Day One - December 3rd, 2012
Big Breakfast
We want to make sure you are fueled for the first day of sessions, so be sure to arrive early for a hot breakfast... We will have fluffy scrambled eggs, home fried potatoes, crispy bacon and sausage, fresh fruit, juices, assorted cereals, and more Starbucks coffee than you will know what to do with!
Introduction to the ‘eXperience’ from Chris Winfield
Harnessing Change and Chaos to Foster Marketing Innovation
In the tumultuous world of Pandas and Penguins, survival is often the primary goal. But how can a business do more in this ever-changing online landscape? How can a business actually thrive in this new environment. Growth during these rocky times depends on your ability to identify and leveragenew opportunities that arise as the marketing landscape changes. This panel will take a deep dive and discuss the real kinds of changes businesses can make to do more than just survive in an arena where the only constant is change. From setting up an extraordinary team, to shifting your business model, to constructing strategies that produce long-term results, you’ll learn the best practices for building an online business and a defensible marketing strategy that can stand the test of time.
Energy Drink Break
Need a quick pick me up?! Energy drinks will be provided for all attendees to get you through that midmorning slump!
Beyond the Buzz: The True Power of Content Marketing
Great content marketing is about creating something different and remarkable. This isn’t easy to do, but it’s well worth it, and the only real way to build a presence online that has a strong foundation. In a world where quick results are expected and buy-in is often harder to get for longer-term strategies, the ability to verbalize and demonstrate the efficacy of content strategies is essential. This session will share examples of the long-term benefits of content strategy, as well as how to convey these benefits to decision makers.
Lunch in Style
There are no boxed lunches at BlueGlassX! Grab your lunch from our hot buffet, and eat it out on the pool deck while you soak up a little December Florida sun. That is one of the many perks of our beautiful waterfront venue after all!
Technical SEO Wizardry [How to Get the Most from Your Data]
Data and tools are only as useful as the insights you’re able to derive from them. This session will cover two areas of SEO that require heavy data analysis: large site architecture analysis and competitive backlinks. In this session, you'll learn which tools that can mitigate the heavy lifting, as well as the techniques and tactics that can spawn from the data review to help fix holes or inefficiencies in your plan and prevent potential algorithm-related issues.
Starbucks Coffee Break
How to Build a Large, Passionate Audience From Scratch with No Connections
Building an engaged and loyal audience is the only way to create a website that is truly defensible against search engine changes and algorithmic fluctuations. Luckily, a focus on audience building is also a great strategy for growing a site that ranks very well. This panel will take an in-depth look at what it takes to fully understand and appropriately appeal to your audience. You'll be shown real life examples and the strategies they employ for building audiences that are engaged, highly targeted, and ready to be sold to. They will also discuss the differences between building and growing a smaller, more niche audience, as compared to effective strategies for building a larger, more broad base.
Sweet Treat Break
We hope you brought your sweet tooth! Indulge in chocolate brownies, chocolate chip and oreo cookies, candy bars, & chocolate milk for a 30 minute break!
Link Building Strategies that Actually Work
Google sent a shot across the bow with its Penguin update, essentially changing the game of link building and making many old link building methods too risky or completely obsolete. Links are still the most important factor when it comes to high rankings, but it’s become more important than ever to acquire the right links the right way. A naturally-built portfolio of links is your best defense against current and future algorithm fluctuations and tweaks. This session will cover techniques for creating a defensible link profile, how generate links in verticals even where content is unlikely to generate many links, and which old linking methods should be avoided.
The Happiest Happy Hour
Just like all of our previous events, BlueGlass is hosting the bar all night! Finish up the day with a drink and chat with the other attendees (and speakers!!) before dinner!
Delectable Dinner & the BlueGlass Bash
A hot dinner buffet awaits you after happy hour! Grab a plate and go chat with other attendees for the night! Following dinner, we will be having a party on the pool deck to celebrate the completion of our first night. Let's hope no one falls in the pool like last year ;)
Day Two - December 4th, 2012
Best Breakfast
Day 2 is no exception! After Monday's party, you are going to need to eat an awesome breakfast to soak up all of the information being shared on the second day! We will have ham croquettes, scrambled eggs with chorizo, onions, peppers and cheese, warm vanilla and cinnamon rice pudding, warm cuban bread, and of course - Starbucks coffee!!
Local and Mobile Domination — Harnessing the Changing SERPs
The days of “ten blue links” are long gone, and nowhere is that more evident than in the world of local search. In this session, you’ll learn how non-organic results are increasingly dominating this space (rapidly approaching 30% of the overall search market!), and what you can do about ranking in them. First, you'll be taken through the current state of local ranking factors and look at what might be just over the horizon for Google. Then, you'll see how these results have evolved as Google’s gotten better at understanding users and how this impacts the practice of local SEO. You'll also learn how to best take advantage of the intersection of local and mobile, especially emerging services like Apple Maps/Siri, Yelp, and Foursquare.
Energy Drink Break
Don't worry, we know you are going to need some extra caffeine! Enjoy another round of energy drinks to keep you powering through until lunch!
Mastering New and Hidden Paid Search Strategies
In a relatively short period of time, there has been an explosion of options for marketers looking to invest in paid search, social ads and display advertising. As the mobile and tablet markets have grown in tandem with an increasingly large social landscape, the complexity of targeting and measuring paid initiatives has increased exponentially. Traversing this landscape necessitates highly educated and well versed guidance, and a deep understanding of the best methods for leveraging each network. This session will leave the audience with a clearer picture of how changes in paid search and social ads are opening up new opportunities and the best methods for capitalizing on these changes, utilizing first hand knowledge, case-studies, and plenty of examples.
Lunch in the Sun
Another hot lunch buffet awaits you! Feel free to catch a few rays by the pool, or stay inside to relax between sessions. After lunch, only 3 more sessions await you - be sure to fuel up to soak in all the amazing content!
Transforming Your Visitors Into a Dedicated and Passionate Community
Building an audience from nothing is a great feat, but then maintaining that audience to form a loyal, contributing community is a separate and sometimes even more difficult challenge. This session will examine ways to grow your audience and encourage brand advocacy within your community.
Coffee Break
Secrets of PR Success: Real Tactics for Building a Massively Popular Brand
We’re seeing an increasing number of parallels between what it means to do great PR and what it means to be a great online marketer. From establishing a solid brand with a clear mission and message, to building and strengthening relationships with the media and your peers, PR skills are becoming increasingly valuable in the content-driven online world. This session will discuss, with specific examples, methods for getting the most out of each campaign, the benefits of great content, and building a brand based on what you give back.
Smoothie Break
For today's break, go grab a smoothie, granola bar, fresh fruit, tea and coffee and get ready for the last session of the day!
Business Breakthrough Laboratory
This special blend of talent was selected to specifically offer insights that address the nuanced challenges facing marketing professionals and business owners alike. Guaranteed to leave the egos at the door, this session is all about sharing, building and becoming better together. Have a question about a link strategy? Need content marketing advice? Team building questions? Wondering what Google will do next? Bring those questions (and anything else) to this session and get them answered!
Happy Hour 2.0
We are taking care of you again! The bar will be open (& free!) all night long for you to enjoy, so take advantage! After all, this is BlueGlassX!
BlueGlass ‘Xtraveganza Blowout Bash
As with the rest of your food, the last meal of the day will not disappoint... A hot buffet dinner will be served, and then the party will come back inside for night 2. Enjoy a DJ and amazing networking to really end the conference with a bang!
BlueGlassX 2012 is Sold Out...
Sorry but tickets sold out 71 days early this time! Are you interested in being part of a future eXperience? Simply enter your email address in the box below to get on our special list (and be notified before everyone else!).