Arun Rajagopal

Speaking at The New Media Event, Dubai December 9, 2008

Jump on the social media bandwagon, originally uploaded by Matt Hamm.

From 14-18 December 2008, I will be a part of The New Media Event in Dubai, the first and the biggest ever event devoted to social media in this part of the world.

Held at the JW Marriott Hotel in Dubai, The New Media Event features over 20 leading experts from Middle East and around the world who will help attendees understand the growing power of new media in corporate world and identify the key social media tools, challenges, issues and trends that brands and organizations in the region need to be familiar with.

On 15 December 2008, I will be doing a keynote on corporate blogging with Rajiv Ahuja from Muscat who writes the only corporate blog from Oman – Khimji Ramdas Bright Sparks.

Our presentation ‘Getting On The Corporate Blogging Bandwagon’ will attempt to answer the following questions:

• Should you be on the corporate blogging bandwagon?
• What are the lessons to learn and the pitfalls to avoid?
• How to get more value from your corporate blogging endeavors?

A part of our presentation will focus on Rajiv Ahuja sharing his learnings and experience from Khimji Ramdas Bright Sparks, the first corporate blogging initiative from Oman.

If you are attending the event, I look forward to meeting you there and I hope that you derive excellent value from the splendid lineup of presentations and workshops that are focused on ‘you getting social media right’.

I will live-blog about the event so that those of you with an interest in social media in the region but cannot make it to the event can also stay updated.

I think it is an exciting time for social media to take off in the region, with fears of a recession widespread in Dubai and more marketers interested in using social media to create more interactive conversations and effective relationships with their customers.

Based in the Sultanate of Oman, I have seen that interest in social media has been spiking recently especially in the corporate sector. Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM), the Muscat-based national ICT park recently organized a Digital Nation Seminar on Blogging on 10 November 2008. This was followed by a couple of stories in local media especially on blogging. (The Week article Blogging Goes Corporate quotes me and Rajiv Ahuja.)

Beginning next year, my effort is to help organize a forum like BarCamp in Muscat so that we can help popularize and familiarize social media among followers. It’s also a long-standing promise I have made to social media guru Connie Reece who is based in Austin.

My perception is that a lot of people in the Middle East know the social media tools, but are yet to get the big picture, the big idea of social media by using the tools in an effective way that delivers value.

I think primary concerns are:

1. Is social media just a fad I can live without?
2. I have my corporate website, isn’t that enough?
3. What do I say and how do I say it?
4. What will social media do for me?
5. What are the metrics that will measure success?
6. Will I lose control of the conversation?
7. Is there a business model behind blogging?
8. How much money will I make from my corporate blog?
9. How will get various stakeholders to buy into my social media engagement?
10. The fear of the unknown

These are natural concerns and I would recommend that you address them head on. It is by participating in events such as these that you will get the answers to these questions and learn the ropes of social media.

This is my first ever speaking gig and I will go into the event with the message that you can make a mark in social media if you LISTEN, OBSERVE, LEARN, BE HUMAN and TRY TO GIVE VALUE. Like my good friend and marketing champ CK says, social media is an exercise in getting the basics right!

It’s my pleasure to join the following speakers at The New Media Event in Dubai.

1. Debbie Weil, Author, The Corporate Blogging Book
2. Robin Hamman, Head of Social Media, Headshift (Former Head of Blogging, BBC)
3. Marta Kagan, Director of Marketing, Viximo.com
4. Philippe Borremans, Marketing Director, Blackline / Former Media Lead, IBM
5. Mohamed El Fatatry, Founder, Muxlim.com
6. Angel Gambino, Former Global VP Music & Content, BEBO
7. Dan Healy, CEO, Real-Opinions
8. Magnus Nystedt, Founder, emiratesmac.com
9. Omar F. Koudsi, President & Co-founder, jeeran.com
10. David Skul, CEO, Relativity
11. Steve Vaile, Founder & CEO, H2O Media
12. Rama Chakaki, Chief Operations Officer, H2O Media
13. Scott Monty, Head of Social Media, Ford
14. Rajiv Ahuja, Head, Corporate Communications, Khimji Ramdas
15. Bobby Kakar, Head of Marketing – Direct Channels, HSBC
16. Mohamed Nanabhay, Head of New Media, Al Jazeera
17. Jonathan Woodier, Director Corporate Communications EMEA Global Consumer Group, Citi Group
18. Philippe Deltenre, Media Strategist, Microsoft
19. Duane Nickull, Senior Technological Evangelist ADOBE & Host, Duane’s World TV
20. Ammar Bakkar, Head of New Media, MBC Group
21. Catherine Captain, VP Marketing, msnbc.com

More on the The New Media Event to follow. Stay tuned, folks!