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campus newS

Grady College will hold second annual social media conference
By Kristen English
and Sherrie Whaley
swhaley@uga.edu
Social media is on the minds and at the fingertips of public relations professionals and academicians, creating new opportunities and challenges for the practice of public relations. To address these issues and create dialogue, the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication will host its second “Connect: Social Media and Public Relations Conference” Sept. 19-20.

The conference, sponsored by Porter Novelli and the Grady College, will bring together public relations professionals and educators to explore how social media is being used in public relations.

“We have an amazing lineup of speakers and panelists this year,” said Karen Miller Russell, Grady College associate professor of public relations and conference organizer. “We’re zeroing in on issues that are important to both professionals and educators.”

Peter Himler, founder and principal of Flatiron Communications in New York, will provide the keynote speech on Sept. 19, addressing the digital forces that have changed the modern practice of PR, as well as the core competencies that remain valid in spite of these changes. He has extensive agency experience, having worked for Edelman, Burson-Marsteller, Cohn and Wolfe, and Hill and Knowlton.

Panel discussions on Sept. 20 will pair professionals and academicians to discuss important issues and practices within public relations. Discussion topics will include measurement, law, branding and relationship building. Speakers include Kami Watson Huyse, principal from My PR Pro; Jim Fetig and Kathi Wallace of institute communications and public affairs at the Georgia Institute of Technology; and Paul Vogelzang, senior vice president at Porter Novelli in Washington, D.C.

The Sept. 20 luncheon features Bert DuMars, vice president of e-business and interactive marketing for Newell Rubbermaid.

DuMars is responsible for directing and coordinating e-marketing, interactive marketing, social media marketing and e-commerce initiatives. He plans to discuss Newell Rubbermaid’s experimentation and implementation of social media marketing strategies and tactics.

The conference also will include a half-day boot camp on Sept. 19 for participants new to social media. These sessions will focus on the tools necessary to explore more in-depth discussion and implications during the Sept. 20 sessions. Topics will include tools such as Twitter, Facebook and RSS as well as social media ethics and etiquette.

“The most exciting thing to me is that several of last year’s speakers are coming back this year as attendees because they don’t want to miss out on the conversation,” said Russell.

Conference registration is $150 with a registration Sept. 12 deadline. Space is limited.
 


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