Twitter hashtag: #smbtv

Come to Social Media Breakfast Tech Valley to eat, meet, share and learn about social networking technologies and strategies. Follow @smbtv on Twitter for updates, and join our Facebook Group. Breakfast consists of coffee, tea, juice, bagels and cream cheese.

Audience Development in the Digital Age

In the 10+ years since THE CLUETRAIN MANIFESTO first hit the Internet, marketers have grappled with how to leverage digital media to reach customers more effectively, and the majority have failed. Frequently, miserably, and sometimes even unapologetically. Traditional book publishers, most of whom have historically worked via intermediaries and been happy to do so, were relatively late to realizing the benefits of engaging directly with their real customers – readers – and have been playing catch up out of necessity as traditional sales channels are on the decline and new intermediaries like Amazon and Apple now know more about their readers than they ever have.

Guest Speaker: Guy LeCharles Gonzalez

Director, Programming & Business Development at Digital Book World

Guy LeCharles Gonzalez works in publishing by day, world domination by night. Over the years he’s lived in Staten Island and South Beach Miami; served in the Jehovah’s Witnesses, US Army, and Dennis Kucinich’s ’04 Presidential Campaign; won poetry slams, founded a reading series, co-authored a book of poetry and believes in the power of publishing as a community service. He prefers Pumpkin and India Pale Ales, Jim Beam, and Dona Paula Shiraz Malbec, and is a devout Mets and Jets fan from the Bronx now living in New Jersey with his beautiful wife and two amazing kids.

You can find him on Twitter, LinkedIn, Tumblr, and, Goodreads.

Sponsors and Host

SMBTV #8 is generously sponsored by id29.Founded in 2003, id29 is a brand and communication design studio located above Revolution Hall in an 1892-built collar factory at 425 River Street in Troy, NY. We’re driven by intelligence, common sense, hard work and the understanding that exceptional design and creative is a competitive advantage. Our capabilities include brand identity, communication design, web design and development, and creative technologies. Our clients are household names, multi-billion dollar internationals, mid-sized companies, institutions, organizations and entrepreneurs. We work with remarkable people who demand remarkable results and loathe mediocrity. That sound like you? Consider engaging us for an upcoming project. Please join us after SMBTV #8 for an open house in our studio directly above Revolution Hall

SMBTV #8 is also generously sponsored by our hosts for the morning, Revolution Hall. A beautifully restored 19th Century warehouse, Revolution Hall is distinguished by its rich hardwood floors, exposed brick walls, and steel beams. A 1,500 square foot mezzanine with views of the Hudson River overlooks a 260 square foot centered stage. Guest capacity ranges from 180 table-seated to 500 standing.

Brown’s Brewing is currently renovating Revolution Hall to include a full service catering kitchen and mahogany bar that will feature Brown’s craft brewed ales and lagers, wine and liquor. Other amenities include sound and light equipment for live entertainment as well as stage screen projection for television and PowerPoint. Renovations are targeted for completion by January 2011. For inquiries about booking private events, weddings or corporate functions, contact Nick Caswell at nick@brownsbrewing.com, 518-470-6061 or 518-273-BEER (2337).

About Social Media Breakfast

Social Media Breakfast was founded by Bryan Person in August 2007 as an event where social media experts and newbies alike come together to eat, meet, share, and learn. Marketers, PR pros, entrepreneurs, bloggers, podcasters, new-media fanatics, and online social networkers are all welcome to attend.

The breakfast series began in Boston and has now spread to more than 35 cities throughout the United States and around the world. It was brought to Tech Valley by Amy Mengel in June 2009.