Exploring-Social-Media-Business-Summit-logoA week from today Toledo will host the inaugural Exploring Social Media Business Summit with Jason Falls and a host of other social media and digital marketing experts. The event, held at the Hilton Toledo from 8:00 AM- 4:30PM, will include breakfast, lunch and networking opportunities. Haven’t registered yet? It’s ok. We’ve saved you a seat. Go ahead and register right here.

I asked Jason why he had chosen Toledo as the location for his first business summit. Jason Falls is a recognized social media A-lister and expert in online marketing. His blog, Social Media Explorer, is popular and highly regarded. His online learning community, ExploringSocialMedia.com, offers educational webinars and events. He is in great demand nationally as a public speaker. His response? He saw Toledo as a city with growing interest in social media and online marketing but no history of having hosted an event with top tier speakers. We were ripe for the picking, so to speak.

image-of-toledo-ohioToledo has an active social media community and many business and organizations already using new media effectively. Social Media Breakfast Toledo, The University of Toledo, Toledo MudHens and Toledo Walleyes, Toledo.com The Toledo Free Press, The City Paper, Carruth Studio and Unison Behavioral Group are just a few that come to mind. (Disclosure: Carruth Studio and Unison are both clients of mine.) Not to mention the numerous agencies and small businesses also using new media on a regular basis.

Just up the road, Detroit hosts regular meetings and conferences with A-list speakers from the social media and digital marketing world. It’s an easy trip for us to make and we do it regularly and with great pleasure. Detroit’s new media community is busy and always working on something new. They’ve been good to us.

But we’ve been hungry for a conference of our own. Businesses, organizations and agencies alike have expressed eagerness to learn more than the basics about these powerful tools. Exploring Social Media Business Summit Toledo provides Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan with A-list speakers and high level content focusing on social media and content marketing, email and digital marketing; with emphasis on strategy development, integration and measurement. For us, having access to these resources without paying the travel costs is something to celebrate. And we will.

Oh. And how did I meet Jason Falls? Through social media. I had been a longtime reader of his blog and Twitter follower. We spoke over the phone two years ago when I called to wish him Happy Birthday. I went up to Detroit last year and met him face to face at an event and we started chatting. And, almost a year later, here we are. About to introduce an exciting first time event for the Toledo area.

See you next week! (Wait. You still haven’t registered? You don’t want to miss this. Register here. It won’t hurt.)