By: Jessica Smith
Yesterday the School of Information Studies (iSchool) at Syracuse University announced the final speaker for the #140cuse Conference lineup, effectively topping off a stacked list of presenters. This comes after several weeks of speaker additions that have rounded out the list of 42 characters who will present at this extension of the global #140conference. The five speakers who were announced over the past twelve days will each bring something unique and insightful to the 140cuse table and are recognized by their industries as leaders in their respective fields.
Yesterday’s release announced that Lauren Bertolini (@MsLaurenRae), SU alum and Social Media Manager for the popular internet news outlet Gawker, will be presenting at the conference on April 19th. Bertonlini, who previously held the title of Senior Social Media Editor at NBCUnversal, Inc. has been working in news and social media since she graduated SU in 2009. Her exposure to real time conversation in major media companies is valuable for numerous reasons, one of which is she made her ascent at the same time the field was finding formation.
Abigail Cusick (@cusick) and Adam Zeller (@bestzeller) who work on social media at Bravo were also recently announced as joining the dozens of other characters traveling to Syracuse for 140cuse. Cusick has held her position as Associate Producer of Social Media at Bravo for a little over a year, and previously worked in the division’s Emerging Media Department. Zeller, the Director of Consumer Marketing at Bravo, has a long history of experience working in digital media and entertainment marketing, including stints at companies such as Starz Media, HBO and MTV Networks. Their combined expertise in communication and marketing in real-time television and large-scale entertainment guarantee an insightful and colorful presentation.
Lea Marino (@LvM), another Syracuse alum gone-social and recent speaker-list addition, is the Community and Content Coordinator for Vayner Media. She was previously the Community Manager for Bizzy, a unique New York City-based startup, a role that was preceded by a canon of positions on social media and public relations.
Alicia Staley (@stales) is a three time cancer survivor who turned her experience unto a non-profit that fosters online communication and collaboration among those affected by cancer. Staley identified and filled a niche that had previously been ignored, and brought together people to converse on topics that needed conversing, donations to fund research and outreach that needed funding, and attention and media to something that needed exposure.
140cuse is a social media conference stemming from the global #140conference and is a platform for “Exploring the State of Now” as defined by emerging social media technologies and practices. Its goal is to examine how every industry and facet of communication is changing in the face of rapid growth of communication technologies.
The conference will take place on the Syracuse University campus, and tickets are still available for purchase online or at the University box office. The prices stand at $5.00 for students, $25.00 for SU alumni and staff, and $40.00 for general admission.