Hawaii conference promises next level social media strategies

Social media strategies are being fostered in executive boardrooms and entrepreneurial garages each week, quite often without the complete knowledge or skillsets required for successful campaigns.  There are many people who promise to deliver and then there are those who have actually been living, breathing, and producing results using the different social media tools.

Next Level Hawaii will be bringing some of the national leaders of the social media industry to the Hawaii Convention Center from April 29 – May 1, 2010.  I have spoken with  and learned a lot of my knowledge from most of the speakers lined up for this conference.

Team Guy Kawasaki

Jesse Stay is like family to me, allow me to trace the genealogy.  My business advisor, mentor, and dear friend Guy Kawasaki is an advisor for many different startups including Jesse’s Twitter and Facebook management tool, SocialToo.  I’ve been a paid subscriber of SocialToo to manage my gratefully growing @NEENZ Twitter account since it launched and recommend everyone doing so too.  More than Twitter, Jesse is also the author of two essential books for using Facebook: FBML Essentials and I’m on Facebook–Now What???.

Founder of the Gnomedex conference, held annually in Seattle, WA since 2001, Chris Pirillo is probably one of the most visible persons in social media recording an average of 1,000 videos per year and livestreaming as often as he’s allowed.  (As I type this he has a little less than 300 viewers on his Ustream channel and he’s not even at his desk!).  I’ve left conversations with Chris inspired and recharged, he has that much energy, but mostly encouraged to continue to pursue my goals.

Last year I attended, SOBCon: Biz School for Bloggers in Chicago, IL.  Talk about an A-to-Z of social media, networking and tools.  For three days I was listening and learning from good people doing great things.  They were Chris Brogan and Julien Smith, co-authors of Trust Agents; Lewis Howes co-author of LinkedWorking the best how-to book for business networking site, LinkedIn; and the best tablemates I could ever ask for!  One person that stood out to me because of his genuine grace was Geoff Livingston.  He had just shared with the group his knowledge about mixing in traditional media and marketing practices with social media.  We all had learned about his work with the United Way of Amercia, Save Darfur, and Live Earth.  And yet, when we met in the hallway he carried himself with such grace and humility I couldn’t help but feel completely comfortable.  Geoff is currently working with his new startup aimed at serving nonprofits and socially conscious companies, Zoetica, co-founded with nonprofit expert Beth Kanter and Kami Watson Huyse.

Rounding out the speakers are Roxanne Darling, Aaron Brazell, and Micah Baldwin.  The agenda has not been published, but the conference is being produced by real estate consultant, Kelly Mitchell and I can only guess that there will be valuable information for the Hawaii real estate industry as well as nonprofits and entrepreneurs.  Follow @nextlevelhawaii on Twitter for more updates.

The rates are reasonable as compared to other national conferences, including one that I helped organize, so consider registering as there are only a few weeks left.