I’m planning to kick my conference off with a panel session titled Organizational communication 2.0: The age of social communication. Blogger and podcaster Neville Hobson will moderate. Unfortunately, the names of the panelists were not published in the conference program, so I’m relying on Neville and the timeliness of the topic to make this a worthwhile session.

Reality television creator Mark Burnett will deliver the keynote address. The conference program promises “a refreshing look at today’s new media. You’ll learn how reality television has revolutionized the entertainment industry and raised the bar for audience expectations and participation in television programming. We’ll discuss the impact of this shift for the way businesses communicate. And we’ll explore how we can meet our audience expectations for constant innovation and an active role in business decisions and communication.” Having never watched any of Mr. Burnett’s programs, I’m approaching this session with an open mind.

I’m looking forward to ending my first conference day with the For Immediate Release dinner being organized by Shel Holtz and Neville Hobson. I’m a regular listener to Shel and Neville’s podcast and a reader of their blogs. So, I’m looking forward to good conversation with other members of their/our community.