Between my moving back home, I unfortunately missed the pre-chat leading up to the conference, but made sure that I did my research on what to expect. Thanks to Valerie Simon on her post about what to expect when attending such a conference. After reading it, I knew that I’d be all set.

One aspect that really got me was the keynote speaker Sarah Evans (Sevens Strategy), who gave an amazing presentation on “What’s Next for Public Relations, Strategy, and Technology.” I’ve been talking to Sarah for months and to not only meet her but also listen to her was completely unreal. Three main things about campaigns that I took away from Sarah’s presentation were:

• Portable–Can I take it with me
• Personalized–Can I customize
• Participatory–Can I join in

There were some other presentations that definitely grabbed my attention from the moment the speakers began talking. Ed Schipul (Schipul), who included some amazing photography within his presentation, provided some comical relief. His presentation focused on the personal brands that we create, which was a great refresher on the topic after attending #PRAdvanced. Ed gave six important elements to really focus in on in the “Personal Brand Era”

1. Story
2. Creation
3. Curation
4. Distribution
5. Monitoring
6. Terms of Service

During the luncheon, Nick Bilton (New York Times) was our speaker and I’m sure that everyone ignored the food. Nick’s discussion was indescribable. I was so intrigued with everything he said about how technology is changing and how we are directly affected by it. Definitely going to check out his book I Live in the Future: & Here’s How it Works this fall.

In the afternoon, two more presentations grabbed my attention and I made it a purpose to introduce myself to both ladies. The first was by Sandra Fathi (Affect Strategies), who talked about Tools & Technology for High Tech. From hearing all of Sandra’s suggestions for tools and how to utilize them, I will be doing a bit of my own research on how to implement them into my work. Also, I was able to help out one of the places where I interned on a new tactic to present to a client.

And finally, Christine Perkett (Perkett PR), who I have talked to on Twitter and had no idea she would be attending the event. Christine’s presentation about being an influencer in PR was extremely insightful and hey, there was even a Kelly Cutrone (People’s Revolution) shout out in there. Some key takeaways from Christine’s presentation include:

• Build your personal brand
• Do what you do…and do it well
• SHARE
• Write a book
• Make your own rules
• It’s all about YOU

Overall the day was a complete success and I gained so much information that I plan on researching throughout the summer. Being able to meet a majority of the speakers was great and I want to really thank Deirdre for inviting me to attend the conference.

Brittany James is a recent graduate of Quinnipiac University with a degree in public relations with a minor in marketing. Over the past year, she has held internships at Goodman Media International in New York City and at Cashman + Katz Integrated Communications in Glastonbury, CT.

Another favorite part of my trip was the Q&A that came out of the conference.  I thought the questions during the CHE program were very good and they included (with my responses attached):

I’m just starting out in social media, how do I evaluate which bloggers to follow and who to build relationships with?

My immediate response to this question: listen closely to the conversation that relates to your organization and see which influencers are passionate about the topics or issues that are relevant to you or your company (or which bloggers are actually discussing your brand).  You can also check out blog search engines including Technorati and IceRocket to find the bloggers with the most authority and highest rankings.

Our organization has a lot of content including videos, but we have a small team to handle the social media communications.  How do we move forward and how much should we share?

If you have a lot of great content, but a small team managing the effort it’s really important to evaluate how you will handle social media communications so that you don’t spread your resources too thin.  It’s always best to start out slowly with blogging and set your own pace and build up to more social networking as you find that you are handling the flow of communications well.  This way, you are not starting something that you will abandon because it’s very difficult to keep up with the conversations.  It’s always better to go slow, see results and then add more resources as you go along.  Often, executives want to see results first and then will invest more in your communications program.

We are using Radian 6, Klout and TweetDeck to measure, what else should we use?

Radian 6 is very good to monitor the conversations across platforms. TweetDeck is great for communications with your Twitter community (and you can also update to other networks) and filtering to specific conversations. Klout works well when you want to see someone’s influence on Twitter.  Klout lets you know if the influencer is a connector, a persona, a casual or a climber.  It also tells you the stats on the influencer such as reach, demand, engagement and velocity. However, I mentioned that I would have to know where a person or brand was participating in the social landscape to make sure that the tools capture the mentions and conversations on each and every social platform where they engage.

Now for the question that gets the gold star!  This question was actually asked after the conference was over, during the book signing.  The question was:

Is it okay to use a recognition or incentive program to get employees or sales people involved in social media?

Great question! My immediate answer is yes. Employees respond very well to both recognition/rewards, as it helps to create productivity, motivates people to move toward a desired behavior and people feel as if they are celebrated when they are rewarded for achieving goals.

On the incentive side, yes, sales teams, in many companies participate in incentive programs, which also motivate and drive participation toward a particular goal.  I think that employees, when asked to do something new say, “What’s in it for me?”  It’s no different than the consumer, when you ask them to participate with you in a social community. They say, “Why should I participate and how are you helping me?”  That’s why companies work so hard to become meaningful resources rather than marketing messages.

A little more about incentives … I’ve been involved in programs that are fun, motivate and are built around creative themes. Some of the programs were simple with gift certificates for participation and other were very elaborate programs with websites that launch the initiative, and then continue to motivate people and drive their participation during the length of the campaign.  These programs have several components including: goals/tracking, complete program Information, updated news, trivia contests, and award redemption right on the website.

I know that many will question why they should use recognition or incentives when the desired behavior is within the scope of the employee’s job and “this is what they are supposed to do.” Yes, that could be the case.  But there has been tremendous success with both recognition (celebrating the employee for length of service or great performance) and incentive (giving some type of incentive or reward to reach a goal) to reveal that these programs work.  I’ve seen them in action and I think they work too. I believe they should have a place in the realm of internal social media participation, if needed.

What do you think about this question? I think it raises a few more.

We started talking about our first #PRStudChat Tweetup when we heard that Mikinzie Stuart (@mikinizie) was visiting the area.  She’s coming to New York/New Jersey as a part of a college assignment to shadow a professional (me).   In honor of her visit to the east coast and also because it’s time for our other graduating PR students to get out there and meet professionals, we thought that the Wine Library would be a perfect networking opportunity.  So whether you are a student interested in learning more about the PR environment directly from professionals, or you’re a PR pro interested in making more connections in the NY/NJ community, we have a fun, friendly #PRStudChat event organized for you.

I hope you will join me, Valerie Simon (@valeriesimon) and other colleagues in the PR community for a wine tasting and an evening of networking with your PR friends.  Please note that Gary won’t be able to be there on 3/10, but you are welcome to visit the Wine Library on Saturday 3/27 to meet him in person for a special book signing from 1-4 pm!

See you at the #PRStudChat Tweetup!

As soon as I saw that the snow was almost over my dog’s head, I sent a DM to @jessicalevin and asked her, “Do we have a backup plan just in case I can’t get into the City today?” Notice that I used social media as my preferred choice of communications.  I knew Jessica would be checking her DMs.  She informed me, there was the possibility of doing a Skype video. This way I would be at the event virtually, if I couldn’t make it in person. After all, isn’t that what social media is about? But, I have a confession…it was at that point that I started to stress out…yes, I’m human and I was stressed   No matter how much the snow came down, I still had my heart set on being in NYC.  I was determined to make it to Event Camp, even if that meant by dog and sled team.

What is it about a physical event that made me so determined when I could have used social media to be a part of this unconference?  That’s where we all have to keep our eye on the ball.  Social media is one of the best things to happen for the event industry and for marketers and PR pros. Yet, there is still so much benefit to getting together face-to-face with a group of like-minded people.

Of course, I made it to NYC with the help of my husband, who is a much better driver in the snow.  And, at the end of my presentation, I participated in a brief interview with the event’s virtual community.  The last question that was, “With all of the snow, what made you so determined to get to Event Camp.”  My immediate response was the pure passion in my heart! For me, it meant so much to me to be in the room presenting and feeling the energy of the audience, meeting the people and talking to one-on-one with people afterward to share ideas.

I think we all realize that social media is incredible, because it enables so many more people from all around the world to access an event and information that just wouldn’t have access to otherwise.  However, there’s a physical component that, in my opinion, cannot be replaced. As much as we can enhance our events with social media, hold virtual events or produce hybrid events, I hope we don’t forget that nothing beats being with people in person, watching their reactions, seeing their heads nod, eyes light up or even seeing what gets them nervous or concerned (I see that every once in a while when it comes to traditional communication vs. social media). In any case, social media will always enhance the success of our events and build a strong community even before the event occurs.  But, if you have a choice or the means to be in person to participate…take advantage of it!

I’m so happy that I made it to Event Camp. The energy and excitement was unbelievable (not to mention the knowledge sharing that was going on during the sessions and afterward in the bar).  The connections I made were incredible and there are people who I will be interacting with in the future.  I’m not sure if I would have made these exact connections or felt the same type of energy, if I wasn’t in person.

Social media gets us excited, molds our passions and energies around a topic of interest and it provides us with incredible and useful information.  It’s the people congregating and sharing who truly make a difference. My advice … if you can ever meet your virtual friends in person then that’s the best event scenario, in my opinion.  What do you think?  Do you believe that in person events enhanced by social media make a better event, or do you think that virtual events will eventually replace our in person connections? And, let me know if you would have traveled in a snowstorm or Skyped your presentation?

Here are a few things off the a very large event “To Do” but it gives you a sense of what needed to be list accomplished back in 2000:

• Develop event micro site
• Send out a “Save the Date” via email
• Develop e-vites / RSVP date
• Distribution of save the date and invitation to approved list
• Follow-up by telephone to secure attendance
• Develop launch promotion simultaneously with invitation
  • E-blasts
  • Newsletter e-mailing
  • Event postcard
  • Update promo page on site
• Media alert with event details
• News release prior to event and post event release to capture the key highlights of the launch/photo opportunities
• Develop media package
• Small gifts for event attendees
• Reminder e-mail one week prior
• Prepare Presentation/Signs/Visuals
• Photographer to take event photos
• Follow up survey for event participants

There were other “To Dos” on the list but this pretty much captured my agency’s thinking back in 2000.  This list would look significantly different for a 2010 event.  Today, you would see much more social media thinking in your event planning and community building to engage your event participants, long before the program takes place (not to mention afterward too).  What would today’s checklist look like?  Here are a few things I’d put on the list. Feel free to add more!

Social Engagement Event Checklist

• Set up a Ning site and invite people to create up profiles and participate.
• Use eventbrite.com for invitations and RSVPs

• Create videos about the event and share them on YouTube (also embed them into your blog, Facebook, etc.) and with conference speakers and bloggers who may be interested in attending.
• Use a Social Media Release (SMR) to let everyone know the details about the event and to give a glimpse into some of the topics, speakers, etc. and then share it in your social communities.
• Set up live streaming for the event (ustream.com).
• Develop an event badge or widget for download.
• Encourage participants to ask the speakers questions prior to the event to get the discussion going and to see what interests the audience for better participation the day of the program.
• Ask your speakers to blog about the event and to discuss their topics (to give participants and potential guests an idea of what the session will encompass).
• Ask speakers or special guests to share event updates within their social networks.
• Create Twitter hashtags around the event and get the discussion going before the day of the event.  Hashtags should be used during and after the program too.
• Designate a member of the event committee to tweet during the conference using the hashtag.
• Take pictures (twitpics) and tweet them out during the event for people to share.
• Set up an event group or fan page on Facebook to share information photos and video from the event.

This list looks very different than our list from 2000.  Ten years ago we weren’t thinking about the importance of community and participation, and how true engagement and building a community around events leads to success.  What types of strategy do you put in place to capture your audience and to keep them interested and coming back for more events?  I’ll be discussing this on February 6^th.  Hope to see you at Event Camp (or at least virtually there)!

The event took place at De Unie, a lovely café and restaurant with a personal and intimate ambiance. The night started with a meet and greet with the audience followed by my presentation, which was held in a theater located directly behind the lounge. It was such a wonderful experience to discuss the industry with my Dutch PR and communications colleagues.

My presentation covered the state of PR, focusing on the following topics:

• Moving from PR 1.0 to PR 2.0 and the major differences
• How to tell you business story in today’s changing media landscape
• Building relationships with new influencers is key, including A-list bloggers, Tastemakers, the Magic Middle and with consumers
• The PR 2.0 approach and the do’s and the don’ts of social media outreach
• The next wave of technology
• 10 tips for PR 2.0
• Helpful resources (my favorite books, resources/tools and blogs)

The evening concluded under the lights with Jody, Jos and myself sitting in three chairs on stage participating in a lively Q&A session.  At one point, the audience joined in on the Q&A discussion, going beyond the three of us, and the individual who asked the question (similar to what happens in our social networks). I thought the audience provided fantastic information; they were engaged and it really felt as if a new community started from this very special event (and perhaps the conversation will continue on the event hashtag, #AEW09).

@jodykoehler, @josgovaart and I came up with an idea to give away three books to the people who asked some of the best PR 2.0 questions.  So, congratulations to @javerver, @rnaat and @YvonneVB for your thoughtful questions.  Coopr will be sending each of you a signed copy of my book, Putting the Public Back in Public Relations.

Here are the questions and my answers:

1.  My company, MTV, is social networking.  What can the press department do to help?

This was a great question and very common in organizations. There are often times when the social media effort of the entire company takes place with certain groups participating and perhaps other groups not as active.  Social media affects many different areas from sales and customer service to PR and marketing. And, different groups should be participating for different reasons.

In the case of the PR department, it’s so important to be listening and connecting through social media for a number of reasons.  PR people can be actively monitoring the social media landscape and engaging in conversations that are relevant to MTV, for brand awareness and reputation management, as well as editorial opportunities and new influencer coverage.  For instance, there are plenty of journalists, as well as bloggers, in the long tail of the web looking for stories and the PR department needs to follow and interact with these influencers.  It’s really important to listen, identify and observe the conversations, whether they are on Twitter or another platform, and then have the PR team engage by offering helpful information about the brand/programming and building relationships with the people who will then, in turn, discuss the MTV brand within their communities.

2.  I do public relations for a police department and was wondering who from the department should be blogging?

I thought this was an excellent question.  I mentioned a personal example of my brother, who is the Chief of Police in the small town in New Jersey, where I grew up.  I discussed how it would make sense for a Chief of Police to be building community online through social media outreach because it mirrors his responsibilities offline.  My brother is very active with various organizations, constantly attending affairs and working with groups in the community.

I was also very pleased that there was significant audience participation on this question.  @AmazingPR was able to help with the answer. He stated that it’s important to think out the “why part” first.  What is the purpose of the social media communications (the objectives) and then it’s easier to determine who should participate.  I agree and think that’s great advice.

3. How do PR Agencies add value through Social Media because Social Media can be best done from within an organization?

This is definitely a key question asked worldwide. The PR agency adds value as we help our clients with the strategy and planning behind the social media programs, which includes the monitoring/listening, channel or distribution strategy, strategic communications/content, as well as determining the type of engagement and measurement of the desired behavior.  Agencies can also help their clients with blogger relations, brand reputation management in web communities and at times, damage control.  We should also continuously counsel brands on appropriate communications strategies and be proactive, not waiting for issues/concerns to arise in the social sphere that will affect the brand.

In public relations, we have always worked to build relationships with groups and we will continue to counsel our clients on the best ways to foster and maintain better relationships and community building in the social sphere.  Because of social media, we’re more involved and integrated into customer service, web and viral marketing, and we are viewed as social media listeners and conversationalists.  Social media, although can be done internally by the client, is a team effort and the PR agency can be a strong part of the team.

Traveling to Holland was a fantastic experience and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting so many interesting professionals.  Practicing PR is both exciting and challenging all over the world and it’s very interesting to learn and discuss the various global challenges with other professionals.

Thank you, Coopr, Bijl PR and the many Dutch PR professionals who participated and contributed to the success of the Coopr PR 2.0 launch event.