Vancouver Olympics Demonstrate Both Good and Bad Impact of Social Media

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - March 15, 2010) - In the afterglow of the 2010 Vancouver Games, top BC media leaders will come together on March 18, 2010 to discuss the positive and negative impacts of both social and traditional media on the Games. The panel discussion will be held from 7-9pm at the BOB Coworking Space in Vancouver's Gastown District, 163 E. Pender Street.

In its first official event, Social Media Club Vancouver, a trade association dedicated to business uses of social media, and the Vancouver Blogger Meetup will bring together a panel of established media experts to discuss expectations versus realities in media coverage of the Games—a large, high-profile, complex and geographically dispersed event.

The panel will include Kirk LaPointe, Managing Editor of the Vancouver Sun; John Biehler, citizen journalist and blogger; flashmob specialist Laurent Piche; Colin Horgan, columnist at the Guardian; freelance journalist/bloggers Jonathan Narvey and Shane Birley; and moderator Colleen Coplick, founder of Type-A PR and the MissManifesto network.

"The 2010 Winter Olympic Games were perhaps the most 'social' Games ever," said Eric Weaver, president of Social Media Club Vancouver. "VANOC, the City of Vancouver, individual teams, news outlets and private companies were all utilizing social media at the Games. Many of these groups found innovative and unusual ways to integrate social media into their communication efforts. We saw some really fascinating uses, and some cautionary tales. This panel discussion will point the way toward more integrated and effective uses of both types of media in the future."

Discussion will cover key learnings on social media at the Games, how traditional and social media impacted the event, where media shone and where it failed.

The event is free, and interested parties can register at http://smcyvrolympiclessons.eventbrite.com/

ABOUT THE PANELISTS

MICHAEL ALLISON, CONSULTANT, WILCOX GROUP
Michael provides communications support to clients including General Motors of Canada, KFC and Lesley Stowe.

Michael advises clients on approaches to social media that complement existing PR goals and strategies. He plays an integral role in creating employee social media policies, writing for the web, engaging online influencers, training clients how to use social media tools and building meaningful relationships. For General Motors of Canada, the official vehicle supplier of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games, Michael led an integrated social media strategy involving the Chevrolet brand for the duration of the 106-day torch relay. 

Michael holds a master's degree in professional communication from Royal Roads University and a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Victoria.

JOHN BIEHLER
John is a Vancouver-based e-business analyst for a large corporation, a technologist, a consultant, conference speaker, trainer, photographer, gamer True North Media House representative. 

SHANE BIRLEY
Shane Birley is a blogger, author, web developer, poet, and creative writer based in Vancouver, BC. He is a partner in Left Right Minds, a web development, arts management, business blogging and on line marketing content consultant company. He also writes Nerd Sense, a blog for non-nerds about technology and a collection blog titled Why The Internet Is Cool where he writes about random things found out on the Internet. He is the co-host of the Vancouver Blogger Meetup.

COLLEEN COPLICK
Colleen Coplick is a PR professional and popular Vancouver-area blogger. A self-described writer, photographer, instigator and connector, Colleen specializes in social media strategy & marketing, feature writing, and blog writing, teaches seminars, and is a regular conference speaker. 

COLIN HORGAN
Colin Horgan is a freelance journalist and blogger. Born and raised in Calgary, Colin Horgan earned his Bachelor's degree in history from Carleton University in Ottawa. After moving to London, England, Colin returned to Canada and became a blogger and contributor for the Calgary Herald. Recently, Colin has been a contributor to the Guardian, where his writing focuses on Canadian politics and culture. Colin currently blogs at TrueSlant.com, and his work has also appeared in the Globe and Mail and online at Maclean's. 

KIRK LAPOINTE, MANAGING EDITOR, VANCOUVER SUN
Kirk LaPointe has been the Managing Editor of The Vancouver Sun since 2003, and is responsible for the day-to-day online and newspaper operations of Western Canada's largest newsroom. He is also the executive in residence and an adjunct professor at the graduate school of journalism at University of British Columbia. Kirk blogs on media change at themediamanager.com and is an avid social networker on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin, among others.

Kirk has held several senior news positions in Canadian media, including Senior Vice President responsible for all of CTV News, the founding Executive Editor of National Post, the associate publisher and editor in chief of The Hamilton Spectator, the editor in chief and general manager of Southam News, the Ottawa bureau chief and general news editor of The Canadian Press, and a host for CBC Newsworld.

JONATHON NARVEY
Jonathon Narvey is a Vancouver-based communications specialist, freelance journalist and copywriter. He is the founder of WRITEIMAGE, a corporate copywriting services company.

A native of Winnipeg, Jonathon moved to the west coast of Canada soon after beginning a career as a writer. He writes primarily about politics, current events, and life in Vancouver, along with other interests such as environmental sustainability, business and technology. He has contributed articles and columns to print and online media publications such as the National Post, Vancouver Sun, Granville Magazine, Business in Vancouver, Sounding Board, Winnipeg Sun, the Vancouver Courier, and the North Shore News.

LAURENT PICHE
Laurent Piche is a "flashmobber" and co-founder of Improv Everywhere Vancouver. Laurent and his team cause scenes of chaos and joy in public places. Created in August of 2001 by Charlie Todd, Improv Everywhere has executed over 100 missions involving thousands of undercover agents.

ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA CLUB VANCOUVER

Social Media Club Vancouver is a local chapter of the Social Media Club, a worldwide trade organization dedicated to the advancement of social media. The Vancouver chapter is a business-focused social media association aimed at generating learning, friendships and opportunities for all of its members. Composed of marketers, media professionals, advertisers, bloggers and business owners, SMC Vancouver holds monthly meetings around the business uses of social media.