Everyone and anyone is talking up social media right now. Asking you to “join the conversation”, “engage” with your customers rather than shouting at them. And telling you that if you don’t use these tools you’re at a major disadvantage.
But what’s the truth about social media? Can they really help your business? And how, exactly?

Who’s speaking?
After announcing our first set of speakers, Professor Malcolm Young, Paul Smith and Stephen Davies, last week, here’s who else will be talking:

Jason Brownlee. Prior to launching Dollywagon Media Sciences, Jason was the founder and research director of Other Lines of Enquiry, a successful media research consultancy. He has developed several new media research technologies, including eye-tracking, SMS surveys and online media engagement testing.

Justin Souter. An experienced, customer-facing consultant who recognises the wider context for IT solutions. Justin recently started his own business, Souter Consulting, which offers advisory and consultancy services to customers who want to maximise the return on their technology investments.

Armin Talic. Armin has spent the last seven years as a designer, project manager and new media practitioner, most recently putting his experience to use as the community manager for revolutionary web video specialists Quick.tv.

Declan Metcalfe. Last year Declan started his own company, Better Brand Agency with partners Mark Easby and Peter Jones and works with public and private sector organisations helping them gain fresh customer insight and develop their brands.

Want to be a guinea pig?
Good. Because if you come to October’s Think and a Drink, you won’t really have a choice. During the event we’ll be running an exclusive networking experiment run by Jason Brownlee of Dollwagon Media Sciences. Armed with a Think and a Drink delegate badge, some business cards and your sparkling personality, you’ll be ready to experience 3 genuinely useful 60 second business meetings.

The Think and a Drink delegate badges will have 3 names on the back with 3 highly relevant people you are due to meet (and in what order).  It will also tell you what you are meeting to discuss and where you will meet – the venue will be split into ‘zones’.
Each meeting will last for 60 seconds.  That’s long enough to put a face to a name, break the ice and identify your common interests.  You can then arrange to meet later in the evening, perhaps with a relaxing drink in your hand.
After 60 seconds a bell will ring and you’ll dash off to your next meeting.  At the end of the speed networking session you will have made 3 new contacts with experience of a specific issue or challenge that you stand to learn from.
We will learn all the information we need to from your registration form.

Register today
Places for Think and a Drink events usually run out quickly. So book yours today at www.thinkandadrink.com
If you have any questions please call Ellie Silson on 0191 556 1127 or email ellie.silson@codeworks.net.

P.S. If you’re coming from Middlesbrough you can hop on a free bus we’re running to and from the event. Please indicate so when booking.

A little more about Thinking Digital:

Thinking Digital is an annual conference where the world´s greatest thinkers and innovators gather to inspire, to entertain, and to discuss the latest ideas and technologies.

Defining exactly what to expect at Thinking Digital isn’t easy. The conference prides itself on the eclectic nature of the schedule. One moment you’ll be experiencing a first UK appearance of Live Mesh (as attendees where treated to at Thinking Digital 2008) and the next you’ll be hearing about the science behind love from the world’s leading expert.

For all the latest updates please visit http://www.thinkingdigital.co.uk or follow ThinkingDigital (http://twitter.com/ThinkingDigital) on Twitter.

The Thinking Digital conference, which took place at the Sage Gateshead on 21-23 May, featured a hugely eclectic line-up of speakers – including a biologist who believes we can actually cure the ageing process, and one of the world’s leading inventors.

For more information please visit www.codeworks.net, www.thinkingdigital.co.uk or read the full article here.

Anyone who missed the event can catch the highlights on a special edition of Sky News’s ‘Technofile’ technology programme. Check it out at http://video.news.sky.com/skynews/video?videoSourceID=1317150&flashURL=feeds/skynews/latest/flash/technofile_240508_1000.flv