Tickets are on sale!
Posted by Lara in 
Social Capital is just over two months away and we’re thrilled to finally have tickets on sale!
First, the details:
Early bird tickets are $99 (after June 1 tickets will be $149)
Student tickets (limited # available!) are $50
Location: Algonquin College
The speakers are announced and the sessions will be posted in the coming weeks. Topics will include video, social media strategy, engagement, and analytics. Roundtables will be back with even more great topics and an opportunity to ask questions.
Can’t wait to see you there! (Go buy a ticket now and then grab a badge for your site!)
Speakers Announced for the 2012 Social Capital Conference!
We couldn’t be more pleased to finally announce our speaker lineup for the 2012 Social Capital Conference.
Our fantastic lineup of speakers features some of the social media industry’s most engaging experts who will share best practices, personal journeys and strategic wisdom with an audience of social media pupils, both intermediate and advanced.
Sessions will be divided into four tracks targeting Personal, Small Business, Professional and Government/Non-Profit, providing distinct streams tailored to the unique needs and interests of attendees.
This conference is about giving attendees the freedom to zero in on a track that is expressly focused on their field, but we also want to give people the opportunity to attend sessions in other areas of interest.
Lara Wellman, the creator of the Social Capital Conference sums it up nicely:
“This conference is about learning how to build community around shared interests, expand business networks, and create new opportunities in a digital landscape that is changing by the minute.”
Why You Should Attend
Under the Personal, Small Business, Professional and Government/Non-Profit tracks, attendees will:
- See how successful social media campaigns are executed and how they can achieve similar results
- Learn how to creatively engage and grow a loyal social media following
- Interact live with social media experts who work in business-to-consumer and business-to-business industries, government/non-profit-to-constituents and more
- Learn how to integrate social media activities with other marketing efforts, while respecting organizational policies and guidelines, legal considerations, etc.
- Elevate their writing and SEO skills to generate exposure, increase traffic, improve search rankings, cultivate a following and more
- Network face-to-face with thought leaders, social media experts, and like-minded peers in a intimate and informal environment
Who’s Keynoting
This year’s Social Capital Conference includes an opening keynote by Martin Waxman (@martinwaxman | martinwaxman.com), Senior Counselor at Thornley Fallis Communications, a frequent speaker on social media trends and tools and a social media instructor at McMaster University.
In his keynote Waxman will discuss the current social media landscape and how its evolving nature is dramatically shifting the way in which people and organizations build trusted relationships.
In her closing keynote, Heather Greenwood Davis (@greenwooddavis), award-winning writer and blogger (GlobetrottingMama.com) will share how social media enriched her family’s world travels in unexpected ways and plays a pivotal role in her work and home life.
Heather will discuss how social media generates new and interesting career opportunities, and creates valuable long-term business and personal connections.
In her own words, here’s a sneak peak at what Heather will be sharing:
“We approached this around the world trip and the way we used social media to share our experiences in a genuine and honest manner and in response we received generous and honest advice. The companies who’ve signed on with us knew from the beginning that what we’d be sharing was our experience – not a commercial for their product and those relationships have grown as a result. I’m excited to have a chance to share what we’ve learned with Social Capital Conference attendees.”
Early-Bird Registration Opening Soon
In case you haven’t heard, the conference will be held in Ottawa on Saturday, July 21st at the Woodroffe Campus of Algonquin College, and early-bird registration will be announced next week. Make a note to check back for registration news. Then tell a friend to do the same!
Wondering How Social Capital Conference Got Started?
The Social Capital Conference is a social media learnathon, bringing together some of the social media industry’s most engaging experts with an audience of social media pupils, both intermediate and advanced.
The conference is organized to offer attendees a welcoming, engaging way to learn and quickly implement effective social media techniques, expand business networks, create new opportunities, increase customer base, and build community around shared interests. More information: http://socialcapitalconference.ca | Follow @socapott on Twitter | Like Social Capital Conference on Facebook.
The first conference held in 2011 was a sold-out success and the organizers are betting 2012 will be one too.
Video Highlight of Last Year’s Conference
Here’s a video highlighting the 2011 conference. Did you attend?
Speakers
Social Capital 2012 is bringing together some of the industry’s most engaging adventurers with an audience of social media pupils.
Sponsors
Thank you to all of our Social Capital Conference Sponsors!
As with many other events, Social Capital Conference was partially brought to our attendees thanks to the support of our wonderful sponsors. Their contributions help us maintain excellent ticket prices and provide the day of social media learning that Ottawa has been waiting for.
Thank you to our fabulous sponsors for your generous support:
Silver Sponsors:
Taste Catering
Rogers
Chevrolet
University of Ottawa
Sara McConnell Photography
Bronze Sponsors:
Friends:
Social Capital Conference Venue
Social Capital is a one-day conference and will be taking place on Saturday July 23, 2011 in Lamoureux Hall at the University of Ottawa.
Lamoureux Hall is located at 145 Jean-Jacques-Lussier Pvt on the University of Ottawa Campus. Parking is available on campus and ranges from $8 to $14 a day. Lamoureux Hall is also a five minute walk from the OC Transpo Campus Stop.
Social Capital Conference Agenda
| 8:00 – 9:00 am | Registration and Networking |
| 9:00 – 9:40 am | Welcome chat and introduction of emcee, Joe Boughner (@joeboughner). Opening keynote address by Glen Gower (@glengower). Coffee break. |
| Session 1 9:40-10:40am |
Fundamental The Words Behind the Story: The art of writing a blog with Brie McManus (@capitalmom) and Christine LaRocque (@CoffeesCommutes). Your words are a powerful tool to help you share your story or message on your blog. Join us as we discuss how to start blogging and find your voice. We’ll talk about the importance of practice and how to balance writing for yourself and your audience, and share resources and ideas to develop your craft. Advanced If social media can be used to increase profits, why not use it to make the world a better place? Non-profit organizations and activists have found social media invaluable for engaging audiences in mission-oriented actions. But social media proponents must often deal with barriers that range from risk aversion to lack of resources. What motivates proponents of social change? How do they make an impact through social media? What are examples of success stories and strategies for overcoming barriers? Join this panel as they give an overview of how social media can help change our world for the better. Business |
| Session 2 10:55-11:55am |
Fundamental Finding the Right Social Tools for You with Susan Murphy (@suzemuse) and Mel Gallant (@melgallant). Social media is about leveraging technology to make new connections and sustain existing relationships. It is changing how how we interact with businesses and each other, creating opportunities to connect in a global context and share information across multiple digital touchpoints. In this session, Susan Murphy and Mel Gallant will present case studies and share techniques on how to effectively use social media to creatively engage others and build a loyal following – all by taking a listen-first approach. You’ll gain insight into how to elevate your use of familiar social media sites like blogs, Facebook and Twitter, and assess opportunities to expand your activities across other sites like Flickr, YouTube and more so you can find your audience online and engage with them effectively. Advanced Business |
| 12:00 – 1:15pm | “Birds of a Feather” luncheon – do some networking at this lunch n’ learn with speakers and fellow attendees who share your interests |
| Session 3 1:15 – 2:15pm |
Fundamental Earning dividends on your blogging investment with Shannon McKarney (@zchamu), Andrea Tomkins (@missfish) and Rebecca Stanisic (@bitofmomsense). Join Ottawa bloggers Shannon McKarney from Zchamu.com, Rebecca Stanisic from A Little Bit of Momsense, and Andrea Tomkins from a peek inside the fishbowl for an inside look at how they’ve managed to make their blogs work for them. Learn from their experiences, borrow their best practices, gain insight on how you can apply their knowledge to your own situation. This session will leave you with some great resources to help you profit from your blog. Topics for discussion include:
Advanced Business |
| 2:30 – 4:00pm | Choice of three 30-minute moderated roundtables on a variety of social media topics. (Topics will be posted here.) |
| 4:00 – 4:30pm | Closing keynote by Kathy Buckworth (@kathybuckworth). NetWork Vs. NetPlay Networking has never been easier thanks to social media. But what are the rules around networking on-line? Some basic Do’s and Don’ts and how to keep the Work in Net Work. Closing remarks. |
Please note:
- Room numbers will be announced soon.
- Choose one of three streams within each session timeframe. Remember, we encourage “the law of two feet.” If your stream isn’t what you expected it to be, feel free to move to a different one. Out of respect for the presenters and audience, please make sure this transition is as quiet as possible. Thank you!
- Interested in reading more about the speakers? Go here. Check out the sponsors who are making Social Capital possible here!
Sponsor Spotlight: Sara McConnell Photography
One of our sponsors, Sara McConnell Photography, will be at Social Capital on Saturday to take pictures of the event, attendees, sessions and more. She will also be taking headshots and a few fun and clever pictures as well (more to be revealed on Saturday!)
Watermarked, low resolution images will be available via Facebook for use. For attendees who would like higher resolution copies of any of the images for personal/business use there is a small $25 fee that will apply.
Thank you, Sara McConnell Photography, for capturing the Social Capital Conference and sharing these pictures with our attendees.
The Social Capital FAQ
Are you really sold out?
YES. And we are thrilled. Thank you!
Who’s going to the Social Capital Conference?
If you look at the bottom of the Eventbrite page you’ll see an attendee list. Take a moment to click on the links to find out more about each individual. It’s like having your own pre-conference Coles notes!
Will there be Wifi?
There will definitely be WiFi in the different session rooms.
Can I tweet during the sessions? Can I blog about it afterwards?
Please do! There will be many people be tuning in to see what’s going on. Please use #socapott so we can all follow the conversation. If you plan to live blog and post it on your website, let us know and we’ll post a link to your site when we do our final roundup post.
What should I wear to Social Capital?
You can’t go wrong with “business casual” attire. The organizers will be wearing various shades of orange so they’ll be easy to find. No jokes about pumpkins or pylons please. :)
What time does it start?
The conference officially begins at 8:00 a.m. Please arrive around that time so we can get everyone checked in at the registration desk. Officially scheduled events begin at 9:00 when Joe Boughner steps up to the mike, and you don’t want to be late for that.
What’s the deal with parking?
Social Capital is taking place in Lamoureux Hall at the University of Ottawa. It’s located at 145 Jean-Jacques-Lussier Pvt on the University of Ottawa Campus. Parking is available on campus and ranges from $8 to $14 a day. Lamoureux Hall is also a five minute walk from the OC Transpo Campus Stop. We are encouraging attendees to ride share too.
I was just looking at the different sessions available. How is that going to work? And what do you mean by “law of two feet”?
You don’t need to sign up for any sessions or roundtables. Just show up! The law of two feet is a term we’ve borrowed from PodCamp Toronto. It basically means that if the session you’ve chosen isn’t meeting your needs you are free to pick a different one. However, as a courtesy to the speakers and to the other attendees, please make sure your exit is swift and silent. Thank you!
What do I need to bring?
Note-taking devices are recommended, whether it’s a laptop, tablet, smart phone or good ol’ fashioned pen and paper. (No batteries required!) Some people are bringing business cards too, but this is totally up to you and what you want to get out of your experience at Social Capital.
Speaking of batteries, will I be able to charge up my phone and laptop somewhere?
There’s no need to fear that you’ll run out of juice. Our friends at Rogers will have a special recharge booth just for this purpose. Phew.
Speaking of charging up, where do WE charge up?
You mean food? There will be lots of food by Taste Catering & Events. Your ticket includes lunch and snacks. We’ve had a sneak peek at the menu and we’re pretty sure you’re going to love it, because WE love it. There will be something for everyone, including vegetarians, vegans, and peeps with gluten issues. But eat your Wheaties at home! There’ll only be coffee in the a.m.
What’s this I hear about photos?
Sara McConnell will be our roving photographer. Keep an eye out for her because she’ll be snapping headshots and fun social media shots. (Wait and see!) Watermarked, low-res images will be made available to all attendees and high res copies will be available for a small fee.
What other Social Capital events are being planned this weekend?
We’re so glad you asked. There’s a tweetup at Spin Kitchen and Bar (located in the Ottawa Marriott) on Friday night (there are more details on the Eventbrite page) as well as a follow-up dinner on Saturday night after the conference. You can read more about that here. Both events are a great opportunity to meet new people. We encourage everyone to come. It’s going to be a hoot.
You mentioned a couple of sponsors here, who are the others?
You can check out our generous sponsors here. We couldn’t do this without them. Thank you sponsors!
If you have any questions, please let us know!
