What They’re Saying About #FMCSummerSM
The Fair Media Council’s 2016 Social Media Summer Boot Camp was once again a hit! Casual and beach attired attendees engaged in conversations about cyber security, authenticity on social media, the importance of customer satisfaction, and the Pokemon Go mania with guest speakers Steve Morgan, Lora Dennis, Lance Ulanoff, Randi Busse, Chris D’Orso and David Chauvin. Our hosts for this event, South Nassau Communities Hospital, could not have been more gracious, providing a comfortable venue and delicious breakfast buffet for all to enjoy while being enlightened by these industry experts. – Kaitlyn McKenna, Millennium Communications
This year’s summer Social Media boot camp was bursting at the seams with usable and relevant social media tools and tactics. Presenters were expert social media marketers at the top of their game – imagine the opportunity for one-on-one conversations with the likes of Mashable’s Chief Lance Ulanoff; to learn from NBC TV’s digital Sr VP Lora Dennis how she and her team of 60 developed the RIO2016 Facebook campaign; how SUNY Stony Brook manages to sustain a highly engaging and successful social media program on a shoestring budget (Ha! Tell me we all can’t relate to that scenario.) I find this event to be the best use of a Friday morning in the summer I can think of. That’s why I attend year after year and encourage my colleagues to the same. – Judy Bellem, SMM Advertising
As a ‘master juggler’ (What I call people who are multitasking machines), I’m confident my schedule is more hectic than the average business owner, yet I always make time for FMC events. I have not left even one time where there wasn’t some new idea, process or plan I immediately put into action. Like this last one: three quick ‘emails-to-self’ for things I needed to do when I got back. – John Colascione, Searchen Networks
The speakers were very knowledgeable and each one gave a different view on the social media world so there was little to no repetition. I also liked the interactive aspect where questions were encouraged which made it very engaging. Overall, I would recommend this boot camp to anyone who is looking to promote their business through social media. – Catherine Schutte, SMM Advertising
Randi Busse always manages to give concrete advice you can act on immediately. Reminding us all that technology allows the power of customer feedback to grow exponentially was very helpful. – Leila Zogby, Leila Zogby Business Writer
A Morning of Engaging Expertise to Help Others Excel
The Fair Media Council’s 6th Annual Summer Social Media Boot Camp took an enthusiastic audience through some of the most important topics happening in news and social media today.
Held in a new location this year, the South Nassau Communities Hospital Conference Center impressed everyone with its state-of-the-art capabilities, comfortable setting and friendly staff. A hot buffet breakfast aptly fueled campers for a morning of learning and sharing between each other and the expert speakers. A lack of traffic and easy parking had everyone in a good mood from the get-go.
After a brief welcome from SNCH’s Joe Calderone, Cybersecurity Ventures’ Steve Morgan began the program with a look at the growing epidemic of cybercrime. Nearly endless questions ranging from how to protect oneself, and a business, to the whether or not Anonymous is a friend or foe brought many enlightening dimensions to the presentation.
A conversation with Mashable Chief Correspondent Lance Ulanoff and FMC CEO Jaci Clement employed a talk-show format, as audience members sought to discover how Mashable makes editorial decisions and maintains integrity at a time when anyone can livestream news and events on Facebook. Ulanoff repeatedly stressed that unique, compelling content that’s accurate holds its own against the competition to be first.
A walk through the digital strategy behind the Summer Games in Rio by NBC Television Station’s Senior Vice President Lora Dennis gave attendees a true inside look at what to expect happening across NBC’s broadcast outlets and social media channels. The audience even got to choose its favorite summer Olympics promo. This is the one that won.
Zimmerman/Edelson’s David Chauvin gave a much-needed overview of the demographics behind today’s most popular social media channels, while customer service expert Randi Busse delivered a TED-styled talk on how social media is scaring away customers. “A complaint,” noted Busse, “is a four-letter word: It’s a gift.”
Rounding out the program was Stony Brook University’s Christopher D’Orso, explaining how to find your voice in social media and using various real-life examples to illustrate his work. On a college campus, content ranges from class scheduling, to an alum in the Olympics, to the cafeteria trying to promote Taco Tuesdays. Oh, and the time the computer science department erroneously thought it was under cyberattack. Questions ranged from how often to tweet to how to handle push back from the front office. D’Orso handled all with ease and happiness, which is how everyone felt as their flip flops walked out the door.
Networking and therapy session breaks were made possible thanks to the generosity of Millennium Communications’ Patrick Macri, BigBuzz Marketing Group’s Kevin Kelly, DidIt’s Maggie Murphy and Searchen Networks’ John Colascione. They answered questions one-on-one with attendees seeking advice on topics not necessarily covered in the program.
Judging the Flip Flop Throwdown were attendees who the scientifically chosen (read: at random)and willing to spend the morning looking at peoples’ feet. Linda Ulanoff, Michelle Traynor, Rich Kruse and David North handled judging duties with aplomb.
The event itself was made possible thanks to the support of South Nassau Communities Hospital, Bethpage Federal Credit Union, Northwell Health, Farmingdale State College, Alure Home Improvements, PSEG Long Island and WeiserMazars LLP.
Save the date for Friday, July 14, 2017 for the 7th Annual Summer Social Media Boot Camp