Connect '08... and '09

I think I've finally recovered from organizing this year's Connect conference, hosted by Grady College and sponsored by Porter Novelli. We changed it up a lot this year, and it seemed to work -- several people commented that it was more conceptual (less tactical) this year, that the focus had moved from joining the conversation to building community. No magic there: I'm just dragging everyone else along my learning curve.

Sincere thanks to Josh Hallett, Constantin Basturea, Paull Young, Kevin Dugan, and Katie Paine -- all speakers last year who helped me select speakers (and put in a good word with them about the conference) this year. Josh, Constantin and Paull all attended on their own dime, and stepped in, along with Meg Lamme, for emergency speaking duties when we had some last-minute changes in the schedule.

I don't get around the social media circuit much -- budget and family prevent that -- so it was amazing to have some of my favorite bloggers, Peter Himler, Kami Huyse, Lionel Menchaca, and Bert DuMars, come to Athens. I didn't know as much about Dr. Mia Lustria, Doug Isenberg, or Jim Fetig and Kathi Wallace, but I learned a lot from them. When Kami told me she learned something, too; when Phil Gomes tweeted he was glad he was at Connect instead of BlogWorld Expo; and when Paull said Connect was the best-kept secret in PR/social media, I knew the conference had been a success. This can be attributed to the fantastic work of the planning team, Kristin English, Lizzie Azzolino, and Ebuni Ogbechie, and the coverage team, Debbie Ebalobo, Christie Patterson, Mallory Perkins, and Jessica Slevin. As a team they ran @UGAconnect and the blog, which includes audio and video interviews with speakers and other guests. Kudos to Grady staffers, Karen Andrews and Diane Murray, and to Porter Novelli as well.

Although formal planning for Connect '09 won't begin until this summer, I'm already thinking about where to take it next year. For that reason, I asked Constantin to make some remarks at the closing reception on takeaways and where we go from here. (How he managed to do this while simultaneously liveblogging most of the day is beyond me.) Kaye Sweetser and her ubiquitous flip cam captured it on video.

As I said at the end of the video, send your suggestions for next year. We'll listen. The only thing I won't do is make it bigger.

Addition: A kindly reader points out that I forgot to mention the PR academics: Kaye Sweetser, Mihaela Vorvoreanu, and Elizabeth Abrycht. INSERT BRIGHT RED FACE HERE. Aside from the fact that they all gave lively and informative presentations, two of them are friends and the third would be if she didn't live in Paris. My apologies for the oversight.

 

Comments

[Kevin Dugan]

Congratulations. It was a mixed blessing being on this side of the event this year. But I am glad to hear you are focusing on better and not bigger. The formula makes sense.

[Ginger Carter Miller]

I learned so much, I'm still digesting it. I'm in next year for sure, and maybe by then I'll know some stuff I can share with the others.

Great job, Karen. GREAT job.

P.S. I have a student/pr blog now -- Bobcatpr.blogspot.com Check it out.

[Karen Russell]

Kevin, it wasn't the same without you, except that it seemed like you were there between all the comments and tweets and your name being bandied about. Maybe next year?

Carter, I'm counting on you. Gotta have a partner in crime on the learning curve. :-)

[Mihaela V]

Congratulations on another successful UGA Connect, Karen! ...and thank you for the opportunity to be a speaker this year. I had a blast and got a lot of useful feedback for my facebook research project.