Well a few weeks ago I was contacted by the Chicago Interactive Marketing association (CIMA). Tonight I will be part of the panel CIMA Marche DinnerBYTE:User Generated Content at 5:30-8:00 TONIGHT at Maggiano 111 W Grand Ave/ 512 Clark in Chicago, IL. Some of the other panelist included:

Moderator:
Robyn Tippins - SleepyBlogger.com, Intel, Fleishman Hillard

Speakers:
Jory Des Jardins - BlogHer
Ed D’Onofrio - Feedburner
Bryce Emo - MySpace
Danielle Wiley - Edelman Interactive
Nick Schmidt - Vlogger and Marketing Analyst, Project Elliott

Sponsored by: www.heavy.com

Here is the discussion:

It’s the “Reality TV” of the Internet – User-Generated Content. From social networks, to blogging and other online communities, consumers are demanding that marketers allow them to define brands on their own terms. With fears of “junk impressions”, inappropriate content, and skepticism of measurability high on our minds, how do we wade through the fluff to find the rewards? And the rewards are high indeed – a massively successful viral promotion fueled by authentic raving fans can outperform nearly any multi-million dollar campaign.

In this DinnerBYTE event, our panel of experienced marketers will kick-off a CIMA series dedicated to discussing the risks and rewards of advertising and promotion with User-Generated Content. Issues facing the growth of this industry are a lack of adequate measurement tools, brand control, profitability, scaling of inventory, and a resistance by the users themselves to turning their content into a vehicle for marketing.

Yet there are significant uptapped opportunities in highly specialized niches. Brands willing to play the game such as Dove, Apple, Microsoft, IBM and Coke are building unprecedented loyalty and positive PR. As advertisers find ways to get in front of the ‘early adopters’, a single blog post can make or break a product launch. And savvy consumers are demanding both transparency and authenticity before buying decisions are made.

So come by and say hi!!! I’m going to be announcing some of my new projects for 2007!!!

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