investment” in social media programs and campaigns. You’ll hear from a number of different speakers, including executives from brands, agencies and industry professionals. Each will offer their unique (and perhaps controversial!) perspective on how to evaluate and demonstrate the value of social media.
Leading up to the event, there will be a series of discussions on board the VIA Rail SMW TO Conference Train. The morning of the event, invited guests will meet on board a train travelling from Montreal to Toronto, with stops in Ottawa and Kingston. They’ll take part in a series of discussions on various social media topics, and through VIA’s on board wifi, other SMW participants from various locations across the globe will be able to participate using hashtag #SMWTOroi. This mobile pre-event conference will arrive in Toronto just in time for the event, being held at the Fairmont Royal York. Those visiting SMW TO from out of town can contact the Fairmont about rates and reservations (1-800-441-1414).
Reception at The Fairmont Royal York – 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM
Presentations – 6:30 PM to 8 PM
Business Wire Social Media Webcast 2012
Tuesday, February 14 at 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Our distinguished panel comprises social media experts from varying professional backgrounds. Moderating the event, Martin Waxman – Principal, Martin Waxman Communications, Senior Couselor, Thornley Fallis Communications and Social Media Instructor, McMaster University, will speak on the social media environment. Sean Pasternak – Banking Reporter, Bloomberg News, Matt Hartley – Editor, National Post and Erin Bury – Director of Content & Communications, Sprouter Inc. will share their individual takes on the importance, usefulness and benefits of social media, outlook for 2012 and the future of social media. They will also share a comparative analysis of various platforms within the social media realm.
Have specific questions for our experts? Not a problem! Tailor the discussion to your interests during the Q&A hosted by our panelists.
Customer Service is Social! Are you ready?
Tuesday, February 14 at 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Most companies are in the early or exploratory stages when it comes to using Social Media as an extension of their Customer Service capabilities. Many companies with profiles on Social Networks do not really want to talk to customers about service issues – they are worried about brand sentiment. Yet by virtue of their having a Social presence, customers expect them to be open, responsive, and engaged. Customers want to be heard, and they want to be heard the way they want…and that often means through Social.
Mark Orlan, Canadian Director at Customer Experience Strategy firm, Strativity Group, will moderate this panel of Social Customer Service leaders from Rogers, the Toronto Transit Commission, G Adventures, and BMO Financial Group, as they address these and other questions in what should prove to be a fun, inspiring, and thought-provoking discussion.
Intended Audience: people working in mid to senior level roles in Customer Service, Customer Experience, and Social Media, and interested in gaining insights into how to develop or refine a Social Customer Service strategy for their organizations.
Hosted by: Strativity Group Inc.
Location: SAS Institute – Training Centre
Content may be king, but without Context – no one will pay attention
Wednesday, February 15 at 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
In a world where there is more content being created every 48 hours, than in the entire history of mankind, it is without question that content development has become the cornerstone of activity for many individuals and organizations.
But …
With all this content comes a disruptive effect – you’re now just another fish in an extremely big pond. So how do you get people to notice you, like you, trust you and even share what you’re saying to their networks?
Context …
When you can go beyond just words, and connect with people on a deeper emotional level, that’s when you get noticed and that’s when you get shared. That’s why Apple has become so successful – they have mastered the art of transforming simple content, into powerful and long-lasting context for their consumers.
This session will discuss moving your content into context, how to generate better content for stronger impact, and how to get user generated content, that when done correctly can be the most powerful form of communications possible.
Hosted by: Socialmark
Location: Centre for Social Innovation
What You Really Must Know To Succeed in Social Media Marketing
Wednesday, February 15 at 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM
It is understood that in a social world, brands must participate to succeed, evidenced by 94% of the Canadian online population actively utilizing social networks, in the past month.1 However, to win, brands must leverage the power of paid, owned and earned media in order to promote discovery, consumption and sharing. By investing in and building an ecosystem of followers, advocates and participants, brands can attract, engage and amplify their message to potential partners and customers. We have witnessed brands building awareness via social networks with positive consumer response. Now, companies who understand, the importance of investing in content and context as key principles of social media marketing have the opportunity toposition themselves as leaders. When content is perceived as valuable within the right context, it gets shared. It becomes a story. It is the start of word-of-mouth. The right media investments in your social media marketing strategy are key – they can become voices to talk to people and ways to listen to potential customers in a cross-channel way, all while tapping into your valuable ecosystem of followers.
Who should attend: Sr. agency executives, brand marketers, social media marketers, marketing executives and leaders looking to engage their customer communities throughsocial media
Hosted by: LinkedIn
Location: MaRS Discovery District
Tweeting a Business Beat
Wednesday, February 15 at 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Panel discussion on how business reporters use Twitter and other social media to report the news, connect with sources, and stay on top of the latest developments in a particular industry. Draws on the expertise of Report on Business beat reporters, and their counterparts from other media organizations.
Hosted by: Globe & Mail
Location: Globe & Mail headquarters
The Social Media Ref
Thursday, February 16 at 2:45 PM – 4:00 PM
Join us as the Social Media Ref moderates in-depth discussions of different social media perspectives from key Canadian influencers – bloggers, journalists and PR pros. Two 18-minute competition-style panels will take on hot social media topics, with the Social Media Ref determining one collaborative solution for each panel. Topics to be revealed by panel members 2 weeks prior to the event. Keep an eye on those twitter updates!
Hosted by: Cision
Location: TIFF Bell Lightbox, Cinema 3
Digital Journalism for Pay
Thursday, February 16 at 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
This seminar examines digital journalism. That is, online reporting. Not personal blogging or posting party photos online, but old fashioned journalism (i.e. news and feature stories complete with interviews + research) done on the Internet.
Speakers will discuss the brave new world of online reporting, how it’s similar and dissimilar to traditional, print-based journalism. Learn about work opportunities for serious writing in this rapidly growing field.
Hosted by: Professional Writers Association of Canada [PWAC] Toronto Chapter
Location: St. Paul’s Bloor Street
Open Graph – The Unseen Juggernaut
Thursday, February 16 at 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
The story of social media isn’t just about enhanced relationships between people. We relate to each other best when referencing things, be they physical objects, media or ideas. In 2008 Facebook launched its Open Graph protocol with its iconic Like button, it was the catalyst needed to kickstart the semantic web, enabling the rise of “Social Things”.
BNOTIONS will be providing an evening devoted to understanding what the Open Graph is and its potential. We will start with a presentation and then we will move into an open forum discussion.
The night will play out as follows:
1. The Open Graph for Dummies (A refresher for the rest of us)
2. Cool Shit
3. Speculation time!
BNOTIONS is a technology company who has developed and published Facebook applications for many top-tier brands, including Interac, Paypal, Motorola, Quiznos and the Oprah Winfrey Network as well as an awesome list of start-ups.
Hosted by: BNOTIONS
Location: BNOTIONS
Entrinsic Presents: Bilingual brands in the digital space
Friday, February 17 at 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Do you know what it takes to run a bilingual brand in the digital space?
Join the Entrinsic team as we explore the ins, outs, and best practices for representing two diverse cultures in one digital community. From handling the Régie, to English/French Facebook landing pages and language barriers, our skilled panelists bring you a hot-topic session with insight into the front line of bilingual branding in the social sphere.
Three of Canada’s top community / brand managers will share their strategies and stories about managing a bilingual community in both official languages.
Hosted by: Entrinsic
Location: AGO
Social Media Development – Building Experiences on Facebook
Friday, February 17 at 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
We will to bring together the brand innovators for Facebook and talk about how to create campaigns that have social media at the core – powering genuine connections between brand and consumer. The panel will be introduced by a Facebook representative elaborating on the concept of Social by Design.
The panel will educate agencies and brands on how to execute Facebook campaign integrations that resonate with Fans. We will draw on numerous case studies including Hot Wheels, Gatorade, Sears, and HomeSense as well as feature agencies that partner with Majestic Media as their Facebook Development partner.
Hosted by: Majestic Media Ltd.
Location: Arta Gallery
Hot, cold and everything in between: The many degrees of online customer engagement
Friday, February 17 at 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Bringing together a mix of companies/brands who have (and continue to) use social media as a way to engage with influencers and advocates. The panel will speak to how companies: 1) use social media to change brand perception and turn non-believers into brand advocates/influencers, 2) put customers at the center of their social media efforts and 3) engage influencers and advocates via social media to benefit both brand and customer.
Hosted by: Rogers Communications
Location: The Office Pub