AOP Forum: Developing communities around content – practical advice and case studies on adding value through an engaged user base

AOP Forum: Developing communities around content – practical advice and case studies on adding value through an engaged user base

Date: Thursday 11th December 2008
Time: 1400 to 1730
Venue: IPC Media Headquarters, The Blue Fin Building, 110 Southwark Street, London, SE1 0SU
Agenda: How do publishers and media owners benefit from the social networking explosion and tie that in with their existing content and communities. This forum aims to advise and showcase examples of new communities and skill sets which can enhance the content, conversation and commercialisation of your user base.

Agenda

14:00 Registration

14:30 Welcome and introduction
AOP

14:35 Chair’s opening remarks
Meg Pickard, Head of Communities, Guardian

14:40 Developing Communities in the New Digital Age
Richard Cole, Head of Communities, Current Media
How do publishers and media owners ensure they are engaging with their existing communities and developing new ones, whilst adding value that cannot easily be found elsewhere   
- Practical guidance on keeping users engaged
- Tangible benefits both content and commercial

15: 05 15:30 Coffee Break & NetworkingIntegrate Open Content, Community and Social Networking into your Web Properties
Steve Semelsberger. SVP of Sales and Business development, PLUCK
Engaging your audiences to discover, create and distribute content through social networking
- Revenue opportunities
- Driving audience traffic
- Case Studies

15:45 New Communities Case Study: The Long Room
Paul Murphy, Editor for Alphaville, FT.com
- The FT approach to building/designing its community
- The main motivations:  a value –add for advertisers, enhanced targeting opportunities, enhanced user experience?
- Matching the community to the brand

16:10  Online Communities & Broadcast - Case Study
Julian Gairdner, Online editor,  Farmers Weekly Group
-    Understanding your community
-    Engaging them online
-    Working the brand in print and online
-    The power of user-generated content in print and on the web
-    Throwing mud at the wall and seeing what sticks: Various examples of success (and some failures!)

16:35 Roundtable Q&A
Opportunity for speakers to answer questions from the floor

17:00 Drinks Reception & Networking

17:30 Finish