At WPC 11 in Los Angeles this year, social media will play an even bigger role than it has in any prior Worldwide Partner Conference, which is very exciting. Add on top of that a record number of WPC attendees, and we’re talking about a fantastic opportunity for partners who are there in person, and those who are unable to be there in person, to participate in WPC11 in one way or another. There has been a lot of chatter about some of the social media elements at WPC11 this year, so I wanted to post a quick overview of at least some of these great resources in one place to help you get the most out of them regardless of where you are:

1. Twitter – There will be a ton of content shared on Twitter from WPC11. Last year you may recall my Join us for the #WPC10 TweetUp + Webcast: 5 Effective Ways Social Media Can Drive Business Value post talking about the live webcast conducted by @meetdux of the top Tweeters from WPC10. Here’s my tips:
   • Follow the #WPC11 hash tag on Twitter to be part of the conversation
   • Follow the top tweeters. Last year, the top 10 were: @ericligman @meetdux @tiffanywi @wpc10us (now @wpc11us) @risepartners  @nuxnix @rwang0 @stevenoverly & @simchabe (who has left Microsoft)
   • Who will the top tweeters be this year? I don’t know, but we’ll surely find out soon!
2. MPN Live Video Chat sessions – This is a fantastic new addition to the social media engine of WPC11 and includes seven 30 minute live video segments direct from WPC.11 streamed out to viewers everywhere! During these segments, they will be conducted as a roundtable style program with the attendees and Microsoft representatives have a conversation about WPC11. There is an AMAZING set of confirmed guests for the MPN Live sessions already and you can see the full list here as well as getting the full scoop on these. (Just an FYI, you might want to make sure you are following all of the speakers on Twitter since I’m pretty sure several of them will probably be in the top tweeters this year and are bound to share a wealth of information and insights) Here is the schedule for these sessions:
   • Monday – keynote focused 1-1:30PM (PDT); end-of-day overview focused 5-5:30 (PDT)
   • Tuesday – keynote focused 1-1:30PM (PDT); end-of-day overview focused 5-5:30 (PDT)
   • Wednesday – keynote focused 1-1:30PM (PDT) end-of-day overview focused 5-5:30 (PDT)
   • Thursday – event wrap focused 1-1:30PM (PDT)
3. Social Media in the WPC sessions themselves – Diane Golshan of the @WPC11US Team just put up a blog post listing several of the sessions at WPC11 focused on social media and how to use it: Expand Your Social Media Knowledge at WPC 2011. The post is a good read and shares some really good suggestions on sessions. One of the sessions mentioned is the: How Social Media Adds Value to B2B Marketing (MKT10) session on Wednesday, July 13 – 3:00pm-4:00pm in LACC 153AB. If you have been following our WPC11 Twitter chats, you will recognize several of the panel members and I will be there as well to join in the fun.
4. Tweetups & social gatherings – There are many people active in social media looking to connect with others of like mind at WPC. Be sure to take advantage of these opportunities and connect. For instance, there is the Microsoft WPC Cabana Tweetup taking place on Wednesday the 13th from 5:30 – 7:30. I’ll be there and look forward to seeing many of you there as well. If you’re up for it, would love to grab a pic for the WPC11 collection as well!
5. WPC Connect – Now, this isn’t quite the online social media, Twitter/Blog item you are thinking of, but this is social networking in the true sense. The WPC Connect tool provides a way for you to identify other attendees at WPC to find people of similar interests, etc. and then schedule connection meetings with them while at WPC. It’s a great way to make the most of your time at WPC and here is just one fantastic example shared by Jon Roskill earlier.
6. Microsoft Partner Info mobile app V2.0 – Inside the Microsoft Partner Info mobile app V2.0 release, you will find numerous places to follow and be part of the WPC11 crowd. For instance:
   • In the People & Events sections, you will find the WPC2011 link. That will bring you the latest from the WPC Team itself as well as information from several of the country WPC teams, such as the US WPC Team and the Canadian WPC Team.
   • In the People section, you will also find links to my feed and the MS Partner feeds as well
   • In the Partner Talk* section, you will find the WPC11 Talk link, which brings you the latest tweets about #WPC11, the MPN Live Talk link, which brings you the latest regarding #MPNLive, and the #MSPartner Talk link that brings you the latest about #MSPartner
   • In the Products section, you will find all of the latest being shared by the product teams themselves, and you know there is some good stuff coming at WPC!
   • There’s even the WPC app* itself included on the main menu page that gets you all of the WPC info right at your fingertips (session schedules, exhibitor information, maps, event news, shuttle schedules, wireless access points, LA attractions, and more.
   • And that’s just the beginning… (Note: The V1.3 release of the app has several of the items above but not all. V2.0 specific items are noted with an * above)
   • If you don’t have it yet, Here’s how to get it:
     • On your Windows Phone, go to Marketplace, click search, type in “Microsoft Partner Info”
     • On your PC, you can add it to your Zune Marketplace for download to your phone by clicking here
     • If you own an Android phone, you can install it from the Android Marketplace by clicking here (V1.3 only)
     • If you own an iPhone and want the Microsoft Partner Info app, help me let Apple know!

Now, I know this is not the end all, be all list of social media pieces at WPC11; however, I hope it gets you started in your quest to get the most out of WPC11 from a social media perspective. By all means, if you know of additional items I may have missed, be sure to let me know so we can share it with the community. I look forward to seeing you all very soon, either in person at WPC11 or online in the world of social media!

Did you find this information helpful? If so, you may want to make sure you are utilizing all of the areas I share information online, such as: my Facebook page, my Twitter account, my Linkedin account, and my blog. Plus, you can now get all of the latest Microsoft Partner Information right on your phone!

Thank you and have a wonderful day,

Eric Ligman – Follow me on TWITTER, LinkedIn, and RSS and see “What I’m thinking”
Director, Worldwide Partner Experience
Microsoft Corporation
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights