Apps to use, books to read, and things to see and hear
Af Lara Mulady, Online Communicator, Designit
Seeing as it’s summer, and most of us are on holiday at some point over the next month or so, I thought that instead of writing an article I’d try to gather together a list of things to do over summer. I’ve kept an eye and an ear open for things like books, events, and even just the occasional app that might come in handy. I hope that at the very least, you’ll walk away with one jotted down on your to-do list.
Apps
Books
Events
London, March 27th – 28th
Social Media World Forum Europe – Engage with the World of Social Media MarketingTwo days of interactive & engaging conference featuring leading key figure keynotes, brand case studies, topical Q&A and debates, exhibition hall, workshops and networking.
London, August Bank Holiday Weekend The streets turn to a riot of noise and colour. With both a children’s carnival and adults, there’s fun for everyone. In my opinion the best thing is all the food, washed down with a bottle of Red Stripe.
London, September 17th – 25th Nine amazing days of design events showcasing the UK's world-class creative community – bound to be some good things here!
London September 19th
Social Media Marketing & Monitoring Over 200 brands and agencies, bloggers and journalists attended this Social Media Marketing & Monitoring 2011 (London), so we expect a sell-out in 2011. This time around we'll be pushing the boundaries further and exploring the latest in social media marketing innovation, as well as the tools and techniques that have proved their value in the past year. Expect all things Twitter, Facebook, Groupon, Foursquare, YouTube, LinkedIn, blogs and more.
London September 20th The ultimate social media event for CEOs
London October 13th – 28th Films for everyone, and some great live interviews lined up – not one to miss if you’re in the city!
Paris December 9th (not exactly summer, but what the heck)
Social Media Marketing & Monitoring Social Media Marketing & Monitoring 2011 (Paris) will once again bring together some of the finest minds in social media to highlight the best tools and techniques for listening and measurement. Topics covered will include: sentiment detection, influencer analysis, how to measure social media ROI, data access and quality, small business monitoring and reputation management for brands.
Barcelona, July 17th – 21st
Fifth International AAAI Conference on Weblogs and Social Media The International Conference on Weblogs and Social Media is a unique forum that brings together researchers from the disciplines in computer science, linguistics, communication, and the social sciences. The broad goal of ICWSM is to increase understanding of social media in all its incarnations. Submissions describing research that blends social science and technology are especially encouraged.
USA Social Media Business Summit, presented by BlogWorld & New Media Expo, is the world’s largest Social Media business conference. It’s an exclusive 3-Day track, presented by social media thought leaders and corporate pro’s, empowering your company with the tools to use social media to gain exposure, engage with quality customers and grow your business!
San Diego August 6th BlogHer '11 will bring over three thousand attendees together from all over the world to share hands-on learning, rich discussions, opportunities to meet with the brands that support them and plentiful networking opportunities.
New York July 12th & October 12th
Social Media Marketing & Monitoring At Social CRM (New York) we will explore the latest tools and techniques for implementing a successful SCRM strategy. How are companies capturing and managing social media data? How can organisations integrate social media into sales, marketing, research, strategy-making and customer communications processes? How can social media data be stored and managed between teams
New York October 17th – 18th
Pivot Conference – the Rise of the Social Consumer “Over the course of two-days, Pivot will explore every step of the Social Consumer’s decision-making cycle, including the introduction and monetization of touch points that activate results. Pivot will explore the need to adapt to new market conditions caused by the Social revolution: Social changes everything. To succeed now and in the future, it takes an entire organization to win in marketing and advertising.” Both Brian Solis and David Armano are speaking here. It’s almost worth going to New York for!
Melbourne August 22nd – 24th
Corporate Communication via Interactive Media We are living in a time where social media is changing forever
Sydney August 31st – September 1st
In what has quickly become a 24/7 business operating world, it has become essential to understand how to effectively build, monitor and retain your positive brand and reputation. But how can you effectively monitor the communication between all your stakeholders and ensure you control public perception and manage your reputation?
All over!
Beirut, Berlin, Bogotá, Buenos Aires, Chicago, Glasgow, Los Angeles, Milan, Moscow, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paolo, Vancouver
Social Media Week September 19 – 23
Social Media Week (SMW) is a global platform that connects people, content, and conversation around emerging trends in social and mobile media. So there you have it. I hope you find something you like, and have a super summer holiday!
Speaking of to-do lists, that’s a great place to start. I’m a big fan of lists, and make them constantly. Trouble is, I’m always starting lists in different places – my computer at home, my computer at work, my phone, paper, diary – they’re everywhere. TeuxDeux is my lifesaver. An incredibly simple browser-based app that automatically syncs with the iPhone app (Android is on the way!). It’s free, it’s easy, it’s simple, and it’s the best thing since sliced bread. Give it a go.
While I’m on apps, I came across Water Water Everywhere (UK only - for now). If you’re like myself (and the genius behind this app), bottled water is akin to throwing money down the drain. Buy a bottle, and refill it with perfectly safe tap water. There is no difference. This app covers the whole of the UK, and shows you where you can find drinking water; fountains, taps, or other sources. You can find it in the App Store, and hopefully soon on Android.
Wherever you are (as long as it’s London, Paris, New York, Berlin, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Manchester or Zagreb), you can’t go wrong with the Time Out City Guides. They’re free, they list everything that’s going on in the city, and they’re up to date. If you’re on Android, then check out Trip Advisor – another great app, which gives you almost all the same information.
The last apps I’ll mention are travel related too. Firstly, Geodelic (for both iPhone and Android). This app shows you everything that’s close to you, wherever you are, from fast food to sights, from cafes, to grocery shopping – it’s extremely handy.
The two biggest European festivals happening this summer have their own apps either ready, or on the way. Glastonbury Festival in the UK have a superb app from Orange, featuring a fantastic planner and a great map, and Roskilde Festival in Denmark have a great sounding app from Robocat, which will be released soon. Robocat’s app recently won the Roskilde Labs App Competition, so you can be sure of top quality.
Last but definitely not least, make sure you download LocateMyPhone for iPhone, or Lookout for Android. Both will show you where you phone is, using the phone’s GPS, if you’re unlucky enough to lose it, or have it stolen.
So enough about apps. What about books? I came across a great link on Brainpickers recently, which features 5 must-read books by TED speakers. If you’re not a fan of TED Talks, you should be. They’re my inspiration for almost every day, and I was thrilled to see these books presented as I have no doubt they’ll be absorbing reads.
My personal favourite holiday read aren’t the throbbing stallion meets delicate ivory princess type. I’d much rather learn a little something, whether it be about myself, or something else. Here are my top 5 holiday reads.
Bill Bryson – A Short History of Nearly Everything (paperback & Kindle)
It is what it says it is – from the big bang to present day (well, late 90s) Bill walks the reader through it all, and manages to make physics, chemistry and biology funny, fascinating and page-turning. I’d like to add that Mr Bryson writes excellent travel books as well – really worth reading. They make me cry with laughter.
Ffyona Campbell – On Foot Through Africa
An incredible emotional journey about determination, love, life and what can happen when you put your mind to something. Ffyona (no stranger to long walks) heads out to walk from one end of Africa to the other, crossing war zones and deserts, being terrorised one moment and welcomed the next. If you’re off to Africa this summer – this is your reading material.
Malcom Gladwell (again) – Blink (paperback & Kindle)
Since reading this book I’ve realised how much you should trust your first impressions. You are so much more aware than you might think, and sometimes it’s worth believing your eyes. You’ll never look at things the same way.
Malcom Gladwell – The Tipping Point
The book looks at why small things, can suddenly become very, very big. From fashion to smoking to epidemics, the book examines just what it is that tips small things over the edge and makes them snowball. It’s fascinating, and an easy read.
Paul Auster – True Tales of American Life (paperback & Kindle)
Edited by Paul Auster, this book presents a collection of real-life stories written by everyday people. They’ll make you laugh and cry, restore your faith in humanity, and question yourself and your motives.
Bored of reading? Great. Next up are some events you might like to check out while you’re abroad. I’ve tried to gather a nice array of events in different places, so I hope at least one of them is where you’re headed.
Europe
Los Angeles November 3rd – 5th
Australia
the way communication professionals converse, connect and collaborate with people inside and outside of the organisation. However, many communicators face challenges in gaining authority from management to utilise social media, developing
a social media policies, and measuring the effectiveness and ROI of campaigns and strategies involving the use of social media.