Promoting Events Through Social Media at Chicago Social Media Week

Chicago is celebrating Social Media Week in a big way in September and Lightspan is proud to be part of that celebration.

Lightspan founder and President Mana Ionescu will join a stellar panel at the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce to discuss promoting events through social media. Her fellow panelists include Michael Timpone from Kapow and PJ Loughrin from Superfly. Catch the discussion Sept. 24 at Willis Tower, 82nd floor.

“The FOMO effect (Fear Of Missing Out) presents some fascinating strategies for marketing events,” Ionescu says. “I’m fascinated by social media’s effect on how we perceive inclusiveness and the need to not miss a thing, be it a tweet, a notification or an event. People take social media interactions personally. If my grandpa was alive he’d laugh his butt off at how upset some of us get over not receiving a Twitter response from a stranger. But the effect is here. We can’t ignore it. And it’s a powerful opportunity for marketers.”

She said she’s especially excited to join  Timpone on the panel.

“He’s one of my favorites to team up with,” she says. “He challenges me, yet respects how fired up I get about my social media pet peeves. Plus he’s funny. We get to teach and throw in some laughs at the same time.”

She’s also excited to check out some of the other panels and presentations on tap for the week.

“It’s amazing to see the pull of social media week, to see it growing and to see colleges jumping in with some pretty relevant topics such as the career counselor technology meetup,” she says. “Cision deserves credit for going after the elephant in the room with the topic of public relations and content marketing. We simply can’t ignore the fact that the communication disciplines are coming together.”

But Ionescu also fears that too many of the week’s topics are old news and lack a forward-leaning focus.

“Social media is not new any more,” she says. “Social Media Week shouldn’t be dabbling in 10-year-old news, but rather push for new stories and innovation. I am sure the intentions of the organizers are great and I realize so many marketers still haven’t touched social. But, ‘branding in the digital space’ is a topic that’s been relevant since the advent of business websites, and by now there should be college majors focusing on this topic.”

Ionescu will also join a second panel to discuss media and publishing and how to be the one to get it right. She’ll be joined by Andy Crestodina of Orbit Media Studios and Jodi Navta of Coyote Logistics in a discussion sure to send you home with plenty of actionable insights you can put to work for your company. Crestodina is one of the city’s most respected content marketers, while Navta is the marketing director behind one of the fastest-growing companies in Chicago.

Join Ionescu and her fellow panelists for a frank, thought-provoking discussion of the future of social media for marketing events. You’re sure to get something to think about.

Integrating Real-time Social Media Into Live Events

Who:
Mike Timpone, Kapow
PJ Loughran, Superfly
Mana Ionescu, Lightspan Digital

When:  Tuesday, Sept. 24
Willis  Tower, 82nd Floor, North Hall

8:30 am:  Networking
9:00 am:  Panel Discussion
10:00 am:  Audience Q&A

Media and Publishing:  Finishing First Every Time

Who:
Mana Ionescu, Lightspan Digital
Andy Crestodina, Orbit Media Studios
Jodi Navta, Coyote Logistics

When:  Thursday, Sept. 26
Tribune Tower, Huron Room

9:00 am:  Panel Discussion
10:00 am:  Audience Q&A