#1. Getting the Weekend Started – The Faculty Face-off

The Faculty Face-off was a lively panel that discussed social media and education. The panel consisted of  AU Faculty members including Scott Talan of SOC, Stef Woods of CAS and other tech-savvy professors. Biggest take-away? By excluding social media from the classroom, not only are professors losing student’s attention, they are doing them a disservice. These skills are no longer a hobby, but an essential skill in today’s digital world.

#2. Alex’s Kick-Off Speech: How Did We Get Here?

In true AP fashion, AU SMC founder and former President Alex Priest gave a bomb.com kick-off keynote. He used Uber’s “God-view” map and the narrative arc of “How did we get here?” to structure his presentation. Biggest insights? Data is more important than you think, progress is slow and hard and our “always-on” generation approaches problems in a fundamentally different way.

{bonus: check out his presentation here}

#3. Opening Panel – Social Media and 2012

The opening panel featured industry leaders from advertising, PR, tech and social media discussing what’s on the agenda for this year. Ryan Lytle, the multi-talented producer, reporter and social strategist at U.S. News & World Report did an excellent job moderating this robust panel.

The panel was full of great content including new technology, making mistakes and overcoming setbacks. New Media Strategies’ Joe Gizzi discussed social sentiment analysis, a new tool that NMS will use in the upcoming year to examine the effectiveness of more subjective content.

MWW’s Ari Greenberg spilled the beans about one of his past mistakes: “FratCast,” a social media platform built around frat bro Q&A. We were also lucky enough to hear about MWW’s wildly successful campaign with Nikon that asked users to submit potential cover photos for Nikon’s timeline page. Ogilvy and Mather’s Nichole Brown put it all into perspective explaining that in the long run, mistakes are truly the best learning experiences.

The panel discussed how to  find your “share-balance.” Google DC’s Corrie Davidson explained that social media has changed her career for the better but emphasized that it’s important to use discretion. For example, no one wants to see your 9AM liquor store check-in. Best takeaways from this panel? Content needs to be more interactive and smart companies will take full advantage of Facebook timeline. Brown emphasized that it’s great for companies like Ogilvy to showcase their rich history.

#4. The Digital Me – Personal Branding

Alright, elephant in the room – we admittedly chose the wrong hashtag for this panel. Let’s just say that “#DigMe” brought up some pretty unfortunate tweets. I’ll let you put two and two together. Thanks to the keen eye of @emilCDC, we quickly added an “i” to our hashtag and the problem was solved.

Personal branding and conference planning expert, Tod Plotkin of Green Buzz Agency and What’s Next DC, moderated the panel. Big theme? Being proactive. Panelist Bennett Resnik summed it up nicely when he said “dig your well before you’re thirsty.” All of the panelists emphasized the importance of building your network and staying in touch with people regardless of whether or not you need a job. Update your LinkedIn regularly. Rachael King reminded us that your LinkedIn should not be a copy of your resume. King’s idea to create a Pinterest resume was a huge hit. It’s one of the most innovative and functional ways of using Pinterest that I’ve heard thus far.

While all the advice was good, my favorite nugget came from David All Group’s Bennett Richardson: when trying to network online – Facebook poking is the best way to go*.

*kidding

#5. Closing Keynote with Peter Corbett – Looking Forward

Peter Corbett has done some incredible things for the DC community, especially over the past year. DC Week really blew my mind, especially the Core Conference and Social Media Week DC had some great events created by members of the DC community. All this being said, it was great to have him here for our closing keynote.

Corbett discussed ‘what’s next’ but took a refreshing outlook and discussed how social media has the power to hack physical space through the innovative use of data. He shared some of the recent projects from Grandstand, a web platform from iStrategyLabs that transforms social media channels like Foursquare and Twitter into games, rewards and visualizations. With Grandstand, venues can run promotions, drive ad revenues and increase brand engagement. Full of insight, inspiration and some very cool projects, the closing keynote was the perfect end to the weekend.

#6. Bonus reason: the AU Social Media Club team

GroupTexts, 3AM emails, tri-weekly meetings with a sleep-deprived president – I’ll  admit that planning this conference was no easy task. Thankfully, I had a team full of creative, hard-working, hilarious and passionate members. The event would not have happened without them (seriously) and spending time with them was definitely the best part of the whole process. You guys are the best!

Well, those are my favorite moments – what were yours? Let me know (@ChloeTroia) and I hope I see you at #SLS13!

I’m going to SLS because I want to know what’s next and what will stick around. Every single day, we’re bombarded with information overload. FourSqaure, Tumblr, Pinterest, Highlight, Glancee, Sonar. What has lasting power? I’m obsessed with digital advertising, branded content and story-telling and I’m so excited to hear what the experts are loving, hating and using.

Ben, Vice President, @loebben

I’m going to SLS because I’m interested in all things related to social media, well maybe not Pinterest, but at least most things social media related. Therefore I want to hear about how the professionals are using social media and how I can use it to brand myself and get ahead in the busy world of marketing and communication. Also, I heard something about free doughnuts, free Vitamin Water and free cookies.

Colin, Conference Co-Chair, @ColinMusselman

Why wouldn’t I go to SLS 12 is a better question. At SLS being around some of the most brilliant professionals and rising students is something you can only experience in-person.  Whether you make a connection that will lead to an internship or you just meet someone that shares the same passions; it can be a really powerful experience.  Plus free cookies like Ben said… I like cookies.

Vicki, Conference Co-Chair, @vicki_dee

I will be at SLS 12 because simply put, it’s going to be AMAZING. I can’t wait to be at a place that will feed my obsession for social media with some of the coolest speakers and panelists, as well as demos for some great up and coming new social media. While I am definitely excited for all the panels, I must say I am especially pumped for the “Digital Runway” panel. Above all, SLS will give students, educators, and professionals the opportunity to interact with each-other and make new connections. What is more fascinating than that?

Jenna, VP of Marketing, @jennarowan8

I’m going to SLS 12 because social media has become essential in so many aspects of everyday life. The various panels cover so many of my interests and I can’t wait to hear from esteemed panelists on how social media is incorporated into all these areas. Also, the opportunity to meet, hear from, and connect to DC professionals is one I would not pass up!

Michael, Treasurer, @michaellangman

I’m excited learn more about how social media is used in various fields at this year’s Social Learning Summit. I am especially looking forward to the “Tweeting and Eating” panel where panelists will talk about many different topics including how restaurants and food companies leverage social media to attract and interact with their customers. I am also looking forward to speaking with the professionals at the event.

Taiga, Director of Online Operations, @taigakoda

Social Learning Summit ‘11 was my introduction to the AU Social Media Club last year. In three days I learned more about social media than I had my entire life, despite having an active online presence before the MySpace days. I learned about the different ways social media is being used today and how interconnected it is with our everyday lives, whether it’s for personal use or to help an organization define itself. I’m going to SLS’12 so I can revisit some of the lessons I learned last year and discover new ones. After all, so much has changed in social media in the last year.

Sonia, Secretary, @soniagaillisdel

I’m going to the Social Learning Summit because I suffer from technology-induced ADD. From composing tweets, balancing 2 instagram accounts, picking my cover photo, adjusting to the new timeline, hating on foursquare ads, playing any and every OMGPOP game, dying without Facebook, wasting precious seconds of my life waiting for my phone/computer to connect to wi-fi, and paying outrageous international gigabyte fees, I’ve decided to go to SLS12 in an attempt to cut out the noise, learn social media trends, and find out its cultural impact on my life.

Andre, VP of Communication, @andresanmont

The weekend of SLS’11, my twitter feed was overflowing with #SLS11, RTs, and awesome dialogue between students, educators, and media professionals. I instantly regretted not being in audience for the summit. This year, I jumped on any opportunity to help out with the SLS12. Social media is our generation’s medium of choice to communicate. For me, social media is so powerful because it can cross international borders and language barriers in order to give a voice to anyone who wants to use it. Social media gives spotlight to issues far and wide that you may have never known existed, and connects you with people who are passionate about them. It’s going to be awesome to see people and professionals of all ages and all career fields come together to form creative, innovative, and interesting conversations that could possibly turn into new uses of social media for the future. To say I’m excited is an understatement, I’m ecstatic for #SLS12.

Ben W, SLS Planning Team Member, @TonyMuhPlaah

I’m going to the SLS12 because, as a whole, the Social Media Club events are always interesting. While it’s easy to feel like you know everything about how to run a Facebook and Twitter, every event that I go to has new people who have more insights to provide and I end up feeling significantly smarter and more responsible. Social Media is essential to most areas of business so, as a business major, it’s imperative to learn about how to look attractive to professionals and consumers. The Social Learning Summit is the largest of the Social Media Club’s events, and if it is anything like the other club events I know it will be awesome!

Katie C, SLS Planning Team Member, @KTcast93

I am super psyched for SLS 12 because I am going to learn so much! Nowadays, social media is everywhere, and it has become necessary to know the ins and outs of Facebook, Twitter, and all other social media platforms. SLS is the perfect event to learn how to effectively use social media in all areas of life – food, politics, fashion, and more. Everyone who was at SLS11 last year keeps talking about how awesome it was, and I can’t wait to experience it for myself!!

Scott Talan, AU Professor of Communication, @talan

I’m going in order to learn about the new tips, tools and innovations in social media. Plus meet new people, eat tasty snacks and enjoy some good vibes. Not to miss if you are into social media, technology and learning, or want to learn more on any of these fronts!

Itir Karaesmen, AU Professor at Kogod School of Business

As a business school professor, I am looking forward to the sessions on social startups and social business. As a life-time learner, I am really excited about the opportunity to hear about new tools and platforms.  And there is the Faculty Faceoff!  This is great event to learn, think about, and question the role of social media in our daily lives.  

Claire Shriver-SLS Marketing Team Member, @claireshriver

SLS12 will give me an unique experience to meet and listen to professionals, experts and student in the communications and media fields. The event is a first time opportunity for me to learn more about social networking and how it is changing the business and entertainment industry. Hopefully I will take away a new wealth of knowledge about branding and marketing. I also can’t wait to read all the great tweets!

Lela Feldmeier, SLS Marketing Team Member, @lelafeldmeier

I am going to SLS12 because there is going to be so much to learn. No matter what you’re studying or what you’re interested in – social media is going to be a part of it. At SLS12 there is going to be so many different panels filled with experts there to inform you about how to blend social media into your life efficiently and effectively. Plus there is going to be great food! If you’re not going to SLS12, you will be missing out on something great!

Melanie Loff-Bird, SLS Planning Team Member, @meloffbird

I am going to SLS12 because I would never pass up an opportunity to spend hours on Facebook and Twitter and call it networking! Just kidding (kinda), of course there will also be plenty of chances to unplug the iPhone and back away from the Blackberry in order to personally connect with professionals from Google, LinkedIn, iStrategyLabs and more, which is #superexciting. The Out of Print and Online: Journalism and Social Media and Digital Runway panels are at the top of my to do list, but I definitely wish that one of these tech innovators would figure out a way for me to be multiple places at once so that I could check out all the awesome panels!

P.S. I am also going to SLS12 because AU Social Media Club is the best club on campus. Obviously

Ryan Travitz, AUSMC Member, @rtravitz

Getting a little tidbit of information that can set me apart from other recent grads is part of why I want to attend SLS12.  The Personal Branding Panel on Saturday features speakers from LinkedIn, Green Buzz Agency, and the White House to name a few.  Learning how to rep myself better online and leverage my social media presence is important for a communication student.  The chance to meet and network with the many professional speakers is cool as well.

Well, here are 7 reasons why you shouldn’t miss the Social Learning Summit coming up this weekend.

7) FREE DUNKIN’ DONUTS

That’s right! We’re having free Dunkin’ Donuts! What’s better at 9 AM than free coffee and donuts? Thanks to our awesome sponsors, Dunkin’ Donuts (@DCDunkin), we will have free doughnuts and coffee for all attendees!

6) FREE VITAMIN WATER, HONEST TEA, & COOKIES

I know you must be thinking how can they afford to give us all this free food? Well thanks to sponsorships from Vitamin Water (@VitaminWater), Smart Water (@SmartWater) and Honest Tea (@HonestTea), none of our attendees will go thirsty! Also thanks to DoubleTree by Hilton (@DoubleTree) there will be free cookies for every attendee. I’m not sure there is anything better than biting into a fresh chocolate chip cookie and talking about social media.

5) NETWORKING

In case you didn’t hear this year’s conference is going to have some really awesome speakers and attendees. SLS will give you the opportunity to broaden your network, meet social media influencers from the DC area, and greet all your favorite Tweeps! Therefore you should definitely join us Friday, March 30 at 7:30PM in the School of International Service Founder’s Room for an awesome Networking Reception. Although, if for some terrible reason you can’t make Friday’s kickoff and networking reception, there will be plenty of opportunities to introduce yourself to our awesome speakers after their panels.

4) THE PANELS

Have you seen the list of panels?!?! They are incredible! Panels will cover all things social media including: Tweeting and Eating, Social Business Success, Education, Personal Branding, and Entertainment (just to name a few of my favorites). Take a look at the schedule and plan your day!

3) THE PANELISTS AND MODERATORS

Now that you’ve looked at the schedule of panels, look at our awesome panelists and moderators. That’s right we have speakers from GoogleDC, OgilvyWW, Edelman, LinkedIn, USA Today, and the B*tches Who Brunch.

2) OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN

If you’re reading this you probably have an interest in social media (or really want free cookies). Either way, the innovative online universe is constantly changing and it can be a little overwhelming to keep track of! Everyday it seems like a new app or platform is “the Next Big Thing.” The best way to break through the noise is to listen to the experts and find out what tools they are actually using. The conference is an opportunity to get ahead of the curve and learn about what’s happening in social media and education.

1) $10

Tickets to this amazing conference are ONLY $10. Your ticket gets you coffee and Dunkin Donuts, Vitamin Water and Smart Water, Honest Tea, DoubleTree Cookies and great networking and learning opportunities. Free food and the chance to get a job or internship! Why haven’t you registered yet?*