Member Article

SAScon launches new spin off conference in Manchester

The UK’s leading search, analytics and social media conference SAScon, is launching its biggest ever spin off event, SAScon BETA, which will be hosted in Manchester in December.

SAScon BETA, formerly known as Mini SAScon, will take place on 2 December 2014 between 8.45am and 5pm at The Comedy Store on Manchester’s Deansgate Locks.

The aim of the event is to bring digital marketing professionals together in a place where revolutionary industry practice and thinking can be showcased. This will be demonstrated throughout the day with a series of presentations from inspirational keynote and panel speakers.

Jeff Coghlan, founder of digital agency Matmi, has been announced as one of the keynote speakers that will feature at the event. In his talk, entitled ‘Just because you can, it doesn’t mean you should’, he will discuss the traps many companies fall into when they embrace digital content for the first time. He will also provide advice on the best ways to avoid them.

James Murray, UK search advertising lead at Microsoft, is the second confirmed keynote and he will talk about unlocking the potential of search. He will outline how Microsoft and Bing are thinking differently about search and he will also provide a demonstration of Cortana - Microsoft’s new personal assistant app for the Window’s phone.

Speaker sessions will also include discussions on “Kickstarter, PR and SEO secrets” with Lexi Mills head of digital at Dynamo PR, and ’The Internet of Things” with Kristal Ireland of Twentysix Digital. Barry Adams, chief SEO polemicist at Polemic Digital, Dom Hodgson, head of development at LinkRisk and Laura Thomas, head of social media at Return On Digital will also be panel speakers at the event.

After the conference, delegates are invited to attend a free comedy and networking event, which will feature high profile comedians such as Mick Ferry and Paul Tonkinson.

Simon Wharton, founder of SAScon BETA and managing director of PushON, said: “We took the step of renaming mini SASCon this year as it is no longer mini in terms of attendance or concept. It has grown to such an extent that we have had to move venue to cater for demand.

“As usual, the great and the good in online marketing and PR will be attending to openly share their knowledge. And in the spirit of the event, this year we’re pushing the boundaries of subject matters and will explore the uses and abuses of data and how data empowers us and simultaneously threatens our liberty.

“SAScon BETA already looks to be a sell out and we’re proud to say that we still don’t believe that there is a conference that comes close to this in Europe.”

SAScon and SAScon BETA are conferences organised by the digital community for the digital community and attract an audience of top digital marketing professionals from all over the world.

Places are limited. Tickets cost £95 + VAT and this includes the full day conference with lunch and refreshments, as well as access to an exclusive comedy social event.

To book visit http://www.sascon.co.uk/event/sascon-beta-2014/ or email helina@dontpanicprojects.com or call Don’t Panic on 01706 828855.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ursula Hutchinson .