SOBCon Preparations

SOBCon is just around the corner! May 1, 2 and 3. In this post I'll give highlights of the conference and what I'm doing in preparing for the event. This is a continuation of my post for 2/27/09 http://debworks.blogspot.com/2009/02/sobcon-action-points.html

Friday Topics are:

Trust Agents with Chris Brogan and Julien Smith the men who wrote the book on trust in building community and participation in a 21^st century business.

Internet Content and Online Assets by founder of Copyblogger and teaching sells.

The Business and the Blog Denise Wakeman and Chris Cree discuss what to do, know and expect from a blog based business.

Essentials of a Business Blog by Stephen Smith and Michael Martine run down key parts and uses of great business blogs.

The Back Office by Saul Colt and Terry Starbucker who offer the tools and strategies for keeping administration on track.

Accessibility Markets by Glenda Watson Hyatt, Karen Putz and Stephen Hobsonwho explain how to tailor your webmarket to meet a specific market.

Preparation: explore these bloggers and see what it is they have done to monetize their blogs. Are they business blogs? What kind of content do they provide? What kind of business will/am I doing that speaks to a business blog?

Saturday is a day filled with workshops. It's called Models and Masterminds. Presenters discuss one aspect of the ROI of Relationships in Social Media Business. Each presenter offers a model or an actionable strategy. Attendees working in teams of five or six people immediately discuss and apply the model to their business.

Presenters and topics are:

Terry Starbucker on SOBCon and Entrepreneurship

Kali Evans-Raoul on Being Seen, Heard and Understood – Transparency and Visibility as Connectors in Business

Lauren Freeman on e-Commerce Strategies

Brian Solis on Communication Networks and Competition on the Social Sphere

KD Paine on The ROI of Relationships in Social Media

Liz Strauss on Negotiating Relationships: Growth Strategy Communications

Preparation: Frankly, I just want to be open to this day and go with the flow. I will be working at a time with 5 or 6 people masterminding each presentation and seeing how it applies to me.

Sunday is where attendees get the chance to “meet the challenge” and show corporate sponsors how social media can connect their product with their customers. We’re offering sponsors a small window to bring a product or problem to the attendee audience to work on.

The corporate sponsors this year (so far) are WalMart, Blog Catalog, IttyBiz, Beam Global Spirits and Wine, BuzzCorps, Summit Executive Center.

Preparation: This is exciting! I will be able to look at my sponsorship and see how I can lay this onto what it is my sponsors are looking for. I will be meeting with Pat Palmer The Computer Guy, Board members of the Franklin County Historical Society, Judy Wrolson from Cornerstone Cottage, Vern and Judy Harper from Townsend Winery. I am looking for a few more sponsors at $200 each – could that be you?

What are you doing to prepare for your next convention?  

picture of orb from last SOBCon courtesy of cmcbrown