I consider myself pretty lucky to be self employed. Even luckier to have the opportunity to attend conferences as I see fit. Having attended 4 BarCamp events in the last 2 years, RETechSouth in Atlanta earlier this year, and others, I feel pretty comfortable talking about what makes a good Social Media / Tech conference. I’ve attended many other traditional conferences as well, but often find them outdated, and irrelevant in these fast changing times. .
The number 1 benefit (of the more current) Social Media Conferences is the learning (duh)! But the learning in these new media conferences is different. It’s interactive, it’s real-time, and it continues even after the presenter finishes. The conversation that ensues on Twitter (even while the speaker is still on stage) is amazing. Everyone has a voice, and can input their opinion real time for all to see via the conference hashtag. I’ve even spoken to presenters that have altered their presentation mid way based on the Twitter stream and opinions expressed by the participants. Democracy rules! As a speaker, you can’t afford to suck because opinions will be expressed real time! This ups the ante at these conferences. It forces the speakers to dig deep and teach content that is fresh, new, exciting, and often, even mind blowing!.
The number 2 benefit is the connections you make at these conferences. I have found that many attendees at these conferences are just like me, small business owners. They are there to learn, network, and grow their business. I’ve met so many people with many different technical backgrounds that I feel very comfortable calling on them when I need their services. Additionally, I refer business to them, and they reciprocate. .
The benefits go on and on and I could write a short book on them but I also wanted to address the one downside I’ve found at these conferences. Most speakers get it, I would say that over 75% of the people who are selected to speak at these conferences have a proven track record of delivering the goods and being great educators. Unfortunately, a few slip through the cracks and waste the time of the participants with what seems like a one hour infomercial about their products or services. Luckily, via Twitter and other social media platforms, word gets around quick, and these folks are finding less and less invitations to speak, allowing the conferences to continue to get better. .
I’m looking forward to attending the SoFresh Social Media Conference on August 16th in Charlotte. They’ve got a great lineup of speakers and I know I’m going to continue my social media education and meet some great new people. I hope to take what I know of social media to the next level. I want to learn what lurks around the corner, and what I need to know now to be ready for it!.
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