Will the world’s best Social Media and P2P case studies of 2009 please stand up? The time to claim your place in the pantheon of business case studies has come.
I hate to call them Social Media case studies, because – well, they’re more than just Social Media. They’re word-of-mouth (WOM) case studies too. They’re Marketing case studies. They’re community case studies. (Dare I call them business case studies?) Qualifying anything as being solely “Social Media” seems so limiting, doesn’t it? At the core though, they’re all P2P case studies, really.
(No, not P2P as in Peer-to-peer. Rather, P2P as in People-to-People.)
The idea behind P2P is simple: Fostering connections (human connections) with your customers. Whether you used social media to rebuild your customer support department, community management to significantly improve customer loyalty, a WOM program to increase your net transacting customers or a series of community feedback vehicles to generate conversations and participation in your brand, program or cause, that’s P2P.
But feel free to call them Social Media case studies. We don’t mind. Whatever makes the most sense to you, to your boss, to your employees, to your customers. We know better than to get hung up on words, especially this early in the social media game.
What’s important here is is that whether you used Facebook, Twitter, blogs, email, Ning, flickr, youtube, neighborhood canvassing, special events, phone calls, face-to-face interactions, sky-writing or any combination thereof to create human to human connections around a program, campaign, cause or brand in the last year – and it worked, we want to hear about it.
If you got people to talk to people, if you earned attention instead of paying for it, if you increased sales or marketshare or share of voice using Social Media or P2P tools, we want to hear about it.
PR, customer support, community management, online reputation management, internal collaboration, co-creation: if any or all of these terms drove your projects in 2009 and you have one or more case studies to back up all that work, we want to read it.
Why? Because we are looking for the best case studies in the world. Plain and simple. And you only have a couple of weeks to get them to us if you want to make the list – and be invited to attend a summit designed specifically to bring the best social media professionals on the planet together in one place for a couple of days and talk shop.
And by that, I mean seriously talk shop. Like you never have before.
Q: What is the LikeMinds Summit?
First things first – Likeminds 2010 is divided into two distinct events. A conference, and a Summit.
> Friday February 26 is the LikeMinds Conference – Open to all, (first come, first served, so get your tickets fast) interactive format with presenters, panels, Q&A, etc. The conference will be held in Exeter (Devon, UK) just like last time.Sa
> Saturday February 27 is the LikeMinds Summit at the spectacular (and Summit-friendly) Bovey Castle (just a short drive from Exeter). Unlike the conference, the Summit will be an invitation-only event. I repeat: Unlike the conference, the LikeMinds Summit will not be open to the general public. You must be invited to attend.
How do you get invited? I’ll get to that in a second. Let me tell you what the Summit is first:
1. An Open Dialogue and RoundTable about Social Media Best Practices
On Saturday February 27th, LikeMinds will welcome key CEOs, Directors, Trustees and global thought leaders to the first Like Minds Summit, where in the luxurious settings of Bovey Castle in the middle of Dartmoor National Park, we will be providing a roundtable platform for the worldʼs leading Social Media practitioners to enjoy an open dialogue about the future of social business innovation.
2. Strategic and Operational Training for Social Media Thought Leaders
In addition, the Summit will also include advanced executive Social Media program development training (strategy, integration, management and measurement) as well moderated collaborative sessions in which attending delegates will discuss successes, challenges, and lessons learned from their own experiences in developing and managing their programs.
3. The 2010 Global ‘Best In Class’ Report
Following the event, case studies selected for the summit will be outlined in a “Best in class” report, complete with lessons-learned, best practices, and a wealth of insights aimed at helping companies draw the best possible methodologies from the year’s most successful P2P and Social Media programs. For every company present at the LikeMinds Summit, the report will present an opportunity to have their hard work acknowledged globally. For anyone not invited to attend this time around, the report will present a unique reference guide from which to draw invaluable lessons for their own programs.
The LikeMinds Summit will convene every year in February to discuss, share and celebrate the previous year’s best P2P programs from around the world.
Q: Why a Summit? Isn’t the Friday LikeMinds Conference enough?
Define ‘enough.’ When is ‘enough’ ever enough? 😉
Two of the most frequent questions from LikeMinds 2009 attendees were “where can we go to find the best case studies,” and “where do we go to find social media best practices?” (This actually came up during the panel Q&A after my presentation on R.O.I., and again a number of times at the little social event held immediately after the close of the conference.) From the onset, the notion that no one seemed to be addressing these two questions properly bothered me. As far as I could tell, as much as case studies turned up at just about every conference from Los Angeles to Dubai, no one was really focusing on trying to a) collect the best Social Media case studies, b) evaluate them against less “solid” case studies, and c) make the best of them available – in a lessons learned format – to the scores of business and social media professionals asking for them.
All evening, I was distracted by this unanswered need. By the next morning, Trey Pennington, Drew Ellis, Scott Gould and I were already toying with the idea of creating some kind of mechanism through which that type of information might be organized and made available. Without formalizing anything, we started bouncing ideas off each other in passing… until we ended up in the spectacular hills of Dartmoor, which we wished we could have shared with all of our peers in the Social Media world…
… And then at Bovey Castle for a bone-warming fire and proper afternoon tea (yes, with real scones – not the Starbucks stuff). It was there, at Bovey Castle, that the idea of going beyond the simple collection, evaluation and publishing of the best social media case studies first took hold. The venue was so perfect for the level of conversations necessary to properly create the framework for something like this that we started to discuss the possibility of putting on a Summit – a high level event that would bring the best minds in social media in one place to have the kinds of conversations about the space that no one had the opportunity to have:
Large conferences weren’t the ideal format because of the distractions, the noise, the constant flux of presentations, meetings, dinners, parties and running around.
Small conferences tended not to attract enough of the best minds to put more than five or six of them in the same room at the same time.
Conference calls, webinars, twitter and other remote options were nice, but hardly conducive to… well, getting anywhere.
But man, if we could get 15 or 20 of the world’s best in a place like Bovey Castle, especially after a full day at the LikeMinds Conference in Exeter, we could really get somewhere. We could spend an entire day sharing best practices, discussing what works and what doesn’t, talking about where to take Social Media and New Marketing next. We could conduct training sessions based on the attendees’ specific needs, have real Q&A discussions between people who do this better than anyone else on the planet, and focus on what matters. Not that I mind sifting through the junk to get to the gold at most conferences, but what if we eliminated the junk completely and replaced it with 100% gold? The value of that type of event – for everyone present – would be beyond measurement.
That was the idea behind the Summit.
The rest, as they say, is history. Within a few days, we had a concept. A few weeks later, we were planning the Conference, the Summit and the format of the report and other resources that would emerge from them both.
Q: Where is the 2010 LikeMinds Summit being held? (And why?)
At Bovey Castle. Yes, THE Bovey Castle we just talked about. In England. Don’t worry, it just looks extravagant. It’s really just an old English house with a lot of really cool meeting rooms, a big back yard, and a forest all around it.
Why here? Three reasons: Convenience, awesomeness and the fact that the idea for the Summit came to us there for a good reason: It’s perfect for it.
We could have decided to hold the Summit anywhere: A hotel conference room in London, an office suite in New York, a cool space in San Fransisco… The possibilities are endless. (The content of the Summit, its relevance, its format and even the cost to attend would be exactly the same, regardless of the venue.) Since the LikeMinds conference is already taking place just a short drive from Bovey Castle, it would have been a shame not to take advantage of its proximity. 😉
You can find out more about Bovey Castle here.
Q: If the Summit is by invitation only, how do I get invited?
Submit your case study.
Your submission can be in almost any format: a video, slide deck or document that is either emailed to the Summit staff, or even a simple hyperlink if your case study already exists online.
Invitation to the Summit will be based on the submission of that case study along with the following qualifying elements. These elements are intended to prove the successful use of Social Media by documenting:
– Before and after overviews of the organization, with accurate measurement (Benchmarking)
– The research that backed the program
– The breakdown of strategy, integration, management and measurement
– How teamwork was guided, across departments, organizations and with the end user
– What were the most valuable lessons learned
– The frameworks that have been created from the experience
A jury will select the top 15-20 case studies from all received submissions and will send out invitations by the end of January.
Submissions for the Like Mind Summit may be sent to summit@wearelikeminds.com
Q: When are Summit submissions due?
Closing date for application submissions is Friday 22nd January.
Q: What is the cost of attending the Summit?
1. Getting to Exeter is up to you: Car, train, bicycle, horseback, steam ship, aeroplane, rocket, teleporter… If you’re in the UK already, it’s pretty simple. If you’re flying in, I suggest Heathrow or Gatwick airport, then either renting a car (don’t forget to stop at Stonehenge on your way to Exeter) or hopping on a train. Super simple. Once in Exeter, we’ll take care of shuttling you to Bovey on Saturday morning.
2. Hotels: The LikeMinds team is pretty well connected in Devon, so hooking you up with a hotel shouldn’t be a problem. (And yes, you can actually stay at Bovey Castle. We’ve negotiated a special rate of £150 per night – which is phenomenal.*)
* Last time I was in London, I found myself paying that much for horrible little economy hotels in the worst parts of town. £150 per night at Bovey is pretty mind-blowing.
3. The events: If you are invited to attend the summit, you’re automatically comped for the LikeMinds conference on Friday, including the V.I.P dinner Friday night. The Summit will also take care of your breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea on Saturday, as well as getting you back to Exeter once the Summit adjourns. You’ll be looking at two full days with some of the brightest, most forward thinking social media thought leaders and practitioners in the world. Not just in the same room, but at the same table. With a common purpose.
4. Inclusion in the ‘Best In Class’ report: If you get selected to attend the Summit, your case study will be featured in the LikeMinds report as one of the world’s best Social Media/P2P programs of 2009. Those of you with a few Public Relations 101 credits in college might recognize the value of that kind of exposure. (Global exposure, I might add. This dog is going to have some pretty serious legs.)
Okay, enough with the pitch already: The price of admission is £1,500. (Sorry, the Gold Ticket isn’t free.)
I could make a joke about $2,995 social media certification programs right about now, but I won’t. Oh wait.. Doh!
Submitting your case study, however, is free. Just understand that if you are serious about attending the event upon being selected, the fee will be due fairly quickly. More details on that at a later date.
Q: Where can I get more information about the event?
You can download the PDF information kit here.
You can access the (Saturday) LikeMinds Summit website here.
You can check out the (Friday) LikeMinds Conference website here.
You can surf through the 2009 LikeMinds Conference archive here.
Q: What else is there?
I don’t know. You tell me.
If you’ve worked your tail off to develop, launch, manage and get the most out of a social media or P2P program in 2009, it would be silly to blow this off. Think of submitting your case study as that final 1% effort. Not even that. More like the final 0.01% effort.
If you end up being selected, yeah, there’s a bit of cost attached to it, especially if you aren’t based in Europe. I hear ya. Budgets are tight and £1,500 outside of travel expenses is nothing to sneeze at. But do the math:
1. You’ve probably thrown away more than that on conferences last year that didn’t really didn’t yield a whole lot of value, and for some strange reason, you may be contemplating doing it again this year, just in case they get it right this time (fat chance). Flying to Vegas, to Boston, to Orlando or New York or LA, going from session to session, wondering why you even bother attending half of the presentations? Hanging out at parties with your Twitter friends? Having dinner with a few “big names?” Hindsight being 20/20, if you could go back and skip those disappointments and trade them for something solid, something like this, wouldn’t that be a better use of your budget?
I can’t answer that for you.
2. The level of access you will have at the LikeMinds Summit – assuming you are selected to attend – is unheard of. You will spend a day (two if you attend the conference as well) with people whose individual consulting time is worth more than twice the price of admission. Multiply that by all 12 or 15 or 20 of them (depending on how many companies make the cut), and you atsrt to get the picture. These are people you will be engaging with, not just sitting next to in a conference room. Not to mention me, Trey Pennington, Drew Ellis, Scott Gould and a few other brainiacs yet to be announced.
3. Inclusion in the Summit’s report/master case study/white paper even without the summit’s value is worth ten times the £1,500 fee. From exposure to recognition, it’s a no-brainer. Your company probably spends that on branded pens and keychains at trade shows. On low tier print ads if you’re a small company. Heck, for most organizations with over 100 employees, you’re talking petty cash.
How much did you spend on PR last month? How much press did that get you? I rest my case.
4. Do you know why we set the price at £1,500 instead of, say, £800? (It would have been that even if we held this thing at the Holiday Inn, by the way. Not that we would.) It isn’t greed. It’s to weed out companies and individuals who aren’t serious about what they’re doing in this space. Some companies will choose to spend that on gimmicks. Others will invest in the future of their social media programs. We’re only interested in the latter. The price of admission, quite simply, is commitment. 😉
So if you feel that you belong in that second category:
If you’re an agency or firm, submit your case studies.
If you’re an organization with a story to tell, submit your case study.
If you’re a service provider, tell your clients to submit their case studies.
Spread the word. Give it your best shot. Big brands, small businesses, NGOs, Non-profits, Universities… All are welcome. This event and report only come once a year, so don’t let all of your hard work in 2009 go to waste.
You have until the 22nd of January to submit your case studies.
May the best and brightest win.
Cheers. 🙂
Brand Building and Online Marketing Blog 
Great idea. Loved it. Right up until the bit about it costing £1,500 for the ‘privilege’ of an invite.
I don’t believe the charge is to keep out those people ‘who aren’t serious’. What about all those people doing fabulous things in social media who can’t afford to commit over a grand (plus getting to Exeter and overnight accommodation) to a few days networking?
Social media is about democratising communication not creating exclusive ‘invite only.
Thanks, but no thanks.
I’m sorry to hear that, Rich. Understand though, the Summit is not a conference. There will be no “spectators.” There is no crowd. It’s a working group of maybe 15-20 people.
Emphasis on “working group.” Nobody is being asked to pay 1,500 to sit in a chair and listen to presentations.
The conference (the one that is open to all) is on Friday. The cost to attend is only 50 pounds (roughly $85 or so.) To make it accessible to folks who can’t afford the plane or train ticket, (or can’t leave work) much of the conference will be streamed live, online. LikeMinds wants to make the content of the conference accessible to all. The 2009 installment is absolutely the most democratic conference I have attended yet, and 2010 will be no different. Most conferences of this type charge anywhere between $250 and $850, and don’t stream their content. LikeMinds breaks that mold. It is truly open to all. This is a labor of love for the folks who put it on. They’re not exactly getting rich off LikeMinds. They’re the real deal.
In contrast, the Summit itself is not meant to be open to all. I’m sorry. There is just no way to make it work if 200 people show up. Or even 50. We have to be selective. The working group needs to be small in order to function, and the selection process has to be rigorous in order to be relevant. Nobody can buy their way in either. We’re looking for excellence. Period. Excellence, unfortunately, is not democratic. It isn’t just a question of will or passion. Not everyone who tries cures Cancer, earns Academy Awards, gets accepted into Harvard or wins a Nobel Prize. Some things are – by definition – exclusive.
While Social Media is absolutely about democratizing communications, the LikeMinds Summit selection process is about plucking outstanding work from the mass of “just okay” work, and creating an event that a) rewards that accomplishment, b) helps the people involved take their programs to even greater heights in 2010, and c) then share the most relevant findings from the case studies and the Summit itself with the rest of the world.
As for “a few days of networking,” that may accurately describe a large number of pointless Social Media conferences being put on around the US right now, but not either of the LikeMinds events.
I routinely run into people furious that they spent $700+ to attend a conference only to a) listen to presentations they’ve already heard a dozen times and b) essentially have tweetups in the hallways. Why do you think I rarely go to conferences? They’re a complete waste of money, in my opinion. I am VERY selective about which ones I attend now. I won’t lend my name to any conference or event I wouldn’t pay to go to as a spectator. That seriously limits the number of events I participate in.
I have found LikeMinds to be the complete opposite of the types of conferences that charge you a few C-notes for average sessions and the opportunity to “network.” Case in point: While most of my peers were in Vegas this October for Blog World, a few of us were in Exeter at the first LikeMinds Conference, doing a whole lot more than just networking. The price difference between the two events was astounding (LikeMinds 2009 was under $50, I think). And though I can’t speak for Blog World attendees feeling like they got their money’s worth, I can tell you that the vast majority of LikeMinds attendees got theirs: People were asking if we could hold LikeMinds conferences quarterly.
The other question was: How is it that LikeMinds can put on such a kickass conference for the price of Dinner for two, while almost everyone else charges hundreds of dollars for the same crap over and over again? LikeMinds is different. I wouldn’t be singing its praises for free if I didn’t feel that way about it.
But no worries, I’m not taking offense to your comment. That said, I want to make it really clear that when you bring up “a few days of networking,” you are putting LikeMinds in the same basket as your average BS Social Media conference in the US, and that is neither accurate nor fair. Apples and oranges. Actually, more like apples and celery.
To come back to the issue of price, I feel for any company who gets invited to the Summit but can’t afford the trip. I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we get there, and we have discussed the need for financial aid in the future. (For small businesses and non-profits especially.) For now though, the fee stands. It pays for the venue, for the food, for the transportation, for the content, and for the organizers’ time. That last part – the time, work, planning, execution – is not inconsiderable. Personally, I think this thing should cost at least 5K per company. 1,500 basically amounts to many of us doing A LOT of work before, during and after for free. Because we want to create something worthwhile.
I understand your indignation, but in this case, I think it’s misplaced. Anyone can attend the conference on Friday. Only the best will be invited to attend the Summit/working group on Saturday. The fee for each venue is adequate. If you have a case study to submit, go ahead and submit it. If it makes the cut and you don’t want to spend the money to get there, we’ll deal with that then. If you don’t have a case study to submit, then this entire discussion is moot, isn’t it?
Cheers, Rich.
Great summary Olivier! I look forward to sharing more time with you at Bovey Castle!!!
Looking forward to it, man. 🙂
What a wonderful blog! Please continue this great work I will be sure to check back regularly…
It’s too ‘early days’ for me to attend the summit this time round, but if it’s repeated again next year, I plan to be in attendance. Can’t wait to read what comes out of this.
Yeah, the report (or white paper) should be pretty solid. I can’t wait to see it in its final stages. 🙂
Looking forward to seeing you on Friday, though, right?
Damn straight. I purchased the day they went on sale 🙂
Olivier,
My first thought was, “what about those of us who won’t be at the Summit”?
Surely, the people who could most benefit from learning deeply about the case studies are those who won’t be at the summit and the people who have a demonstrable track record of creating social media programmes that work don’t require quite so much “summitting.” (not to mention the fact that if I’m a person or company that has created a world-class programme I may not think that I need to spend a day and a wedge of cash to discuss it – perhaps I’m arrogant and not sure what significant value I can garner from the activity).
I then assumed (maybe you mentioned it) that there would be some aggregated materials coming out after the Summit disseminating all the nuggets and insights to the wider world. Perhaps you’ll be charging for the report? However, I then thought that if I had paid £1500 I might not want all my insights to be generating revenue for the people to whom I paid that £1500.
Or am I missing the point woefully?
No, I’m not missing the point, I think the notion of the Summit is amazing. Getting the cream of the operational social media crop together for a working day to help define best practices and the way social media and The New Marketing should be heading is a fab idea. Just not sure that’s how this is going to work.
Eric
See, that tells me we need to clarify this a little better.
Last year’s LikeMinds was just one event: The conference. Open to all, live video stream, etc.
This year, we’ve added 2 things to the conference. So think of LikeMinds 2010 as 3 separate pieces:
1. Friday February 26: The LikeMinds Conference in Exeter. Same as last year but bigger and better. Same place, low pricepoint: 50 quid.
2. Saturday February 27: The LikeMinds Summit. Basically a working group of 15-20 of the world’s best social media directors/managers/executives.
The summit is not open to the public because it would be distracting to the delegates. This is intended to be a meeting of the minds for a small number of people who got it right in 2009, so they can all learn from one another. We’ll also be providing training in very specific areas (their pain points) to make sure 2010 is an even better year for them.
The pricepoint would be high for a conference format, sure, except that this is not a conference. It’s a working group. A workshop. A strategic board meeting of sorts.
3. The report. A few weeks after the summit, we will be organizing all of the selected case studies in a report, along with analysis, key findings, lessons learned, best practices, etc.
How the report works is simple:
A) The case studies aren’t meant to be top-secret. We’re showcasing information that the organizations involved want to share to begin with.
B) Our analysis will help provide context and an additional layer of insight into the raw data and basic conclusions. We’ll dig deeper into the implications of those case studies so that they become actionable for anyone trying to replicate their success – or elaborate on it.
C) Not everything discussed at the Summit will be included in the report. It isn’t intended to be a transcript. The training sessions, for example, are a benefit to delegates. Any confidential information discussed during the Summit will remain confidential. The report is just a very specific element/outcome of the Summit.
When the report comes out, it will be made available to the general public, which is the point. The Summit itself serves to make the report possible, but that isn’t its only function.
So what it comes down to is this:
1. If you don’t have a case study and want to learn from the best, come to the Conference on Friday. 50 quid gets you in. It’ll be a fantastic event with case studies, lessons, how-tos, etc. People pay 10x that for lesser events. It’s going to rock.
2. If you think that your organization’s social media program in 2009 has a shot at being selected for our ‘best in class’ report, submit it. If it is selected, you will be invited to attend the Summit on Saturday. Unlike the conference on the previous day, the Summit will enjoy more of a roundtable atmosphere. More discussions and moderated sessions than “presentations.”
3. The Summit’s report (due out in March or early April) will feature the selected case studies for the whole world to see. Bonus for the organization behind the case study: Great PR and the recognition it deserves for outstanding work. Bonus for the public at large: A list of the best social media case studies of 2009, along with in-depth analysis by some of the best minds in the business.
Does that clarify it a bit?
Or more to the point, what could we do better to explain the difference between Friday’s event and Saturday’s event?
I think I was (as were a few others) looking at it from a “how will this Summit benefit the wider industry” perspective. As if that had to be the aim.
Clearly, that doesn’t have to be the aim (nor is it the aim). The main beneficiaries are the 15 – 20 people who are involved in the Summit because each one of them will get to spend the day working with and learning from 14 – 19 other industry leaders. And so this is what they are paying for if invited to do so. And that’s more than fair enough.
Of course, the wider industry will get benefit from the Summit in the form of the report that follows. I, for one, am looking forward to that.
What criteria are you using for deciding the “best in class” case studies? Does a company like Dell automatically get an invite (if they submit) because of their reported success using Twitter? I know you are looking for a mix of uses/approaches showing social media programmes impacting sales, customer service, product development, etc.
Eric,
Bang on: The benefit of the conference is to the attendees. The benefit of the summit is to the attendees. The benefit of the report is to the industry.
I think that if the summit had been named SM Summit X and had been held in April – in a way completely unrelated to the Likeminds conference, nobody would have given a flip.
The companies whose case studies will be selected will be the principal beneficiaries of the Saturday event, yes. Absolutely.
I can’t comment on any particular company (Dell or otherwise) but the elements of the case study submission guidelines should give you a hint as to the type of criteria the jury will be reviewing. Among them will be impact, yes. Financial, cultural, technological, etc. Every case study brings its own criteria to the table.
Well, when I saw the conference and castle experience in Devon, I thought … how’d hell you pull that off. Partly, I would not mind going, but then I realized how difficult it would be to do the Castle thing …. what it would take to get a study that fit the guidelines your asking for.
For example, there’s probably a few case studies I’m connected with – but I would not be free to share them – because they’re not solely mine. It almost sounds like the people who’d come to the Castle, are the one’s who already “figured it out” …
Personally, I’d love to come to Bovey Castle – who wouldn’t – I don’t care what the conference is on …. could be garbage disposal … hold it at Bovey Castle… you get my drift. But what I don’t get is what any of this actually has to do with Social Media and successful case studies?
Well, one of these days, I’m sure, but probably not at Bovey Castle or Devon (though I have good friend that lives there and I’m due for a visit, plus my Art Blog, ArtNewYorkCity.com, is hosted and published from that location) we’ll get to talk about it face to face, etc.
I’m just not getting the “rock star” social media thing …. though, I admit, who would not want to be a rock star of Social Media?
Thanks,
Marshall
I hear ya. Look, if Bovey could accommodate 300 people in one room, we would have the conference there as well. Maybe hold the summit the day before, and share the findings AT the conference the next day. But as you’ve already guessed, that just isn’t feasible. Bovey doesn’t have an auditorium. So we have to split the events this way.
Bear in mind, this is a work in progress. We know what we want to accomplish, but this is our first try at it, so I can pretty much guarantee that both the conference and the summit will continue to evolve. 2011 will probably be a very different animal. (We haven’t even held the first summit yet, and we’re already looking into a dozen ways to make it fit better with the conference.)
😉
Thanks for your response Olivier! To avoid duplication I am replying to my post (and your comment) back over at my blog at http://rich-baker.com. Thanks
Thanks.
Though I am very disappointed that you decided to block comments after just 24 hours. The least you could do now that you’ve presented your arguments against this event is allow people on both sides to share their opinions on the matter. As much as your criticism of the event surprises me, I respect your right to express your opinion on the matter. I just wish that you would extend the same respect and courtesy to people trying to respond.
Frankly, I find it difficult to reconcile your “defender of social media purity” stance in that post with your blocking people from commenting on that same post. It’s very disingenuous.
I hope that you will change your mind and allow people to comment on your post once more. It’s the right thing to do.
Rich, as I told you on Twitter, I am a bit disappointed too. I read the comments from others last night and today, and I did not have time to comment. Then suddenly the comments were closed before I got a chance.
For the record, I totally got the difference between the Conference and the Summit and I think both are extremely cool. I had planned to try to attend, but I can’t afford to spend that right now and head to the UK, though I will be nearly sick with envy on the day of the Conference – the last one was Awesome, with a capital A, even from afar!
It’s been obvious for months Olivier and his colleagues have been coming up with unique ways to serve clients and get in touch with companies making strides in this space, both to share information and do programs together if the company is in need of services. The Summit is a way to bring people who are actively creating SM programs on an enterprise or corporate level together to share stories of being in the trenches with each other and provide content on best practices to the group who will ultimately write a report on what they’ve learned and share it with all of us. That’s how I understand it, at least. I think it sounds great, and I can’t wait to see what’s discovered in this session, even though I won’t be there.
Great job, Olivier. I would have liked to have said this over where folks were voicing complaints and questions and engaged in a conversation with them. As one who is your friend, but not involved in the Summit directly, maybe it could have helped facilitate a fresh perspective and dialogue that would have benefited us all. Sadly, we will never know since the conversation was abruptly terminated.
Absolutely awesome post you have made.
Great pictures in your blog update however even greater information on offer.
Mark
Great posting. I thank you for posting that. I hope you can accept my for my weak English Skills, I am from Austria and English is sort of new to me.
Hey yall, 🙂 this looks great. I’ve been following for awhile and would like to thank you for all the great ideas.
Its WonderFul Post, Excellent work, keep it up
hi all,
i found a good site about case studies, have a look
http://www.icmrindia.org/
regards