Google, You Tube, Microsoft and IBM are just some of the big names that will be descending on Cardiff this spring with the return of Wales’ largest social media and new technology event, the Online Influence Conference 2015 (Oi’15)
In its second year after event organiser and founder of Coup Media, Paul Shepherd, took over the conference, visitors will be able to hear insights and gather tips on how to boost their online and mobile marketing efforts from some of the internet’s biggest players.
Wales’ digital community will receive expert tuition on a range of online topics including how to move from social media to social business from global partner for social business at IBM, Andrew Gill and how to use Twitter to own the mobile market from UKI manager at Twitter, Dennis Bree.
The conference will see You Tube speaking in Wales for the first time and Google will also be returning after seeing the benefit of being represented at the event last year. LinkedIn, Adobe, Hootsuite and Microsoft will also be represented from the tech side, with RAC, Macmillan Cancer Trust, Coral and Gumtree speaking from the perspective of client side brands. More speakers are being announced on a weekly basis.
After experiencing the Dublin Web Summit a couple of years ago Paul was inspired to take over the conference and hopes to one day make it as influential as its Irish counterpart. Talking about this year’s event Paul said: “Wales is still falling behind other regions when it comes to the digital arena. There is a pocket of organisations like Cardiff Start that are leading the way but we are still lacking scale and an overarching showpiece, and we’re still way behind places like Tallinn, Tel Aviv, Dublin and London’s Tech City.
“I know there are some fundamental political differences at play, but we only need to emulate a fraction of these success stories to get a foothold and I think The Welsh Government should continue to support initiatives like Oi’15 and help us future proof the Welsh economy.
“By bringing speakers to Wales from the likes of You Tube, Google and Microsoft, professionals will be able to learn from the best names in the industry on how to maximise opportunities through social, digital and mobile media and understand how they can fundamentally change the direction of their business.
“We hope that the conference will consolidate and accelerate the movement here in Wales and in time will show the big tech companies that we have the resources and talent here for them to consider Wales as a viable place to base their business. We want to partner with anyone who shares that same vision to create the scale we need to make a splash”
The one day conference will take place on 7th May 2015 at Cardiff’s City Hall and organisers are expecting more than 500 delegates to attend, an increase of 200% from last year.
Paul continued: “This year we are excited to welcome Macmillan Trust’s head of digital, Amanda Neylon. Amanda headed up the successful UK version of the ice bucket challenge last summer raising more than £3million for the charity. Amanda’s example shows that social media and online marketing is not just applicable to the corporate world but illustrates the massive benefits it can bring to the charity sector too.
“We are also pleased to welcome Adobe’s EMEA marketing director, John Watton. TopRank’s UK Top Online Marketing Influencer 2013, B2B Marketing Magazine’s marketer of the year and originally from Cardiff, John will be returning to home soil to give a keynote speech on his experience of digital marketing.”
Speaking about the conference, John Watton, said: “I was born in Cardiff, and my family are still there. It is awesome to have a digital marketing conference in the City. I don’t get back as much as I’d like, so it’s great to have another reason to make a visit too.
Oi’15 takes place on Thursday, 7thh May, at Cardiff’s City Hall.
Tickets are available from www.oi15.com and the event runs from 8am-7pm with an after party to follow.
Paul Shepherd worked in the US for two years, and returned to Wales to set up Coup Media after working on content strategy for brands like Google and Visa. “I’m of a generation whose first experience of social technology was forums and later MySpace so it’s fascinating to see the pace of change we’re now living through, where social and mobile are a part of most people’s everyday life,” he added.
Coup Media was named as a Top 10 UK social and mobile agency in 2014 by The Drum Magazine’s Recommended Agency Register panel, and finalists in the UK’s Social Buzz Awards.
