2010 Keynote Speakers

Chris Thorpe

Chris Thorpe is the Developer Advocate for the Open Platform at The Guardian. His background as a research scientist and his early involvement in Open Access publishing, makes him fascinated and passionate about what happens when data, content, platforms, identity and pretty much anything opens up. He spends his time at The Guardian working on the best… more »

Joseph Menn

Joseph Menn’s third book, "Fatal System Error: The Hunt for the New Crime Lords Who are Bringing Down the Internet," was published in the US in January 2010 and in the UK in February 2010 by PublicAffairs Books. Part true-life thriller and part expose, it became an immediate bestseller, with Menn interviewed on national television and radio programs in the US, Canada and … more »

Adele McAlear

In 2009, Profectio.com named Adele McAlear one of the Top 10 Most Influential Women in Social Media in Canada. Her expertise has been featured in The New York Times and The Globe & Mail’s Report on Business. An early adopter of social media and a technology enthusiast, Adele is a strategic marketing consultant with over 20 years marketing experience. … more »

Cynthia Good

Cynthia Good, director of the Creative Book Publishing Program at Humber College, has been in the publishing industry for over twenty-five years. She was appointed the first editorial director of Penguin Books Canada where she was responsible for establishing a publishing program which grew into one of the most successful in Canada. … more »

Who Should Attend and Why

Marketers

Successful marketers know that word-of-mouth is one of the most powerful tools a company can use to spread the word about a product or service, and the Web is like word-of-mouth on steroids. Within minutes, fans can spread the news of a new service or feature across thousands of blogs, Facebook groups, Twitter messages and Web forums. Unfortunately for some companies, that same power can spread bad news just as widely and just as quickly. Come to mesh to hear about how you can benefit from the former and handle the latter.

Media

Not so long ago, the media was a fairly predictable beast that consisted of newspapers, magazines, radio stations and a handful of TV networks. Now, there are thousands of bloggers and Twitter users who at any moment can fulfill virtually the same function as mainstream journalists, not to mention dozens of blog networks, video podcasters and other “citizen journalists” who are changing the way we think about and consume media. Come to mesh to hear about how this affects you and your company.

Entrepreneurs

Starting a business is never easy. But the tools that the Web provides can make it easier than it has ever been, by allowing startups to take advantage of everything from “cloud computing” and hosted storage to Web-based software that can give even small companies an edge over their larger competitors. Come to mesh to find out more about those tools and to learn from those who are already using them to their advantage.

Citizens

Just as the Web has empowered consumers by making it easier for them to express both their support and their criticisms about products and services, it has opened up the doors to the political process as well, giving ordinary citizens a way to express how they feel about their laws and their leaders. At the same time, it has also given interest groups and charitable organizations the kinds of tools they need to reach out and create change. Come to mesh and talk about what that means for us as a society.