Westside Studio will be attending Free State Social in Lawrence next week. We are big believers in the power of social media and the potential it holds for our photography company. There are a lot of familiar friends and colleagues on the attendees list as well as new people and businesses we are looking forward to connecting with.

(Explanation via Free State Social Site)

Social media is much more than a fad – it’s changing the way the world communicates. The communities in northeast Kansas are at the forefront of this movement and have made the region a hub for innovative technologies and social media use.

Because of this, The World Company is hosting a brand new social media event: The Free State Social.

“The Free State Social will highlight the best in social media from our area and put local innovations and ideas on a national – even global – stage,” Ben Smith, World Company Social Media Manager, said. “Our purpose is to educate attendees about the current state of social media, present opportunities for its use and talk about where the industry is headed.”

The Free State Social will be held on April 29-30, 2010 at the new Oread hotel in Lawrence, Kan. Keynote speakers include Jeremiah Owyang, Ellyn Angelotti, Shawna Coronado, Sarah Evans, Gowalla co-founder Scott Raymond and Chris Brogan, co-author of the New York Times best-seller Trust Agents. Topics the speakers plan to address include:

Customer service
Personal branding
Blogger outreach
News coverage
Location-based social networking
Future of social media

“The good stuff is happening in the heart of America. It’s not just New York and LA that know what media can do for business. Lawrence is yet another hotspot of inventive, entrepreneurial spirits who see the new Web as a business tool par excellence,” Brogan said of his participation in the event.

Come out and say Hello!