North by North Shore

We’re back, by popular demand!

Why are these deep-dive, learn-live business lab events so popular?  Because in a mobile, social world, the new arena for business is…everywhere.   And our faculty of local experts can help you stay on top of the changes.  Give us a morning, we’ll demo the playbook,  live and local.

Today, audiences and buyers use an array of channels – like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and many others – to buy, converse, explore, share, learn and decide.  A recommendation from a friend or a satisfied customer is, more than ever, the most trusted reason for buying.

Knowing this, many local businesses have had social media efforts underway for a few years, and the success patterns are still emerging.  Who is succeeding?  What does a success story look like?  How can you move from experimental to impactful?  Join us on June 18 for those answers, as a team of business leaders opens their playbooks.

Agenda

This is a learn-live, deep-dive experience aimed at showcasing local success stories, explained by the business owners and experts who made it happen.  Learn from your peers!   Subscribe to this blog to get agenda updates and session descriptions, coming soon!

Special Limited-time Pricing

Special “Rogue Wave” discounted tickets are available NOW to the first buyers (2o available) until Friday, May 24 at $35 – that’s 30% off the standard $50 price.   Event tickets include full breakfast and networking session, access to up to 2 workshops, all plenary sessions, plus special access to outdoor patio (weather permitting).  If you are a member of North Shore Technology Council (NSTC), Young Entrepreneurs of the North Shore (YENS), or North Shore Chamber of Commerce, you will receive special instructions from them on discounted pricing via by email or their choice of media.  Watch for it!

Who should attend:  business leaders charged with building a business who want to understand and leverage digital marketing and sales advancements, including mobile and social media and tech tools, to set a framework for success.  North Shore Technology Council members enjoy discounted admission prices.   Members will be notified of the discounted ticketing process.  If you are not a member, consider joining and reap the benefits of the North Shore’s most connected business organization!

Unique format – a learning lab: Based on the enthusiastic audience feedback, many enhancements are already in place for June 18:

1. You can design your own adventure using Google Moderator; use the  “Plan”   link in the side column to weigh in with questions and topic requests.
2. Leading subject matter experts will lead concurrent Q&A / live demo sessions – NO VENDOR PITCHES
3. The audience is expanded to include leading business, media, higher learning, and entrepreneurial organizations.
4. We have extended the schedule and expanded the program from 4 sessions to 6, allowing ample time for “deep dive” demo, discussion, networking and learning!

About the location: Join us at high tide on June 18 at Boston’s premier seaside event venue,  Danversport Yacht Club.  Mingle with business leaders and thought leaders.  Assemble your playbook for business success.  Make these (planned) quarterly events a must-do for growing your business.

Thanks, all, for a successful inaugural year!

We are busily planning more events on the North Shore and environs, in collaboration with several local Chambers of Commerce and other Boston area civic and business organizations.  Already a number of additional expert speakers and new partners have been identified.  Of course, some of our sensational, effective alumni faculty will be back by popular demand.  You can access all the previous event recaps, including agendas and workshop presentations, at this site.  Enjoy!

This year’s event agendas, including dates and locations, will be firmed up and announced in the coming weeks.  Subscribe to this Blog for all the updates!  We do not share your information, except to deliver on our own promise of a quality event experience for you.

Get Involved

There are many ways you can participate and benefit.   Use the handy links in the right sidebar to chime in.

• Business Leaders: If you think your business could benefit from learning how to leverage modern sales and marketing techniques presented by local leading practitioners in an affordable, convenient local half-day event format, use the handy subscribe link in the right sidebar to Follow this Blog.  You will be notified of special pricing, event updates, and all related information, in a mobile-friendly format.
• Membership Organizations: If you need a turnkey, professionally produced Digital Media event to boost member satisfaction, contact us.
• Business Success Stories: If you have had success using modern sales and marketing techniques, and would like to showcase your success story in front of an eager audience, we welcome your participation.
• Digital Media, Sales & Marketing Practitioners:  If you would like to lend your expertise and present a workshop geared toward (a) company leaders, (b) sales and marketing professionals, (c) small business entrepreneurs or (c) media agency practitioners,  sign up to Speak.  Take a look at our past Agendas for ideas on the types of Content themes we welcome.
• Product and Service Providers:  get your message in front of a relevant audience by signing up to Sponsor.

Sign up and Save!

As before, special “Rogue Wave” (early, discounted) tickets will be made available in limited quantities.   Limit: 2 tickets per purchase transaction.  Prices will rise after they go, or the deadline expires – whichever happens first.

Thanks and we look forward to helping you succeed in 2013!

Many thanks to all who attended, helped out, buzzed, about it, and just generally made our inaugural event a big success.   You can see your name in lights on the “Thank You” preso in the online Dropbox folder, along with all the day’s presentations.

We learned a great deal together about social media marketing, and also about what you really need, and what you want to see next.  Over half of the attendees completed at least one session evaluation, and the overall average rating of our speakers was a whopping 4.5 out of 5.   While that’s a nice number, the comments behind the numbers were very revealing.

What You Said

Here’s what we heard:

• You need more networking time. (Sorry about monsoon; the outdoor patios are great for that)
• You need breaks between sessions.
• You want longer, deeper sessions.
• You want more of the very helpful how-to that you saw in June.
• You suggested we repeat certain sessions and add some other ones.
• Fully half of you would prefer a lighter, healthier breakfast; the other half said keep it as is.  Hmm…

Most important: your favorite parts are the sessions that suit your knowledge and needs – novice, practitioner, expert.  Sometimes, though, the match isn’t good.  The remedy:  Our Google Moderator site!  The questions  you ask there are extremely helpful in tailoring the sessions to your needs.  Also, if we can hook you up with an answer or a resource right away, you’ll get served sooner.  A double win for you!

All your suggestions will be reflected in the September 12 Agenda, now under development.

What next?

August 1 at Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester – informal gathering

Rain date: August 2.  We will gather after work hours (business casual is way too dressy) on the North Shore’s most picturesque stretch of sand to enjoy the summer evening, make new connections, brainstorm a bit (not too much, it is after hours), and BYO light fare.  No RSVP, no tickets.  Just show up.  Look for our tricked out seagull mascot banner.  Dress for fun!

September 12 – The Sequel, only better

Now that you know, you know.  Who else should go?   Forward this message, tweet about it using hashtag #nxns, and jump on the Rogue Wave early ticket special, on sale now at EventBrite!  As before, tickets are limited to keep participation and comfort high.  Rogue Wave tickets are limited to the first 25 people; maximum 2 tickets per purchase (now, now, no hoarding, please).

And if we can do anything to continue to make North by North Shore a regional jewel of an event, we’re all ears.  Drop a Comment below!

Cheers,

~Ed