Social conferences – putting the social in networking
Posted: Friday 09 December, 2011
Erica Whiteman
Around the globe, social media, internet and technology events are becoming more and more popular, featuring the latest innovations, announcements and thought provoking discussions. Thanks to social networking apps, digital news channels and blogs, even if you can’t be at the event you can still follow the announcements and conversations.
This week in Paris sees the #1 European tech event LeWeb, which brings together the crème de la crème from the technology world - from influencers to entrepreneurs. This year’s theme is Social Local Mobile, highlighting the state of technology within the internet through use of apps, such as Shopcade.com - a new social shopping application on Facebook, Flipboard and Google’s own Currrents, both social magazine applications. Speakers from major brands, the technology sector and even fashion discuss how the social web is impacting our everyday lives. Using the hashtag #LeWeb11, Twitter users can follow the highlights and discussions from LeWeb, as well as through digital channels such as The Next Web, Mashable and TechCrunch.
Into 2012, Social Media Week will kick off in mid February around the world in 13 major cities such as London, New York, Paris, Rome, San Francisco and Singapore. Discussion panels, events and parties will all focus on ‘empowering change through collaboration’. Social media certainly has given this idea wheels with the likes of Facebook, Google+ and Twitter, allowing people from all over the world to communicate instantly. If Social Media Week isn’t coming to your city, you’ll be able to keep up to date by following #SMW12 on Twitter.
An event I have always wanted to attend is SXSW Interactive. I’ve been to the Music conference part a few years ago, which I thought was one of the best networking events I’d ever attended. Now that I am in the digital sector, I can only imagine that SXSWi, would be just as amazing. Like LeWeb and Social Media Week, SXSWi features emerging technology, networking events and parties, bringing to life the latest startup ideas, websites and even games. I’ll definitely be keeping tabs on what’s happening in Austin, TX between 9th – 13th March via Twitter, Facebook and any other digital channel talking about SXSW.
While the above events are about revealing the latest technology, CybHer will be focusing on how it is used. The first ever UK-based female-focused blogging conference kicks off in London on 12th May 2012 with speakers from different sectors including beauty, fashion, photography, technology, food, and parenting. Some of the topics will feature the latest in mobile photography, blogging platforms, e-books and how to make the most of them. With the strap line ‘Geek Is The New Chic’, CybHer will definitely be all about emerging technology and how bloggers can use it to their advantage. Follow the hashtag #cybher leading up to and during the event to see what these influential, socially savvy ‘geek girls’ have to say.
Will you be attending any technology-based conferences over the next year?
