Social Media Week London

Social Media Week LondonSocial Media Week returns to London 23-27 September 2013, joining a host of other cities across the world in a hectic week of panel discussions, presentations, meetups and loads more. 

Event submissions are now open, get involved as a speaker, smwatchinwag [dot] com (volunteer) or find out about smwatchinwag [dot] com (sponsorshop opportunities).

Check out last September's full schedule. Keep up-to-date with Social Media Week London on Twitter & Facebook and of course the blog. 

Social Media Week London Events

Using Social to go Global supported by Open to Export
Mon, 24 Sep
Want to take your business global? Find out how how to use social media, online communities and collaborative tools can help build your company’s international business. Hear from international experts, case studies & quiz UKTI, Nokia, Hailo, the FT and more. Plus a free networking lunch and time for one-to-one Q&A.
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Global Keynote: Alex Balfour, Head of Digital, LOCOG (London 2012 Olympics)
Mon, 24 Sep
Join us for the SMWLDN Global Keynote, a fireside chat with Alex Balfour, the at the centre of the digital delivery of the massively successful London Olympics and Paralympics Games. Opening this Sep’s Social Media Week and hear about the trials, tribulations and successes behind the digital success of the games.
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The £800m Elephant in the Room: Social Inside the Enterprise hosted McKinsey & Co
Mon, 24 Sep
McKinsey Global Institute principal Michael Chui discusses the potential value in using social tools to enhance communications, knowledge sharing, and collaboration within and across enterprises. He'll be joined by an expert panel who'll reflect and discuss the dramatic changes 'social' is making inside the enterprise.
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Heroes of Social Innovation, supported by Nokia
Mon, 24 Sep
The rise of social media and social technology has demonstrated its power to revolutionise industries. In a very literal sense, the power to connect and collaborate is quite literally changing the world. Mobile technology and social networks enable groups to self-organise campaigns to gain worldwide momentum.
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SMW '12: Behavioural Economics for the Web
Tue, 25 Sep
Join us for a very exclusive breakfast and brunch to discuss the latest experiments and techniques from the masters of behavrioural economics – and how as digital natives, we can leverage these to take over the world.
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Making Social Work for your Business, hosted by Oracle
Tue, 25 Sep
The explosion of social has been tremendous, as Facebook closes in on one billion consumers and Twitter approaches 200 million, not to mention emerging platforms like Google+, Instagram and Pinterest. Join experts from Oracle, Maersk, MediaCom, We Are Social, Starcom, IPC and Luxury Hotels of the World and find out more...
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The Decision Makers: The Truth Behind the Family Purchase Dynamic
Tue, 25 Sep
#SMWLDN Families in the UK spend around £187B a year yet not much is known about the complicated decision making dynamic that goes into how that money is spent. This session will look at who in the family makes what decisions, how the members of the family influence each other and what role social media plays in inter-family communications.
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Facebook 1 Billion: End of the Beginning or Beginning of the End? hosted by Betapond
Tue, 25 Sep
Facebook approaches its 1 Billionth user while under the spotlight as never before. A few years ago Facebook was one of many social networks. Now it’s the world’s most important social media platform. On Tuesday at 9am in Unruly, our panel will discuss Facebook’s future.
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Nosh: The Social Business of Food
Tue, 25 Sep
The food business is in a constant state of flux whether it’s the rush for Michelin stars or shiny food trucks or the latest pop up restaurant. Its marketing is no exception...
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How Small Businesses Win in the Socially Connected World
Tue, 25 Sep
Did you know that on average you need to connect with prospective customers seven times before they actually buy from you? That’s an expensive way for you to grow your business. What if we told you that there was another way?
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How Small Businesses Win in a Socially Connected World hosted by Constant Contact
Tue, 25 Sep
Did you know that on average you need to connect with prospective customers 7 times before they actually buy? That’s an expensive way to grow business. What if we told you that there was another way? Sound interesting? Then join us and we’ll take you through how to create your own Engagement Marketing plan and turn your customers into your fans.
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One-to-One Social Health Check Sessions hosted by Oracle
Tue, 25 Sep
The Oracle one-to-one Social Surgery sessions will run from 12pm-1pm. They will give organisations the opportunity for one-to-one social media health checks with leading Oracle's team of social strategy experts.
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Facebook Marketing ROI: A master class with Nokia, The Social Partners and The Humane Society
Wed, 26 Sep
After selling-out tickets for this event on Tuesday, we're happy to announce that we will hold it again at Facebook Headquarters on Wednesday 26th September. However, this time, we have some new speakers to give additional insights and strategies for proving the success of social marketing within your organisation.
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Through the Eyes of a Child: The Social Media World of 6-11 Year Olds
Wed, 26 Sep
#SMWLDN Kids are inherently social and are very active on many social media platforms; therefore they are a hugely important part of the social media landscape. This discussion will focus on what kids are doing on networking sites, how and why they are so engaged with each other and the platforms, and look at the psychology behind these behaviours.
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Developing a Digital Strategy in a Social World hosted by Chinwag
Wed, 26 Sep
Digital media has gone through more revolutions in the last decade than other forms of media have experienced across their lifetimes. From web 2.0 to commoditisation of display advertising to sweeping changes of social media. How do the world's leading digital strategists handle the brand challenges? Join our expert panel for this discussion.
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Sustainable Brands Doing Good by Doing Well in Social hosted by Betapond
Wed, 26 Sep
How has social media changed the way brands approach CSR and sustainability initiatives and what will the future hold? What challenges and opportunities to brands face as they use new methods? Our panel will include brand marketers and experts who have seen the potential, join the discussion...
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Content Creation Collective: Secets behind social media
Wed, 26 Sep
If you’re a writer, editor, blogger, videographer, designer, producer or otherwise involved in the creation of cool stuff online then you need to come along to Content Creation Collective: Secrets behind social content on 26th September aboard the HMS President (1918), in association with Social Media Week.
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Oversharing or misUnderstood: Automatic Sharing in Social hosted by Betapond
Thu, 27 Sep
When Facebook unveiled Open Graph and made it possible for apps to automatically share what you’re listening to, watching or reading, it divided opinion. “Frictionless sharing” is a great way to discover new stuff from friends but some think it’s Too Much Information. Come along and join the debate...
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Multi-Channel Social Media – Small Biz Friend or Foe?
Thu, 27 Sep
Are you unsure which combination of Pins, Tweets and Likes will give your small business a bang for its buck? It’s a conundrum that’s facing many owners as they fight to juggle the time spent between marketing their business and actually running it.
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Multi-Channel Social Media - Small Biz Friend or Foe? hosted by Constant Contact
Thu, 27 Sep
Are you unsure which combination of Pins, Tweets and Likes will give your small business a bang for its buck? Register today, come along and don’t forget to come along with your questions, thoughts and challenges. Our panel is waiting to help you navigate the right mix of social ingredients.
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Chinwag's Careers Day at Social Media Week London 2012
Fri, 28 Sep
Hundreds of graduates, jobs seekers and experienced workers looking for that next challenge will be flocking to the Careers Day to meet the likes of Nokia, Financial Times, Imagination, Tempero, News International and more, so don't miss out. REGISTER NOW - it's free!
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Latest Blog Posts

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Speakers Required for Social Media Week Events

Speakers are a very important aspect to any event. We’re always on the hunt for good speakers for events over a large variety of subject areas, if you have any suggestions, or would like to volunteer yourself, please do so here.

// Suggest a Speaker or Volunteer Yourself.

How do I choose a Good Speaker?

We’ve all experienced bad speakers, and we know when we come across someone who is entertaining and informative.

Ideally, speakers will be one or more of the following:

  • Leaders in the theme or field you’ve chosen
  • Local voices in social media
  • Innovators in their own field, as it relates to social media
  • Unique & varied in their perspective
  • Experienced in public speaking

// Suggest a Speaker or Volunteer Yourself.

Photo (cc) Matthew Smith

Interested in Hosting an Event?

Social Media Week London currently has 40 confirmed events over the week (7-11th Feb 2011), but we’re still looking for more.

Rome have 70 confirmed events and New York are aiming for 125! Let’s not be beaten by the Americans or the Italians, let’s make London the best on both quantity and quality!

Making it Easy

If you already hold regular events, the simplest way to get involved in Social Media Week is to use one of these, themed towards social media, as your event.  By doing this, not only will you be a part of Social Media Week events held globally, but you’ll also reach a wider audience than your regulars.

Agencies may find Breakfast Briefings beneficial, these will be held in the morning and will showcase and highlight recent developments and case studies around social media campaigns.  They also offer high value (in terms of reach/audience) for a low cost.

If you really want to create an impact, try hosting something new and innovative from presentations and panel discussions, to interactive workshops, seminars, networking events and drinks receptions.  To help you with ideas, we’ve included some further information below.

// Submit your Event now.

// Submit your Breakfast Briefing now.

What are the Benefits of becoming an Event Partner?

There are obviously a whole host of benefits to becoming an Event Partner/putting on an event, and to some degree what you get out of the experience will depend on what you put in. Some of the benefits will include:

  • Engage your company or organisation in the conversation that is relevant to your cause or industry.
  • Amplify your message using the Social Media Week platform.
  • Attract brands and networks of relevant hyper-social influencers.

Themes and Topics

In 2011, the global theme is Social Society: Exploring how local and regional societies, cultures and economies are becoming more integrated and empowered through a global network of communication.

To help structure the weeks events, there are also 4 Topic Stands:

1. People & Society:

Education, Politics, Health care, Government, Environment, Public Information, Non-profits, Social Innovation/Entrepreneurship

2. Art & Culture:

Art, Music, Food, Film & Television, Tourism, Sports, Gaming, Design

3. Business, Media & Communications:

Enterprise, Publishing, News, Journalism, Public Relations, Advertising, Marketing, Mobile.

4. Technology:

Telecommunications, Audio/Video, Software, Energy, Consumer Electronics, Networks, Mobile, Open Source.

What Format should Events be in?

Traditional conferences tend to focus on the predominant event formats: keynote presentations and discussions. While these are an important component of a conference experiences, Social Media Week strives to design new ways for people to share ideas, engage in dialogue and explore new concepts.

  • Panel Discussions
  • Speaker Debate
  • Speaker presentation or talk
  • Seminar or workshop
  • Fireside chat or interview
  • Pitching competition
  • Cocktail event or mixer
  • Awards show
  • Charity fundraiser

We’re very open to suggestions and all ideas will be equally considered.

Further Information

Information and advice on speakers, ticketing/RSVP’s, Promotion and Event Production can be found here.

You can also get in touch with the Social Media Week London team by emailing smwatchinwag [dot] com or calling 0207 183 2923.

//Submit your Breakfast Briefing.

// Submit your Event.

Photo (cc) Benjamin Ellis

Collaborate This Christmas

This Sunday I had the day off nursing a persistent cough. For the last few weeks I have been burying my head in the snow pretending that it is not Christmas.  Realising I needed an attitude shift, I decided to watch ‘White Christmas’, the old Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye film from the 50’s to put me in the holiday spirit.  A long standing phobia to musicals, based on a brief but terrifying pre-teen experience at my local theatre in Stevenage means I always fast forward through the musical numbers to focus on the story. As I watched Rosemary Clooney tap dance at high speed across the stage waving a feathered fan, my mind wandered..

For those of you who have forgotten the story. Bing and Danny decide to, in five days, to put on a show, in an ailing ski lodge to improve its takings after a snow drought. In order to make it happen, find the artists, get an audience, they used their networks, TV, phones, the resources of their time to put on a show of a life time.

Strangely, the UK has had more snow than the wilderness of Connecticut, we have weeks rather than days and I am certainly no crooner. The reviews of my debut performance in ‘It happened on the way to a barn’, the alternative nativity play, will back that up. However there are some similarities. We share the same aim, we both have a challenge and as a bonus, Sam’s natural comedy timing is on a par with Danny Kaye’s.

Putting on over 50 free events, building sponsorship, partners, finding venues, PR and promotion, is not easy in such a short space or time. Trying to create something meaningful that has an impact is another common thing we share. Bing is trying to save the livelihood of his old General, the inn’s owner and we would like businesses to see how they can use social media to enable them to contribute, collaborate and create and grow from strength to strength.

Something that is different is that we have social media itself.  This will enable us to collaborate with more people at every stage of creating the week long series of events.

Working collaboratively is the way we work, it is in our DNA. The reality of creating something at high speed and in a short time constraint, some things we will do well and some things we won’ t but we have put in place a series of passionate experts in their field to work with us to create the best Social Media Week possible.

We hope we have a Hollywood happy ending; the reality is our ending will not be so neat. With so many strands and individual events fuelled with knowledge hopefully, people will apply it to their work and lives,which means the ending will just be the beginning.

With that in mind, the journey is just as important as what happens before the end credits. So we would like you to see behind the scenes at SMW through a series of blog posts and tweets so you can see the wonderful, raw chaotic nature of working collaboratively.

THE END THE BEGINNING…

Photo (cc) Wisconsin Historical Images