The Economics of Social Media 2008 is a one-day conference focused on investigating the evolving economics of social media, looking at the survivors and up-and-comers, and at how deals and business models are being affected by enabling technologies and the creative process. You can register for the conference here.

April 28, 2008: Monday (Pre-Day Evening)
6:30pm - 10:00pm: Opening Reception at Casa Del Mar
Sponsored by DeSilva + Phillips

6:30 pm
Check-in

7:00 pm - 7:45 pm
Campaign ‘08: Media and Candidates Mixing It Up (Or Getting Mixed)

Campaign strategists, grassroots activists and media organizations of all sizes are aggressively embracing social media tools and techniques to reach a generation raised online. Are their efforts driving voter engagement? Has video’s ease and availability really changed the game? Is social media leveling the journalism playing field? And has the online conversation about campaign ‘08 reached significant scale or is it just hype?

Leonard Brody, Co-founder and CEO, NowPublic
Chuck DeFeo, VP and GM, Townhall.com and Salem News/Talk Online
Betsy Morgan, CEO, The Huffington Post
Manuel Perez, Senior Supervising Producer, CNN.com
Micah Sifry, Co-founder and Editor, Personal Democracy Forum/TechPresident

Moderator: Dennis Haarsager, Interim CEO, National Public Radio

April 29, 2008: Tuesday
7:30am - 8:00pm: Full day conference at the Skirball Cultural Center

7:30am - 4:00pm
Registration

7:30am - 8:45am
Continental Breakfast
Sponsored by Montgomery & Co.

8:45am - 8:55am
Introductory Remarks - Rafat Ali, Founder, Editor and Publisher, ContentNext Media

8:55am - 9:45am
Social Video Explosion with Fast Company
Sponsored by Fast Company

User-generated videos are being produced, shared and viewed by audiences in numbers that would make prime-time programmers drool but advertising dollars have been slow to catch up in the crowded category. How are business models changing to match reality? What creative and technical innovations are emerging that could threaten the YouTube-dominated status quo? And who’s going to be left when the dust clears?

Jordan Hoffner, Head of Content Partnerships, YouTube
Loic Le Meur, Founder and CEO, Seesmic.com
Jim Louderback, CEO, Revision3
Dmitry Shapiro, Founder and Chief Innovation Officer, Veoh

Moderator: Robert Scoble, Managing Director, FastCompany.TV

9:45am - 10:15am
Keynote Q&A: Steve Wadsworth, President, Walt Disney Internet Group
Sponsored by The Jordan, Edmiston Group

Disney CEO Bob Iger is on the record--multiple times--about the value of social media to the Walt Disney Company; Steve Wadsworth is charged with making it work. In the past year alone, WDIG acquired the highly sought-after Club Penguin, relaunched a completely revamped Disney.com with social networking matched to different age groups, and created the Disney Online Studios to focus on games, virtual worlds and online social communities.

Interviewer: Kara Swisher, AllThingsD.com

10:15am - 10:30am
Healthy Snack Break
Sponsored by CoComment

10:30am - 11:20am
When SpongeBob Met Social Media: MTV Networks’ Web 2.0 Push

While others vie to be this gen’s MTV, Viacom’s MTV Networks focuses on making Web 2.0 pay off. The catch? It has to be done across platforms, audience segments, iconic brands and new ventures. Complicating matters even more, the targets keep moving. We’ve asked MTVN’s digital leadership to join us for an unusual session exploring the challenges—and opportunities.

Erik Flannigan, EVP-Digital Media, MTVN Entertainment Group
Courtney Holt, EVP-Digital Media, MTVN Music and Logo Group
Nada Stirratt, EVP-Digital Advertising, MTVN
Steve Youngwood, EVP-Digital Media, MTVN Kids and Family Group

Moderator: Staci D. Kramer, Co-editor and EVP, ContentNext Media

11:20am - 12:10pm
Getting Real: Grown-Up Start Ups
Sponsored by Operative

Starting a company is easy compared to what comes next: moving beyond early adopters, scaling, adapting to new competition, evolving into the best internal structure. Then there’s the real question: How do you define success? A thriving stand-alone business or a lucrative exit? We’ll ask these founders and CEOs these questions and more.

Dalton Caldwell, Founder and CEO, imeem
Seth Goldstein, Co-founder and CEO, SocialMedia Networks
Keith Richman, Co-founder and CEO, Break.com
Toni Schneider, CEO, Automattic

Moderator: Shawn Gold, CEO, Social Approach

12:10pm - 1:30pm
Luncheon
Sponsored by KickApps

1:30pm- 2:00pm
Spotlight Q&A: Jeff Weiner, EVP-Network Division, Yahoo

While Yahoo grapples with Microsoft’s takeover bid, its own work continues. Jeff Weiner, among other responsibilities, has the key role of making sure Yahoo’s content, technology and ambitious social media efforts finally mesh.

Interviewer: Staci D. Kramer, Co-editor and EVP, ContentNext Media

2:00pm - 2:50pm
Layering on Community
Sponsored by Pluck

From news and finance to lifestyle and sports, media companies are moving to integrate social media and networking into editorial—and into their business plans. Adding community is one thing; layering into existing media outlets is another. Closed or open? Facebook widget or your own network? Integrate others’ content or connect to it? Join an ad net or build one? How does print fit in? Mobile? Most important: are we seeing results? Increased engagement, time spent, and page views?

Gordon McLeod, President, The Wall Street Journal Digital Network
Thomas Mueller, VP, Creative/Product, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia
Jeff Price, President, SI Digital
Kinsey Wilson, Executive Editor, USA Today

Moderator: Elizabeth Osder, Editorial Program Director, EconSM

2:50 PM - 3:05PM
Coffee Break
Sponsored by DeSilva + Phillips

3:05pm - 3:30 pm
Spotlight: Comedy and Social Media Programming Innovations

When Hollywood meets the web, comedy often follows. (No, we’re not talking about the business plan.) In the old days, everyone wanted to be a comedian; now they want to make money from moving comedy online and to mobile. Do professional comedy and social media really mix?

Dick Glover, President and CEO, Funny or Die
Chris Henchy, Head of West Coast Coordination, Gary Sanchez Productions

Moderator: Jordan Levin, Founding Partner and CEO, Generate

3:30 - 4:20pm
Pushing Social Media Boundaries With Marketing And Advertising
Sponsored by Bunchball

Is social media advertising a beacon of light or a train wreck? Social media has been blasting through the boundaries of online advertising as consumers engage and carry messages more easily than ever. From ad networks to immersive social brand marketing campaigns that are driving consumer engagement - marketers have more tools at their disposal than ever. How is the marketing landscape changing, where is the creative bar being set and how is engagement being measured?

Joanne Bradford, EVP of National Marketing Services, Spot Runner
Frank Cooper, VP-marketing, Pepsi-Cola North America
Peter Kang, Group Creative Director, OgilvyWest
Patrick Keane, EVP and CMO, CBS Interactive
Gordon Paddison, EVP of New Media and Marketing, New Line Cinema

Moderator: Larry Kramer, Senior Advisor, Polaris Venture Partners; Board Member, ContentNext Media

4:20pm - 4:35pm
Cookie Break
Sponsored by Snap.com

4:35pm - 5:05pm
Spotlight Q&A with AOL and Bebo

What does AOL hope to gain for its $850 million acquisition of Bebo—and why did Bebo opt for a portal? Will this investment translate into innovations for users and advertisers? How will AOL use Bebo in international markets and what can Bebo do for AOL here in the U.S.? Can AOL make the most of Bebo’s ad inventory? And how will AOL avoid the integration issues it faces now with Platform-A?

Ron Grant, President and COO, AOL
Joanna Shields, President, Bebo

Interviewers: Robert Andrews, Editor, paidContent:UK and Staci D. Kramer, Co-editor and EVP, ContentNext Media

5:05pm - 5:55pm
Deals and Dealmakers Driving Social Media Economics
Sponsored by DeSilva + Phillips

Boom or bust, social media is driving consolidation, investment and strategic priorities for media companies. How will current economic trends impact the deals that define the industry, who will have the money to spend, who is selling and who is buying? Hear what leaders from venture capital, private equity and the buy side of News Corp have to say about the deals charting the course of social media—and about the deals that aren’t happening.

Shawn Colo, Co-founder and Head of M&A, Demand Media
Michael Hirshland, General Partner, Polaris Venture Partners
Ross Levinsohn, Partner, Velocity Interactive Group
Jason Rapp, SVP, Mergers & Acquisitions, IAC
Geoff Yang, Founding Partner, Redpoint Ventures

Moderator: Rafat Ali, Founder, Editor and Publisher, ContentNext Media

6:00pm - 8:00pm
Closing cocktail reception at Skirball
Sponsored by The Jordan, Edmiston Group