June 10, 2008
Social Media – Staff event
Uh Oh, I am wayyyy overdue for a blog update. Something happened between my new job assignment and the black flies arriving up at the lake. I am going to play catch-up today and post a bunch of non-sled related stuff, just to let you know what I’ve been up to. Next week I’ll tell you about another ‘first ascent’ by my old friend and all around Yamaha good-guy, Team Thunderstruck rider, Randy Swenson… Imagine riding a 4000
foot hill with 3000 feet of vertical change… stay tuned…
Heres a pic of Randy taken this past weekend (June 
gotta love it!)
I spent a very interesting couple of days at the annual MESH web-conference in Toronto. I was invited to participate as a ‘panelist’, a direct result of penning this blog. I have maintained the view that I have have a reasonable grasp and understanding of what social media and networking is all about but after sitting with this group for two days, I realize I am a complete newbie geek. I have never seen so many people using hi-tech gadgets simultaneously, most of which having an ‘i’ attachment, connected, uploading, Twittering, capturing content and communicating.
The thrust of the conference was aimed at the ‘open web’. Where is it all going? What ‘start-up’ will be the next FaceBook? How will content sharing co-exist with copyright? How will big business / enterprise integrate and participate?
It was the ‘enterprise and social media’ session where I found myself in front of this group on a panel with Natalie, the brains behind the GM corporate blog (which features Bob Lutz) and Jennifer, a very forward thinking lady representing Harlequin publishing.
Now I know none of you have ever seen or read a Harlequin romance novel (and if you have, I don’t want to know about it) but it was interesting to consider their demographic (99% female) and ours being predominantly male sitting with General Motors who are everything to everyone…
I almost started a ‘Jerry Springer’ scene when I suggested some companies (re: Yamaha), still have to maintain some level of ‘control’ when it comes to social media and employee participation in representing said company. Our session went overtime and could have kept going… maybe next year!
The following week was spent hunkered down at Tapatoo Resort in Parry Sound with all
of our field staff for meetings and demo riding all the new products (except the new VMAX) which were launched on Friday. I posted a bunch of pics over on our Bike blog and Dave Shepherd penned a recap of the event.
I now find myself in Sudbury, attending a regional meeting with our northern Ontario dealers to discuss the new products, market details… then its home to another conference next week. Wishing I could go out to visit Randy again…
Chris,
Snowed here at our place out west as well. We are headed sledding tomorrom morning early. Hope to still find snow up high…………. Maybe I can send a pic or two….
Hey Steve, hopefully you’ll have a good ride, email me your pics and I’ll try to post them..
cheers
cr
June 17th, 2008 at 2:08 am