Take social media from complexity to clarity through these interactive workshops guaranteed to jumpstart your conference experience. These workshops are a great opportunity to advance your learning and network with fellow attendees while taking a hands-on, common sense and practical approach to mastering social media that will enhance your understanding of the informative, case study presentations throughout the entire conference.

Choose A or B or BOTH for maximum value and learning

9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
MORNING PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP A

Social Media 101: What You Need To Know To Tell Effective And Compelling Stories Online

Social media has transformed the way companies and their brands tell stories. It’s no longer a one-way monologue, where marketers provide consumers with a message. Today, it’s a two-way dialogue where consumers are not only part of the conversation and consuming messages, but creating them as well.

• Blogs and why they are so important in today's market
• Consumer-generated media destinations (YouTube, Revver, Flickr, etc.)
• Popular tools like widgets and social bookmarking (Digg / del.icio.us)

You'll leave this workshop with an understanding of what social media is and how you can use it to tell effective stories for yourself, your organization, and your brand.

WORKSHOP LEADER: Adam Keats, Senior Vice President, Weber Shandwick. Adam has been with Weber Shandwick since 2006 and leads its interactive, emerging and social media practice in Chicago. He has more than 12 years of experience in the space, including extensive experience providing senior-level strategic counsel and overseeing the creation and implementation of digital/social media projects for some of the world's best-known brands, including the "got milk?/Milk Mustached" Campaign, DiGiorno, Microsoft, Barilla, Kraft and Unliever/Axe.

12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Afternoon break/lunch on your own.

1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
AFTERNOON PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP B

The stats are impressive: Web 2.0 spaces (social networks, blogs and forums) are growing at lightning speed and they are fast becoming the incubators for consumer opinions and perceptions. Countless companies are scrambling to find their own strategy for engaging these spaces. Where do you begin? Start by determining the Web 2.0 spaces that have relevance for your organization and brand – and then use their respective online influence and visibility to define your communications and messaging strategy and prioritize outreach efforts to build your brand and enhance your organization's reputation.

• Conduct the critical reconnaissance work
• Bypass Web 2.0 space that won't deliver measurable results – and shape those that will
• Benchmark and measure your organization and brand's Web 2.0 footprint

Take-home bonus: Get an exclusive peek at v-Fluence research that reveals why Web 2.0 spaces – such as discussion groups and blogs – may be a wiser, and more powerful place for you to focus your online PR and marketing initiatives.

WORKSHOP LEADER: Jay Byrne is President of v-Fluence Interactive, an online PR and marketing agency that provides online analytics, strategy and execution support to help brands and organizations more effectively manage their online opportunities and risks and measure the results.