Inside-Edge-Knowledge-Association Meetup

Late breaking news! Tiipz has donated a $50.00 gift certificate for the Shady Tree! Watch the next hockey game in style.

Go to http://www.tiipz.com/iesm register for free and answer a question. You'll get one draw entry for each answer. At the end of the night we'll draw for a winner. You have to be there to win.

The event will be on the 2nd floor of the library at Quest University. Go in the main library door. Take the stairs to the second floor. Turn right at the top of the stairs and continue around to the right.

Beyond Facebook: The Impact of Social Media

On June 1st, Inside Edge will host a moderated panel discussion on the recent trends in social media technologies. “Beyond Facebook: The Impact of Social Media Trends” will examine the influence of recent communication technologies upon local culture and business.

“Humans are inherently social, and we have historically gravitated towards various forms of social networks for survival, interaction, identity and prosperity. Online social media is a natural evolution with both local and global implications,” explains Squamish resident Christine McLeod, owner of Impact People Practices.

Jason Cyr, founder of the Squamish-based social media company Tiipz.com, observes “Telecommunication technologies, in combination with innovations in online social media, have introduced a universal infrastructure that has overcome geographic and cultural barriers, and have developed new forms of interaction and information sharing.”

These recent innovations of highly accessible, instantaneous, and scalable communication technologies, such as portable devices, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and blogs, have rapidly changed perspectives in the way we do business and interact as a society. It has sparked revolutions, created companies worth billions of dollars, and reunited long lost relatives and friends.

However, Kerry Brown, the event’s moderator, remains somewhat apprehensive. “Despite the benefits of social media for businesses, it can also be the cause of much angst. Companies have discovered new ways to communicate with consumers, but unhappy customers have also been empowered. For example, when a YouTube video of baggage handlers mishandling a guitar went viral, it cost United Airlines $180 million in share value.”

From capitalizing on business strategy to privacy concerns, social media is a disruptive innovation that will continue to change modern culture. Social media technologies have recently enabled protests and demonstrations that have led to political and social change in the Middle East, it has changed the way that we source and trust information, it has made and destroyed careers and reputations, and it has forever changed the way that we communicate.

But how do these technologies affect the social, political and economical perspectives within Squamish?

To explore this question, Inside Edge has gathered a panel of local social media users and experts with a wide range of views to discuss and debate current and emerging trends in social media and their impact upon Squamish. Local businesses and residents are invited to participate, share experiences and learn how the phenomena of online social media will continue to change their lives and workplaces.

The event will be held at Quest University, 7:00 PM Thursday June 1, 2011. Attendance is free.

The Panel

Kerry Brown – Kerry is the owner of KDB Systems, a director of the Canadian Internet Registration Authority, and vice chair of Inside Edge. He is a regular speaker at technology conferences across North America. He has been involved with online communities since 2002 and has received the yearly Microsoft MVP award from 2006 through 2011 for his online community work.

Jason Cyr, Co-Founder & CEO at Tiipz - Jason has been working in user-centered design and web development for nearly 15 years. His background spans across interconnecting roles of development, design and usability, a benefit that has enabled him to become a strong advocate for the user centered design process and user experience. After co-founding Pareto User Experience Group, a successful UX agency in 2008, he has now turned his focus from services to products and is part of the founding team behind Tiipz - the exciting new social polling platform.

Nancy Hamilton - Nancy is a REALTOR with RE/MAX Sea to Sky Real Estate Squamish. She started in Business in Toronto over 20 yrs ago in Employment Industry, and then moved through Pharmaceutical, Finance & Banking riding the technological wave as she went. She worked on computers and cellular communication since the mid 80’s and witnessed first hand the dramatic change in how we do business with the introduction of the Internet in the 90’s. She embraces change in technology and has incorporated social media into her real estate marketing strategy, and is totally mobile using a Mac laptop, ipad & Iphone. Facebook/Linkedin/Twitter: Nancy_Hamilton

Nick Kempinski - Nick Kempinski strives to put social media foundations into real world context and he strongly believes that these tools are extensions of what we already do in our day to day lives & businesses. Facebook is a community center; Twitter is a bustling city street. By putting ourselves onto the web we are asked to look further inwards and address the question "How do I interact with my world"

Christine McLeod, CHRP - After 12 years in executive leadership roles in the corporate world, Christine founded Impact People Practices in 2009 to help companies create more engaging workplaces. Passionate about social media not only as a user and as a business platform, Christine helps create companies harness the power of a more “social” workplace to enhance business results. She speaks, trains and consults with innovative companies and individuals to re-invent HR as we know it.

Hassaan Rahim - I am a fourth year student at Quest University studying the effects of media on international relations. I am deeply passionate about the positive role media can play in enhancing relations, networking and communications. Social media has opened these doors of progress but still a lot has to be understood before putting it into use.

Zeeshan Rasool - I am a student at Quest University Canada planning to major in Social Media, Entrepreneurship and Business. My main area of expertise is graphics and web designing, social networks, online marketing and advertisement, and event/conference management. For me, social media and network is a low cost business, marketing, and entertainment platform. For companies and individuals, with the right strategy and use, I can see social media becoming the most powerful business and engagement tool in the near future.