FG SQUARED – Austin Interactive Initiative

Posts Tagged ‘Austin Interactive Initiative’

Cynthia Baker: Public Relations 2.0

Posted by Mike Chapman on April 3rd, 2009

If you are attempting to understand the convergence of social media and traditional marketing and communications, you need to know Cynthia Baker, founder of Accolades Public Relations. Cynthia, an early adopter of social media here in Austin, Texas, seamlessly navigates the worlds of tight deadlines, precise and well written copy, and accurately sourced information that are standard in the traditional public relations field, with the anything-goes, crowd-sourced, and seemingly impulsive nature of communications on the social web.

Cynthia is an original co-founder of the Social Media Club and its Austin chapter and she provides invaluable leadership for the Austin PR and social media communities. In her role at Accolades, she is extremely effective in bringing public relations to the social web and incorporating social media channels which utilize conversational and relationship-based communications models into her clients’ business practices. Hers’ is one of those “rubber meets the road” PR firms who actually join the conversation. If you’re wondering what I mean by that, you really need to meet her.

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Cynthia Baker in various capacities during past several years. In that time I’ve observed that she is particularly effective in bringing the two sometimes divergent worlds of the corporate C-suite and the rough and tumble world of social media together in an understandable and manner that produces results for all sides involved.

Cynthia Baker will be leading a session during Interactive Austin 2009 on exactly what she knows best – public relations in the 2.0 environment. Her very powerful panel includes Bob Pearson, Vice President for Communications and Communities at Dell; Christi Day, Online Spokesperson and Emerging Media Specialist for Southwest Airlines; and, Paul Walker, President of Cohn & Wolfe Digital. Any member of this panel could easily lead a session or day of sessions. Combined, the panel is a wealth of information on the social web and public relations.

Interactive Austin 2009 is scheduled for April 27th, at the Norris Center. Cynthia Baker and her panel will complete the leadership track during the afternoon sessions and will be held at 4 pm.

Be sure to follow @IA09 on Twitter for regular updates on Interactive Austin 2009 and look for #IA09 to follow the conversation.

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Tags: #IA09, accolades public relations, Aii, Austin Interactive Initiative, cohn and wolfe, dell, Interactive Austin 2009, social media club, southwest airlines
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Ynema Mangum: At Home in the Cloud

Posted by Mike Chapman on March 24th, 2009

Ynema Mangum, cloud computing manager at Sun Microsystems, is very much in the middle of the major story line that surrounds cloud computing. On the same day that Sun was announcing its new and appropriately named Sun Cloud computing initiatives, IBM was also announcing its intent to purchase Sun. Those of us interested in this very exciting field within the tech community were also following Ynema’s involvement from the middle of the cloud.

So it made those of us who are working with Ynema on the upcoming Interactive Austin 2009 conference on “How Social Media Can Enhance Enterprise Profitability” are very excited about her panel on The Human Cloud.

ynema1

The conference is scheduled for April 27th at the Norris Conference Center in Austin, Texas and Ynema Mangum’s panel on the Human Cloud is scheduled for 2 pm in the afternoon as part of the leadership track.

As Ynema so effectively described the current situation, “cloud computing is no longer hype. In fact, the cloud tail is wagging the hardware dog. PCs have become smaller, as more and more, people can buy PCs like Netbooks that outsource a large portion of the difficult work of computing to the cloud. The driving force behind cloud growth and future trends? Humans.”

“We are the machine,” says Ynema.

If you’re wondering what “the cloud” is exactly, according to Wikipedia, the term cloud is used as a metaphor for the internet itself, based on how the internet is depicted in computer network diagrams, and is an abstraction for the complex infrastructure it conceals.

Few people understand the real life implications the “cloud” has for the enterprise more than Ynema Mangum. I would encourage you to attend this very important presentation. If you, your enterprise, or your organization of any size want to learn first hand about the cloud, you definitely need to plan to attend Interactive Austin 2009.

Note – Look for Sun to be included in the above Wikipedia supplied diagram very soon.

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Tags: Aii, Austin Interactive Initiative, Cloud Computing, The Human Cloud
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Jon Lebkowsky: Godfather of Social Media

Posted by Mike Chapman on March 16th, 2009

As another year of SXSW Interactive is nearing completion, I am very impressed by the large numbers of enthusiasts for social media gathered here in Austin, Texas. Among those in attendance again this is year is a hero on the social media scene, a gentle man I have come to refer to as the “Godfather of Social Media.” Because of his tremendous influence on the collection of mediums online that provide for the creation of community, the development of lasting human relationships, and very real opportunities for all of us to enhance our personal and business lives; Jon Lebkowsky is the person many of us consider the true leader of our thriving social media scene in Austin.

Lebkowsky has been involved with online organization and communications for decades. Despite his own incredible web of contacts around the world and throughout the professional and academic circles that provide thought and action leadership on the internet, Jon is quiet about his position in the larger community. Yet his influence is unmistakable.

If you glance through the bibliography of the book Wikinomics, you’ll see that Lebkowsky played a key role in critical volunteer online communications during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. If you read the entry on Jon on Wikipedia, you’ll see that he has been and still is involved in almost every major movement and innovation involving the internet and web 2.0 and is already exploring new iterations of the social web.

Jon is the co-founder of Social Web Strategies with David Armistead, a business expert with his own brilliant resume and credentials, and along with Dave Evans and others, they are charting a new direction for consultation for organizations interested in successfully meeting organizational objectives through incorporation of the social web.

Jon Lebkowsky will be presenting on several panels at the upcoming Austin Interactive 2009 conference to be held in Austin, Texas, at the Norris Center on April 27th. He and David Armistead will lead panels on Emergent Leadership at 11:00 am. Later that same day, at 4:00 pm, Lebkowsky and Armistead will lead another panel on Sustainability, an area they’re expert in as well. Additionally, they’ll be involved in other panels throughout the day.

If you want to meet Jon sooner than April 27th, he and his colleagues are putting on what is considered the best party held during SXSW Interactive – Plutopia! Jon may be more than a little spread thin, but you can be sure that he’ll still be among the friendliest, most charming, smartest, and best known people at the gathering. His real life persona matches up perfectly with the Jon you would meet as @JonL on Twitter and everywhere else you can find him online…which is everywhere.

FG SQUARED will have a booth at Plutopia and we invite everyone to stop by and say hello as we watch Jon Lebkowsky spread his social media goodwill among the crowd.

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Tags: Aii, Austin Interactive Initiative, Bootstrap Web, Godfather, One Web Day, Social Business Strategy, The Well, The Whole Earth Catalog, Weblogsky, World Changing
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Christopher Justice: Next Generation Marketer

Posted by Mike Chapman on March 14th, 2009

Among the many extremely talented social media practitioners slated to present at Austin Interactive 2009 is one I admire greatly – Christopher Justice.

Chris is the CEO and leader of Sparksight, one of the most innovative and important companies operating out of Austin and affecting social media on a global scale. Sparksight is a full-service, interactive marketing and event management company and it’s leading the way in establishing the city as a hub for social media professionals who know how to achieve greater profitability for enterprise level businesses.

Chris is not only brilliant, he’s tireless. I mean that literally. He doesn’t sleep. I’ve asked him. He is so passionate about what he does that it’s almost impossible for him to not be doing it. So while we mere mortals are resting, Chris Justice is charging forward and making things happen for the benefit of his clients.

Chris is easily accessible online at his twitter address @megajustice and most other places where we gather online. If you want the full impact of what he’s doing in the are of video innovations, the next frontier in the rapidly changing field of social media, you will need to hear him in person and attend his session.

Registration for Interactive Austin 2009 is underway. To register please go to http://www.interactiveaustin2009.com.

The title for this session is “Online Video Marketing: Strategies for the Next Generation Marketer,” and following is an abstract. This session will be conducted at 4 pm, April 27th, at the Norris Center in Austin, Texas.

The evolution of technology has allowed business professionals the ability to reach a broad audience with a minimal financial investment. However, successfully communicating your message with video requires more than a simple sales pitch, you’ll need an entertaining and educational experience that can be spread without traditional marketing boundaries. Whether you are creating overview videos about your company or creating your first video blog, you’ll learn the “in’s and out’s” of video marketing and how to capitalize on video, social media and viral marketing strategies for new media.

According to Chris, attendees will learn how to:
·     Identify messages and methods that are memorable to viewers
·     Develop a cost-effective budget for a high quality, professional production
·     Develop a video production timeline and success checklist
·     Create memorable videos that capture and retain attention
·     Avoid costly mistakes in producing online video
·     Assess the viewership and value of your video investment

For up to the moment updates, go to @IA09 on twitter and look for the #IA09 hashtag on TwitterSearch.

~ Mike Chapman

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Tags: #IA09, Aii, Austin Interactive Initiative, Christopher Justice, social media, Sparksight, Video
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Making Austin The Hub for Social Media

Posted by Steve Golab on March 14th, 2009

If you are reading this today, Saturday Mar 14, please go to @barcampaustin being held at the Paradox from 9am – 9pm. I can assure you that Whurley and Giovanni have genius up their sleeve for you. You do not need a SXSW badge to get in.

Experience City kicked off!

I’m excited to share the results of the Experience City conversation that occured at Social Media Club Austin on Thursday evening at Vignette’s headquarters.

Chris Heuer kicked off the meeting. Wow, what a guy. He is the original founder of Social Media Club, and let me assure you he has a great personal brand with my friends. After an evening getting to know him better, I can see why his brand is so good. Thank you very much for joining us, Chris.

Our emcee Mike Chapman then handed off to H&R Block. We all received 15 minutes of tax preparation tips geared for social media types. Forrester Research was in the house. Special thanks to Vignette, Small World Labs, and FG SQUARED who are the present sponsors of Social Media Club Austin.

We kicked off to a crowded room.

Heather McKissick, President and CEO of Leadership Austin, opened the conversation by engaging with the audience to generate ideas and build a case for Austin as a nation leading experience economy. Afterall, building unique experiences is something that taps into our collective creative talents in Austin.

Just think of businesses like Alamo Drafthouse, Run Tex, Amy’s Ice Cream, Whole Foods. These are businesses that just flat out ‘get it’ when it comes to leaving lasting impressions.

As I understand it, Heather’s vision for Austin is as a City of Scenes. She has been building the vision with Bijoy Goswami – another sharp tack who leads Austin’s Entrepreneurial scene. I also understand that many others in Austin’s business community including Jon Lebkowsky have been aligning with these ideas for some time now.

It’s all about activating Austin Interactive scene via emergent leadership!

As good fortune would have it, Bijoy and Heather are applying their thinking to help us activate Austin’s Interactive scene. We are trying to help Austin show up as vibrant social media star in the universe of international businesses. This is a BIG goal, so we all need to cooperate if we want to have a shot at success.

Join us at Interactive Austin 2009!

Check out our flatstock poster art. Please share it with your friends and help us spread the word around Texas like a wild fire.

Interactive Austin 2009 (#IA09) is our platform for activating Austin’s Interactive scene. The event will be well worth the price – currently set at $155 early bird special with reasonable discounts offered to supporting organizations.

Many of us who are preparing for Interactive Austin believe that Central Texas economic development can be enriched through grassroots organization. We believe this effort will be a strategic advantage for all Texans – something that we can all be proud of.

If you are someone who would like to join Interactive Austin as a sponsor or exhibitor, please contact Jason Meyers at Austin Business District Magazine. You can contact me as well. There are still exhibition booth spaces available for those of you who want to get some better visibility with everyone who shows up.

Rock on with the Gods of Interactive Austin and all of our supporters!

Sincerely,
Steve Golab

The case for the Interactive Austin 2009 live streaming channel

Pirates like Chris Brogan have arrived in Austin for Pubcon and SXSW. It is so cool to see all of the goodwill that Austin experiences as a result.

According to my sources, he will be in Holland on April 27, and thus not able to join us in person at Interactive Austin 2009. The only shot we have to bring him in is through live streaming. The producers of our event cannot afford live streaming unless we sell out the show. And even then, I am not sure exactly how we are going to do it, but let me assure we have what it takes. Also bear in mind that I haven’t spoken to Chris about this yet, but I am sure he will appreciate the opportunity.

Please join our cause.

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Tags: #IA09, @barcampaustin, @bijoy, @chrisbrogan, @heathermck, @jonl, @mike_chapman, Aii, Austin Interactive Initiative, experience city, interactive austin
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Interactive Austin is a Platform for Sustainable Economic Development

Posted by Steve Golab on February 26th, 2009

Normally, with the SXSW festival right around the corner, I would be gearing up right now to maximize my conference experience, and connect with the massive party that’ll be literally going on immediately outside of our front door.

However, with just over two weeks before SXSWi kicks off, I am still questioning whether I really have time to immerse myself in the interactive experience. The economic climate right now has me thinking it’s more important to keep a focus on the bottom line at FG SQUARED.

But the show must go on! My team is doing our part by hosting an FG SQUARED SXSW party at Lucky Lounge on Sunday evening, March 15, and we have also pitched in sponsorship dollars for the Plutopia party hosted by EFF Austin and Social Web Strategies on Monday evening at Palmer Events Center, March 16. If you are in town, please come by and enjoy our fine spirits. I’ll be there enlisting guests to join us in this year’s Interactive Austin 2009 conference (#IA09 on Twitter) on Monday April 27 – just two months from now!

Interactive Austin 2009 is my passion right now. While the purpose of the conference is multifold, primarily the event becomes my annual effort to organize our community of interactive professionals to affect healthy economic development in Texas and for the FG SQUARED community of clients and partners. Please join me there!

I would especially enjoy seeing you at my Experience City panel session that makes up part of the afternoon leadership track. I am excited to be working together with a few of the emerging young leaders here locally, namely Bijoy Goswami (Bootstrap Austin) and Heather McKissick (Leadership Austin).

Here is an overview of my panel session with Bijoy and Heather:

Experience City – making Austin the hub for social media

In the Lone Star State’s unpretentious capital city, you’re likely to find more guitarists than gunslingers, but you will find the ten-gallon hats if you look hard enough.

It’s easy to see we are a city of many and varied scenes: vibrant communities around music, film, technology, academia, art, environmentalism, and countless others. Part of what makes Austin special is how open and accessible these scenes are. With minimal history or prior social capital, anyone can engage, all are welcome, and creating a new scene is as simple as properly directing one’s enthusiasm.

In this session, we’ll explore how the components of community, entrepreneurism, experience, and leadership combine to create scenes and experiences — including an exploration of Austin’s Interactive Scene. What are its unique attributes, and who is leading the charge around making the Interactive Scene in Austin as vibrant as the others?

A graphic recorder will be present to Mind Map the freeform open discussion. Mind Mapping contributes to a more transparent discussion structure and stimulates interaction between (and among) panel and audience participants.

Although this only the second year for the conference, we are planning for a sell out, so get your tickets now. Once you buy a ticket you will be eligible to participate in a variety on IA09 social media contests going on prior to the show. Full details will be released on Twitter in the coming few weeks.

BUY A TICKET TODAY!

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Tags: #IA09, 2009, Aii, Austin Interactive Initiative, Bootstrap Austin, EFF Austin, Leadership Austin, Plutopia, Social Web Strategies, sxsw
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Posts Tagged ‘Austin Interactive Initiative’

Posted by Mike Chapman on April 3rd, 2009

Posted by Steve Golab on March 26th, 2009

Posted by Mike Chapman on March 24th, 2009

Posted by Mike Chapman on March 16th, 2009

Posted by Mike Chapman on March 14th, 2009

Posted by Steve Golab on March 14th, 2009

Posted by Steve Golab on February 26th, 2009

Here is an overview of my panel session with Bijoy and Heather: