Even lunch can be a productive time at IABC Conferences. Podcaster and blogger Tod Maffin will override dessert with his presentation, Twenty-first century communication: Are you e-xperienced? The advance blurb for Maffin’s presentation suggests, “While [communicators] may be actively employing today’s new media, they’re probably playing using yesterday’s old rules. … Tod will explain his model of ‘swarm communicating’ – and show you how to undo years of indoctrination in top-down communicating and embrace being an influential part of a viral swarm.” Oh yeah, I’ll be there ready to swarm! 

Later in the afternoon, I’m looking forward to Tom Keefe’s presentation, Building an online community: New medium, new challenges? Promised takeaways include: “incentives and disincentives to online participation”; “applying social network theory to online community building”; and “a strategy for communicating with a mixed group of techno-phobes and digital evangelists.” I can definitely use the latter at family gatherings.