Ryan Anderson dot ca

When we all first started talking about this whole new “social media” thing, our biggest problem was the need to explain what exactly it was, why it was important, and show how it was going to change the face of business.  Today, there’s still a need to help people understand the basics, but there’s an increasing need to move beyond the fundamentals and start thinking about how social media can be improved for those who have been working at it for a couple of years.

That’s why I’m extremely excited that one of my favourite bloggers, Collin Douma, Proximity BBDO’s VP of Social Media, and all around great guy is coming to Ottawa to speak at the next Social Media Breakfast, and that his topic of discussion is focused on the elements of social media for the people who are already doing it, and understand the need to join the conversation.

From the talk’s description:

Social Media is changing the game . . . We get it already.

Now what?

Where does if fit in the organization? What skill sets best determine a social media lead? Do you hire an expert, an agency or go it alone? Do we focus on the one-offs, or look at this as a discipline over the long haul. What sort of commitment does it take to really make an impact with your brand in the social space?

You can read Collin’s blog at Radical Trust and follow him on Twitter as @collindouma, but you definitely don’t want to miss him at Social Media Breakfast Ottawa #13 on December 3.

As always, the event will be held in the offices of Gowling Lafleur Henderson, our wonderful season sponsor.  If you want to register, you can do so at http://smbottawa13.eventbrite.com.  Hope to see you there!

The room at the Ottawa Social Media Breakfasts is always packed, but this month, I suspect that tickets will go faster than usual.  This September 16, fresh off her triumphant return to the Great White North, Tara Hunt will be joining us to talk about social media, building communities, and her book, the Whuffie Factor.

If you want to come (and I strongly suggest you do), then just head on over to the EventBrite page for SMBOttawa, and buy your ticket.  Remember, that $10 admission goes directly to bringing great speakers like Tara to Ottawa.

Hope to see you there!

Let’s face it – we all know there’s a lot of it out there.  The important question is how we advance beyond the advice of self-proclaimed experts and integrate social media into our marketing in a way that moves the needle for our clients or our businesses.

To answer (at least some of) that question, Chris Greenfield, product strategist and Founder & CEO of clever communications will be speaking at the next Social Media Breakfast on the topic Social Media Hype: Getting past the BS and making it work.

From the description:

When ROI means everything, businesses need to focus their social media efforts on their core business goals, with a realistic look at the resources and commitment required to execute well a social media program.

I’ve worked with Chris many times in the past and I can vouch for him being one of the good ones.  He’s also an excellent speaker, so don’t miss the opportunity to see him in Ottawa.  Book your ticket today – http://smbottawa8.eventbrite.com

When

Wednesday, April 15, 2009 from 7:30 AM – 9:00 AM (ET)

Where

Gowlings
160 Elgin Street
Suite 2600
Ottawa, K1P 1C3
Canada

Spring is just around the corner, we’re about to get an exta hour of daylight, and young people’s fancy is turning to thoughts of social media and a light continental breakfast.

That’s right – Social Media Breakfast number 7 is coming up in less than two weeks.  On March 11, we have the pleasure of having Brady Gilchrist, digital strategist and entrepreneur to come and talk to us about the changing mediascape and how social media will fit in with big corporations.  Brady is the digital advisor to many large international brands, so he brings a distinctly unique perspective to the tools we use every day.

As always, you can sign up at the Eventbrite page – http://smbottawa7.eventbrite.com, and we will be hosted at Gowlings Law Firms on Elgin, by our wonderful sponsor, without which this breakfast would not be possible.

In the meantime, here’s the introduction to Brady’s talk:

I hope I’ll see you all there!

When

Wednesday, March 11, 2009 from 7:30 AM – 9:00 AM (ET)

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Where

Gowlings
160 Elgin Street
Suite 2600
MAP

It’s been a little while since last we met, but we’re kicking off the first Social Media Breakfast of the year in style with special guest speaker Stuart MacDonald; CEO of TripHarbour.ca, founder and former CMO of Expedia.ca, and co-founder of the MESH conference.  He’s going to talk about how social media has helped him build the community-driven travel site and the lessons he picked up over his career launching and building online businesses.

This is a must for anyone interested in social media and business.  Stuart is not just an experienced marketer, he’s a fantastic speaker who understands the role of social media in business.

The event takes place on February 20 at the offices of our wonderful sponsors Gowlings, located at 160 Elgin Street.  Tickets are available at http://smbottawa6.eventbrite.com/.

Okay, so this is a bit short notice, but if you happen to be down near Preston Street on Tuesday morning, you may want to swing by the Overlay.TV offices and join us for the third Social Media Breakfast.  I’m going to be doing a brief talk on Reputation 2.0, and what companies need to do to protect their rep in an online world.

The details of this week’s breakfast are here, and you can reserve your spot on our EventBrite page.  Right now, our general admission is sold out, but you can put your name on the standby list.

Of course, I must also thank our sponsors, Chicken Farmers of Canada, who graciously agreed to help the event take place by providing breakfast, even though it’s not going to be chicken.  You’ve probably seen them on Parliament Hill on Canada Day, or as the sponsors of Test the Nation a couple of weeks ago.  Either way, you’re most likely familiar with their product, so show your support for their generosity by ordering a chicken sandwich at lunch today.

The breakfast will be at Overlay.TV – 80 Aberdeen Street near Preston and Carling, and starts at 7:30.

See you there!

Just a reminder that Canada’s first Social Media Breakfast takes place tomorrow – Tuesday, June 10 at 7:30am at the offices of Ramius Corporation - 55 Metcalfe Ave in Ottawa.  We’re very excited that we’ve already reached our goal of 60 attendees, so we’re freeing up some extra tickets.  If you’re interested in attending, just send me an email – ryan [at] ryananderson [dot] ca.

I’ll be posting some photos, and hopefully some video of the event, so be sure to check back later in the week for coverage of the event if you can’t make it.

Big thanks once again goes to Overlay.tv for their generous sponsorship of the innaugural event!