Things that went well:

• The venue was fantastic. The new Raleigh Civic and Convention Center is a beautiful building, and it had plenty of space for (most of) the sessions, adequate vendor and demo space, yet had enough “intimate” areas for attendees to network or duck out and get a couple of emails done during the event.
• The price was right. The event was very professionally run, and while I didn’t get a chance to experience some typical conference staples (didn’t go on the wifi, and got there too late for lunch), everything that I experienced was very well thought out, and at only $245 for early bird registration, I was pleasantly surprised they were able to do so much for so little.  I imagine with increased demands for the Raleigh Civic and Convention Center, the price may go up…c’est la vie.
• Great networking opportunities. The pre-event reception was stocked with a bar, decent food, music, and standing tables for great networking.  It gave @gregoryng, @jasonpeck, @waynesutton and me a chance to meet and brew up some crazy scheme for SXSW (More on that later).  Also, the 20-30 minutes between sessions gave people plenty of time to meet with the vendors, talk with other attendees or catch up on work.

Things that could be improved for next year:

• Power, Power, POWER! At a conference full of internet professionals, the lack of available power outlets and snacks/drinks was a glaring oversight.  People are tweeting their thumbs off on their laptops and (insert smartphone here, but most likely an iPhone…let’s be honest), and battery technology still isn’t what it needs to be.   Find some powerstrips and get that set up for next year.  Attention vendors: a laptop/iPhone charging station would be an AWESOME sponsorship opportunity next year….
• More sustenance: While one can argue that all internet professionals need is a Red Bull in the morning and a charged laptop, we too must eat and drink to survive.  Lunches QUICKLY ran out and we were left with the “Grilled Vegetables boxed lunch #fail”.  Also, bottled water finally made it’s appearance at about 4:30PM, after I overheard more than a few grumblings about its absence.  I understand that it would raise prices, but as most attendees have their admission paid by their employer, I say spring for the extra $25 to get some more snacks and beverages out there.
• Better room planning: Some of the most popular sessions (read: those that had the most actionable info, read below) were held in the much-too-small Room 402, as opposed to the large ballrooms.  Hopefully organizers for the event took a quick look in each room and will adjust the sessions/locations for next year.

And, my number one complaint/area of improvement for all conferences that I’ve attended recently:

• ACTIONABLE INFORMATION! In the latter half of 2009, if you don’t know what Twitter/Facebook/web analytics/email marketing are at a basic level, there are more than enough blog posts, social media gurus and other (more) reputable sources out there to learn about these technologies.  I want to walk out of a conference with a swag mini-notebook FILLED with ideas, sketches, best practices, new experts to follow and a renewed excitement about the state of our industry.  While there were some bright moments during the Internet Summit, I still found myself “singing along” with most of the panelists and their “visions” about what 2010 will bring.  I understand that I work in this industry, and all attendees may not have the same level of experience with the online world, but I think it is better to err on the side of information and idea overload, rather than oversimplifying things.

All in all, I’m glad I went, I met some AWESOME people and I think this is a big step forward for social media and internet marketing in the Triangle.  If you agree, or even better if you disagree, please leave your comments below.

Social Media Experts are everywhere...be cautious!

I’m very lucky to have entered when I did; I (along with our team) was able to learn about the social contract, context and boundaries of these SM sites and how our company presents itself on these properties. Now that every CxO and VP has learned about SM in Fortune or the Wall Street Journal and declared them a must-have for every business, regardless of audience, product or brand platform, a new crop of enterprising individuals have come out of the woodwork: the “Social Media Expert”.

One of the most important things I’ve learned through my (brief) experience in the SM field is this: There are very few social media experts out there, but plenty of folks who claim to be.

Had I not been careful, I (or even worse, my company) could have been swept up into the frenzied world of buying followers or following the advice of some self-aggrandizing “brand evangelist”who doesn’t understand our customers, product positioning, or go-to-market strategy.

Before you go out and hire an expert, consider what you know about your company first.

The question that you (not the “expert”) must be able to answer is this: “How will our company and brand behave online?” Most “experts” will preach the pillars of social media interaction: full disclosure, organizational transparency, a hip, “with-it” social voice, etc. The problem is that these traits cannot be emulated by some companies; if you work in a highly-regulated industry or for a company that services a very unique clientele, you may be limited in what you can say online and/or how you say it.

Now, this may seem a bit hypocritical, as I am offering SM advice…the difference is, I do not advertise myself as a social media expert; I’m part of a team that saw an opportunity to grow our company’s presence online, and we put in the time, made the mistakes, and refined the SM presence of our company, and because of that trial and error we have gained the understanding of the business. Our corporate leaders know the boundaries and responsibilities that apply to our followers, fans and community members, and rely on the social media team to build and strengthen these relationships, all the time conforming with and reinforcing our brand and company voice.

This isn’t the last time I’ll speak (read: rant) on this topic, but I’ll save you from the rest. Before you go out and hire an expert to tell you anything, consider what you know about your company first.