Does Social Really Matter to Business?

The Coil Radio (www.thecoilradio) is bringing Uncoiled to Calgary. Sponsored by ClimbIT www.climbit.ca, presented by Third Tuesday Calgary, and graciously hosted by Melrose Café & Bar.

Please join us for free munchies and refreshments (paid bar) and the opportunity to network and engage in a lively discussion with key players in the Calgary socialmedia community.

The theme will be: Does Social Really Matter to Business? While the importance of social media in branding and marketing is unquestionable,plenty of questions remain as to the effect of social on the more mundane aspects of business, government, and education. Perhaps it would be better to ask: If social is a daily part of your customers, employees, citizens, or students lives – How can it not be an integral part of all of your strategic planning? After 5 years of intensive hyperbolic furor the evidence of the importance of social to the business of business remains somewhat elusive. Noted industry analysts Howard Hecht and Fred McClimans will mow down the walled garden of the social media elite and clearly break down the good, bad, and irrelevant aspects of social as it pertains to business.

Fred and Howard are joined by industry experts Doug Lacombe, President of communicatto (http://www.communicatto.com/) and Sharon McIntyre, CMO of Chaordix (http://www.chaordix.com/), to dive deeply into what happens when social is forced to get real and the shortest possible route to get it there. Among the hard-hitting questions the panel will tackle are:

• What is the best way to encourage engagement in a non-branding/non-marketing business social initiative?

• What, if any, are the linkages between the Collaborative Economy, Social Media, and Enterprise Social?

• Who are the best people in an organization to spearhead an Enterprise Social program?

• What is the real value, measured in dollars, of social collaboration?

About Fred

Fred McClimans is a Principal at the Intelligist Group, providing business and social content advisory and consulting services.Fred was the founder of Current Analysis, a technology and market analysis firm that provides competitive intelligence and market insights to a global client base.His prior experience includes stints at Gartner, Inc., Ernst&Young, Newbridge Networks and DTECH LABS. A frequent on-air guest and speaker, Fred’s commentary and analysis have appeared in a wide range of media, from CNN Online to Huffington Post Live and even the occasional print publication.

About Howard

Howard Hecht is a Principal at Industry Labs, a Toronto-based strategy consultancy.He is also the Publisher of Sharpened Sticks, a satiric journal of technology news and was the founder/CEO of Chapel Hill, NC indie music label Unschooled Records.A reformed engineer, Howard previously held senior executive positions with GlobeSpanVirata, Paradyne, and Newbridge and analyst positions at Gartner,Fearless Group, and Coopers&Lybrand. He is a well-regarded public speaker having appeared at commercial, academic, and government conferences in over 40 countries. His writings have appeared in a variety of business, technical, design, and literary publications. Now he’s doing this radio thing, too.