Girls In Tech

By: Kayla Zerby

The groundswell of enthusiasm surrounding everything social media-related will culminate next week during NYC’s very own “Social Media Week” (Feb. 1st-5th).

According to the website, the aim of this annual event — which is also taking place in six major cities around the globe — is to “advance the use and understanding of social media in the corporate, public and non-profit sectors.”

And with a lineup as impressive as the one planned for NYC, you can bet on getting your money’s worth this year.

So. In anticipation of the big week, we thought we’d do a quick roundup of the top 9 “must-attend” events:

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Monday, February 1 – “Social Media and the Haiti Disaster”

From coordination of disaster relief to mobilizing financial donations, the recent earthquake in Haiti is shaping up to be the first international disaster to solidify the true power of social media. Hosted by The New York Times, this panel is sure to be a great way to kick off the week.

4:00pm-6:00pm | Cost: Free | Event signup

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Monday, February 1 – “The Social Media Week Digital Somethings event”

is invite only. DIGITALSOMETHINGS was founded in 2009 by David Weiner, Damien Basile, Brett Petersel, and Khayyam Wakil as a Global Events Organizations designed to feature organizations working in the digital space and allow influencers from across industries to network and have fun! That they do.

9:00pm | Cost: Free | Request a VIP invite.

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Tuesday, February 2 – “Crowdsourcery Potions 101: Why Some Marketing Potions Fail and Others Thrive”

Hosted by advertising giant JWT, this panel is sure to be hit for marketing, advertising and other creative types. Listen to a panel of experts share their insights on the future of crowdsourcing, and how “wisdom of the crowd” via social media is changing the agency game.

9:00am-11:00am | Cost: Free | Event signup

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Tuesday, February 2 – “Networked News Gatherers: Defining the Social Media Editor Role”

So what, exactly, does a social media editor do? Find out from this panel of experts from the media world, including the fabulous Rachel Sklar of Abrams Research and Mediaite. (If you missed Rachel at the GITnyc/NextWeb-hosted panel during NYCENT last April, we suggest you try to catch her on this one.)

12:00pm-2:00pm | Cost: Free | Event signup

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Tuesday, February 2 – “Fashion Goes Social: The Devil Wears Prada and Tweets About It”

No, Anna Wintour isn’t a panelist. But you will hear from an expert group of folks from the fashion media world who are defining the industry’s role in social media. Hosted by Rachel Sklar, Yuli Ziv, Emily Gannett and Social Diva, this is definitely an event worth checking out.

6:00pm-8:00pm | Cost: Free | Event signup

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Tuesday, February 2 – “February 2010 – Rally for the Future”

New York Tech Meetup explores the future and helps Haiti while they are at it. Tony Bacigalupo of New Work City and Jacqueline Novogratz of Acumen Fund speak, among others. Thank you for mentioning NY Tech Cares for Haiti, in your event post.

7:00pm | Cost: $20 | Event signup

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Wednesday, February 3 – “SUXORZ: the worst social media campaigns of ‘09”

You won’t want to miss social media slam-fest. What better way to learn about how to do social media campaigns right than to learn from those who got it wrong?

6:30pm-8:30pm | Cost: $25 | Event signup

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Wednesday, February 3 – “The Future Journalist: NextUp NYC”

Can you name a journalist who isn’t on Twitter? Neither can we. We suggest you check out this panel of experts from Columbia Journalism School to get a grip on the changing media landscape. The event is hosted by Mashable.com and all proceeds go to 92YTribeca, a non-profit organization.

6:00pm-8:45pm | Cost: $20 in advance, $25 at door | Event signup

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Wednesday, February 3 – “Women in Social Media Panel”

A recent study found that almost 60% of Twitter users are women. We think that says a lot. Come and learn from this panel of smart, savvy women who have harnessed the power of social media in business. Among the panelists is our very own Alexa Hirschfeld, founder of Paperless Post. Don’t miss the brilliant story that brought her cards to the White House as well as to your GIT inboxes this New Years.

7:30pm-9:00pm | Cost: Free | Event signup

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Thursday, February 4 – “Obliterati Party”

What better way to end the week than to have a few drinks with the Obliterati crew at R Bar? This special event, hosted by Citysearch and RandomNightOut, features a 90-minute open bar & a gift bag for every guest. Nice.

6:00pm-11:00pm | Cost: | Event signup

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Friday, February 5 – “The Future of Social Media in Higher Education”

If you graduated college before 2004, you might be floored by how much social media has changed higher education. Hosted by McGraw-Hill Student Innovation Lab, this panel features an interesting mix of professors and marketers – as well as Editor-in-Chief Adam Ostrow of Mashable.com.

12:00pm-2:00pm | Cost: Free | Event signup

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Hope to see you there and at the Girls in Tech NYC Girls in Tech NYC Open Chapter and Marketing/Content Meeting at Pershing Square in Midtown on Sunday, February 7, 2010 at 7:00PM. [Women's event].