mesh 2008 Day 1 - May 21

mesh 2008 Day 2 - May 22

Panel and Presentation Descriptions

Media

Video is Everywhere (Day 1 - 1:30 PM)

Video has exploded online into dozens of new forms, and through new providers, such as blip.tv, Hulu, Ustream and Joost, aimed at delivering video content to new markets in new ways. What have we learned so far about the future shape of online video? Why are services such as Hulu and streaming TV from U.S. networks not available in Canada? Join blip.tv founder Dina Kaplan, CTV online video guru Andre Gaulin and CBC video producer Guinevere Ortis as they discuss these and other issues in a panel moderated by Amber MacArthur.

The New Front Page (Day 1 - 2:50 PM)

In the past, the front page of the newspaper or the TV news was our main source of information. Now, as media becomes social, we are just as likely to see a link on Digg or StumbleUpon, or get sent one through Pownce, or see one on a friend's blog. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Some feel this is making us more narrow in our interests, as we see only the content our friends agree is important, but others see these "recommendation engines" as a positive thing. Join Daniel Burka of Digg, Pema Hegan of GigPark and Candice Faktor of OurFaves in a discussion about how the Web is the new front page, moderated by Mathew Ingram.

Where's the Business in Show Business - Music and the Web (Day 1 - 4:10 PM)

Some artists -- such as Radiohead, Trent Reznor, Jonathan Coulton and others -- see the Web as a powerful force that helps them connect with their fans directly instead of going through a major label. Others in the industry wonder how artists are going to be compensated for their work, as downloading increases and younger fans grow up thinking that songs are free. How will artists create relationships with their audience in the age of social media? What role remains for the traditional label? How do we reward creativity - is an ISP "tax" the way to go? Join the discussion with award-winning musician David Usher, Kieran Roy and Graham Henderson of the Canadian Recording Industry Association, moderated by David Gratton of Project Opus.

Society

Does Location Matter? (Day 1 - 1:30 PM)

Nora Young, host of Spark -- a new CBC radio program about technology and culture -- will be recording a panel session live at mesh 2008 for broadcast on her show. She'll be looking at whether physical location matters any more, with social networks such as Facebook and all of the other ways in which people can interact with each other virtually. Join the discussion with Nora and her guest Bill Buxton, a renowned computer scientist who specializes in user-interface design.

Digital Activism (Day 1 - 2:50 PM)

A presentation by University of Ottawa law professor and copyright expert Michael Geist about how Web 2.0 tools are being used as highly effective advocacy tools to influence governments, companies, and communities. Geist will focus on how he used Facebook and other social media to connect with tens of thousands of Canadians opposed to the government's anticipated copyright legislation, and helped convince federal officials to withdraw the proposed law. Rob Hyndman will moderate.

Private vs. Public (Day 1 - 4:10 PM)

Are society's notions about privacy changing? Does anyone even care about privacy any more? Once you provide your information, does it belong to you or to Them? Younger Web users seem perfectly comfortable disclosing even intimate personal details to people they meet online. But some are concerned about what seems like excessive disclosure, and also wonder what happens to your data once social media sites get hold of it. Come and discuss these issues and more with Internet researcher Nancy Baym of the University of Kansas, philosophy professor and author Mark Kingwell and Ken Anderson, assistant privacy commissioner for Ontario, in a panel moderated by Rachel Sklar.

Marketing

Social Media and the Enterprise (Day 2 - 1:30 PM)

Corporate communication certainly hasn't gotten any easier. "Media" used to be a defined thing, and people broadly knew the rules. But in the age of social media, blogs, comments, reviews, ratings, friends, groups, videos, etc., etc. - well, it's a brave new world. Learn as top communication and marketing experts Natalie Johnson from General Motors USA, Chris Reid of Yamaha Motor Canada and Jenny Bullough of Harlequin Enterprises Ltd. share their stories and practices in taking their organizations' communications and relationships online.

Building a Brand on the Web (Day 2 - 2:50 PM)

As the reach and efficiency of traditional media for marketing purposes continues to decline, companies and marketers alike are questioning how they can build a brand identity without any of the usual tools. What strategies make sense for brands when they move online, and how should they be structured to take advantage of the medium? What are some of the pitfalls of trying to use social media to do so? Join a discussion about these and other issues with Rohit Bhargava, author of the new book "Personality Not Included", Maggie Fox of The Social Media Group and Michael Garrity of CommunityLend, with Mark Evans, moderator.

Measuring Social Media (Day 2 - 4:30 PM)

Everyone wants to know how their social media marketing campaigns are working, or whether in fact they are working at all. But can "engagement" with customers or the community at large ever be measured accurately? Can it in fact be measured at all -- and if it can, what are the key elements of such a process? How do advertisers and marketing clients know that the campaigns they are paying for will actually provide value? Alan Chumley of Hill & Knowlton's social media practice, Sylvain Perron of Edelman, and consultant Katie Delahaye Paine will be discussing these issues in a session moderated by Stuart MacDonald.

Business

Cultivating Community (Day 2 - 1:30 PM)

Communities are powerful things, and online communities that form around a company, product or service can use their power in a positive or a negative way. How do online communities form, and what can companies do to try and ensure that their effects are mainly positive? Is it possible to build or create a community, or do they emerge organically and resist cultivation? What are some of the successful strategies companies have used? Join a discussion with George Tsiolis of Agoracom, an online investment community for small cap companies, Derek Szeto of RedFlagDeals, 'Canada's Bargain Hunting Community', and Christopher Jackson of Epitome Pictures, which runs an online community for fans of the TV show Degrassi - The Next Generation, moderated by Jen Evans.

Founders' Stories (Day 2 - 2:50 PM)

Hear from startup founders and CEOs about the mistakes they made, the dead-ends they followed, the lessons they learned and the successes they ultimately achieved. Venture capitalist and blogger Paul Kedrosky moderates a panel with Julia Johnston of mEgo, Leah Culver of Pownce and Ryan Carson of Carson Systems.

The Infinite Good (Day 2 - 4:10 PM)

Understanding the economic opportunities of abundance: A presentation by Mike Masnick, founder of the Techdirt Insight Community, about how the Web has pushed the marginal cost of producing content towards zero, and what this means for businesses and content producers alike. Rob Hyndman will moderate.

Workshop Descriptions

Media

Making Online Videos People Want to Watch (Day 1 - 2:50 PM)

During this workshop Amber MacArthur, Jeff MacArthur, and Christopher Dick of MGImedia.ca will demonstrate how to create professional and profitable online videos. They will focus on the following key points:

• Creating content and building community
• Finding sponsors and selling ads
• Buying equipment and production tips

This workshop will be a hands-on demonstration, so we encourage everyone to bring laptops and portable cameras.

Society

Government 2.0, from Community Participation to Co-creation (Day 1 - 4:10 PM)

Toronto's Transit Camp community worked with Metrolinx (the Greater Toronto Transportation Authority) to create Metronauts: a radically participatory approach to regional transportation planning that uses social web tools together with participatory events. Moving from traditional public consultation to participatory design practices required significant innovation in tools, methods and governance, but provided value and insights not otherwise possible. This workshop will look at the live Metronauts case study and outline the tools, the practices and methods and explore how they might be applied to other organizational planning and innovation goals.

Co-facilitated by Mark Kuznicki, Remarkk! Consulting and Sean Howard, Lift Communications

Marketing

Online Advertising - An Introduction to Ad Networks (Day 2 - 2:50 PM)

As internet advertising booms, online advertising networks are taking a leading role in driving growth while simultaneously reaping the rewards. Based on his year four years of experience in building ad networks, Mladen Raickovic will provide his insight on what online advertising networks are and how they work.

This session will be useful for entrepreneurs, website publishers, and advertisers looking to obtain an understanding of the online advertising network space.

Reputation Monitoring and Management (Day 2 - 4:10 PM)

This workshop will focus on what it means to have a reputation, and how that is transformed in a digital context. Sam Ladner will provide a framework for defining a digital reputation for both brands and individuals, and will also review the leading social media monitoring tools and guide participants in choosing the right tool for their brand, their business or themselves. Participants will learn what elements go into a reputation, how a digital reputation differs from face-to-face, and what advantages the Web offers for gathering insights about reputation. Media planners, brand managers, and online marketing professionals will learn techniques to measure and improve their online reputations. Journalists and social researchers will learn innovative techniques for storytelling and trend watching.

VC's in Canada: What you need to know. A workshop with Kevin Talbot (Day 2 - 4:10 PM)

You have an idea for a startup or perhaps are further along. Now comes the big question: How do you finance it? Venture Capital is obviously one alternative, but what are VCs looking for? How do VCs find new opportunities? What should companies do to be prepared when seeing Venture Capital funding? Join Kevin Talbot, VP and Managing Director, RBC Venture Partners Group and co-managing partner of the BlackBerry Partners Fund as he shares his thoughts and gets you ready.

Business

Capturing Angels - How to Raise Angel Financing for your Startup (Day 2 - 1:30 PM)

This workshop will cover four different aspects of the angel financing process.

• How to evaluate if your idea is ready for angel financing?
• How to pitch angel investors - what are they looking for?
• How to find qualified angel investors in Canada?
• Closing your angel financing, term sheets, deal structures and strategies for successfull angel deals.

Business Metrics - Beyond Web Analytics (Day 2 - 2:50 PM)

This is a workshop for old-fashioned people – those who think that startups can actually use a business model and try to make money at the end of the day.

During this workshop Dmitry Buterin will demonstrate and discuss the key business metrics collected and put to practical use in the rapidly growing web software startup environment:

• To keep the team on the same page
• To drive monthly, quarterly and annual priorities
• To prepare plans and forecasts without resorting to voodoo
• To prevent your business from crashing down after running out of gas (aka cash)
• To manage your various business functions: marketing, support, development

If you are a current or aspiring high-tech entrepreneur looking practical insight and ideas, there should be plenty of useful information and interesting discussion at this workshop for you.