ZimmComm – New Media, LLC

This just makes too much sense. BlogWorld and the New Media Expo have announced that they’re merging to create one big event in 2009. If you’re a communications professional of any type then I would love to see you there. I’m going to put it on my calendar now and hope it works out!

BlogWorld & New Media Expo is the first and only industry-wide tradeshow, conference and media event dedicated to promoting the dynamic industry of blogging and new media. Designed to give participants the strategies, tools and technologies they need to leverage new media communication in business, editorial and entertainment environments, the conference features dozens of seminars, panel discussions and keynotes from iconic personalities on the leading-edge of online technology and Internet-savvy business. BlogWorld & New Media Expo will place at the Las Vegas Convention Center, October 15-17, 2009. More information on BlogWorld & New Media Expo can be found at www.blogworldexpo.com.

I am hoping to attend the New Media Expo again this year and have been keeping up with Tim Bourquin, founder, via his emails and now I’m subscribed to his blog, Webernetting.

His most recent post struck a nerve and I posted a comment on it. I thought I’d point you to it and won’t post it here. One sentence in his post struck a real nerve with me and is probably what most prompted me to write a comment.

Worse yet, some seem to think that if you do find a way to make your living successfully, you’ve “sold out” and are no longer true to your audience.

That couldn’t be less true as Tim knows. I am very happy and thankful for the success we’ve had. It has allowed ZimmComm to continue to develop and help a growing number of companies who want to make use of new media tools to communicate with their customers.

We’re going to keep working at it.

Before the end of the Podcast and New Media Expo I got to interview the founder, Tim Bourquin. I was surprised to learn that Tim has a unique background that includes work as a police officer. He just saw a need for an expo of this kind when he got into podcasting and so he started one.

Next year Tim’s moving the conference to Las Vegas to as he puts it, “move it to the next level.” Over 2,000 people were registered here for this year’s conference and my guess is that there’s still a lot of growth potential. For example, I’ll bet some international expos would work well like in Europe or Asia.

Thanks to Gary Cooper, Southeast AgNet, for taking the picture while I interviewed Tim in front of the trade show entrance.

You can listen to my interview with Tim here: pnme-07-bourquin.mp3

I’m registering my vote to have Susan Bratton, Personal Life Media, back next year for a couple of sessions.

Susan (standing on the right) got interactive with her audience in her session on “Selling Advertising and Sponsorship for Your Audio or Video Content: What You Need To Know Now.”

In an hour I think she gave one of the best advertising sales how-to’s I’ve seen. She provided information on the language of the advertising agencies and then walked us through creating a media kit, proposal, contacting the buying rep, making the pitch, following up and servicing the order/client.

It validated for me how we do business and was a good reminder of some ideas we should be implementing in our own sales efforts.

This morning’s keynote address was a conversation between Podcast and New Media Expo founder Tim Bourquin and Jim Louderback, CEO of Revision3.

Revision3 is the internet television network that includes Diggnation vidcast and the GigaOM Show. “Revision3 is the first media company that gets it, born from the Internet, on-demand generation. Unlike aggregators, mash-ups, clients and web sites, Revision3 is an actual TV network for the web, creating its own original content.”

The topic was Jim’s move away from traditional media to the new media space. I think his reasons mirror many who are here who have their roots in traditional media like broadcast television and radio. The creative freedom the internet provides is allowing many people to create content which can be viewed or listened to on demand and that’s becoming increasingly easy to do.

I’ve gotten a lot out of the Podcast and New Media Expo already. The trade show has been helpful.

I already visited the Podtrac booth. I’ve been using Podtrac for the measurement of several of our podcasts since late last year.

Right now there are some meet ups going on and here at the Ontario Marriott, Podtrac is featuring the French Maids of French Maid TV at theirs.

The founder and CEO of Personal Life Media is Susan Bratton. She produces 22 podcasts a week and is one of the main organizers of the Association for Downloadable Media.

After our initial meeting of the new organization today I interviewed her. She explains how why she and some others have gone to the trouble of creating a new organization. Basically it has to do with creating some new media industry standards that will allow those of us who create content to better monetize our products. I’m all for that.

You can listen to my interview with Susan here: pnme-07-bratton.mp3

The Podcast and New Media Expo is officially underway. Right now we’re listening to the opening keynote session.

Expo founder, Tim Bourquin, is interviewing Howard Lindzon, who started a video podcast called WallStrip which he sold to CBS News for a reported $5 million.

Basically he’s talking about how and why he started the show and the whole process of selling the show.

The Association for Downloadable Media is holding its first ever meeting in advance of the Podcast and New Media Expo. I got it a few minutes late so I don’t know who everyone is yet.

One of the main things we’re supposed to accomplish is a method to standardize advertising standards and measurement reporting for our new medium. Right now we’re hearing from people who have submitted their names for board positions and I guess we’ll be holding an election after we’re that.

I’ll be posting throughout the day as events unfold. I’m also posting photos to my Flickr account so be sure to check it periodically over the next few days: Podcast and New Media Expo Photo Album