The conference included opportunities to interact with carefully chosen sponsors, learn during panels and keynotes featuring inspirational women, and a chance to engage in hands on learning that occurred outside the conference space during Saturday afternoon Go Sessions.

Go Sessions gave participants the opportunity to tour the legendary Preservation Hall jazz venue with PBS, build a playground with Let’s Play and CLR, attend a high tea with Intel, Stacy Ferguson, Susan Getgood, and Emily Post’s great great granddaughter, Anna Post, to discuss “high strategy,” go on a walking tour of the city with New Balance, and a kitchen tour with local brand Zatarain’s and acclaimed New Orleans native, Chef John Besh.  Besh spoke about how he opened his fifth restaurant just a week after Hurricane Katrina struck the city and how he actively contributes towards the rebuilding process by providing culinary school funding for young chefs who agree to work in the city’s restaurant industry after completing their training.  Beth Blecherman of Cool Mom Tech and TechMamas summarized her time at the conference saying, “This was a one of a kind opportunity to connect with an amazing group of inspiring social media women.”

The conference theme of putting ideas into action from the Go Sessions segued into the closing keynote panel about the future of media that included Sarah Bryden-Brown of Babble, Vanessa Holden (West Elm’s Creative Director of Brand Expression), Margaret Stewart from YouTube, and Andrea Wishom, a 17 year veteran of The Oprah Winfrey Show.  The panelists talked about the influence of bloggers have by sharing stories through online content channels.  They encouraged attendees not to underestimate the power and knowledge they have in the social media space.

Stewart and Wishom talked about the storytelling that is being done in the new media world.  Bryden-Brown said that it isn’t just authentic but something that can be done “in far more dynamic and interesting ways than any publishing house can.”  Holden called what has happened a “seismic shift.” “Things have shifted so profoundly, really in the last 2 years, that it’s freaked big and little publishers and editors out,” she said.

Bryden-Brown admitted that the magazines she’s worked with are “stuck” because they don’t know what to do next.  She called the audience curators of content and commended them as risk-takers.  She also encouraged constant thinking and re-thinking of content.

“Every time you write a blog post, think about what is your intention,” Bryden-Brown said.  “Tell stories, make it authentic and real…The future of media relies on you to make it worthwhile.  Curating content does not necessarily mean being a prolific producer.  Bryden-Brown also suggested to not “produce content every day.  Create an awesome one then share it for a whole week.”

Wishom believes that the content produced “has a value that goes well beyond your time.”  She spoke about fair compensation for the work being done.  ”Women don’t see themselves as valuable.  It’s ok to do something for joy and do something without doing it for pay but if you love it, get paid.”  Another panelist replied saying, “You can’t underestimate how much you know about this space…Go into it knowing what it means to you in terms of money.”

“Creative spirit will play a role in the future with authenticity and value of relationships,” admitted Bryden-Brown.

The keynotes struck a chord with conference attendees like Joanne Bamberger, (aka @PunditMom) author of soon-to-be-published book Mothers of Intention: How Women & Social Media Are Revolutionizing Politics in America.  ”I really liked the keynotes,” she said as the conference concluded Saturday evening.  ”They did an amazing job getting powerful women to speak such as Abigal Disney and Lois Vossen at the opening keynote.  Then to have all these media women at the closing keynotes…It isn’t something you get at other conferences.”

Leticia Barr

Leticia Barr, one of our tech editors, is the founder of Tech Savvy Mama, a site that assists parents in finding the best technology products, websites, and resources for children of all ages. Tech Savvy Mama was started because of Leticia’s personal experience of bringing a computer into her home for their now elementary-aged daughter. Leticia splits her day between serving as a family internet safety and security expert and being a mom and her nights between blogging at her own site, writing for The LeapFrog Community, consulting for educational companies, working behind the scenes on the MyBlogalicious site, and tweeting. Frequently asked how she does it all, she replies that she doesn’t sleep much!

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