This week I had one minute to cover CES 2012 on Chicagonista Live!, a live Internet TV show, based in Chicago. A year ago, I covered CES live in Las Vegas, as a member of the Sears Blue Blogger Crew, for three days. Here’s a quick recap of my UltraLight “Barbed Wired” report. Did you cover the show? Please add a link to your coverage in the comments section – I’d love to hear your take.

As I watched the CES12 news coming in, I’ll admit it: I kind of missed being on the floor of the world’s largest trade show. As a member of Sears Blue Blogger Crew last year, all five of us were treated to individual attention at the Sony, Samsung and Panasonic booths. It was entertaining, exciting and exhausting.

As one who’s been there, I can tell you CES live is a head spinner. Even though I am not there in person, I am on the CES press list. Announcements flooded into my email box touting the latest, the best, the newest. All of this promotion makes me want to buy more gear. And, I’m not alone. According to a LinkedIn survey about consumer buying habits, 41% of business people surveyed plan to spend over $1,000 on electronics this year.

What’s amazing to me to about the CES 2012 media outreach?

In over 240 releases, no one’s reached out beyond my inbox to find me on twitter, Facebook, Google+ or LinkedIn. For the most part, the releases are pretty basic. Here’s a quick round up of what’s hot this year. Check out Sarah Evans’s CES12 coverage, too.

CES 2012 Trends

CES is about prototypes and what’s coming next. What you see, you probably won’t be able to buy – yet. That’s why Microsoft is pulling out of CES. They announce their new products in the fall. By the time CES rolls around, they’re recapping, not revealing. Apple’s not there, either. But Sony is. Here are a few highlights from their press conference.

CES 2012 Announcements from Sony

Special thanks to my high school junior for watching Sony’s live press conference with me. It’s so cool to get his take on what these announcements mean to teens and gamers. And, it was fun to wear our 3D glasses and watch Sony’s 3D sports clip together – all while two batches of cookies baked away in the oven. This is my kind of bonding!! A few of the highlights . . .

• Sony Ericsson is now Sony Mobile Communications. Sony’s new phone will have a 12 mega pixel camera.
• Sony Blogger will come with build in wi-fi so you can live stream from anywhere.
• Sony Walkman will be Android based, wi-fi enabled and will come with a touchscreen.
• 4K is a new resolution standard than increases HD video quality by up to four times.  4K projectors are installed in 10,000 theaters now. A 4K home projector is in the works.
• Sports goes 3D. Sony will be broadcasting more sports events in 3D. The clip showed several sports, but not football.
• Sony earned $6 billion on 3D releases in 2011

6 CES12 Trends

1. Ultrabooks

Tablets took over the stage in 2011. At CES 2012, Ultrabooks are all the rage. According to PC Magazine, to be an ultrabook, a laptop must be less than an inch thick, use Flash storage, and come with both HDMI and a USB 3.0 port.

“Ultrabooks are light, powerful and svelte. What they are not is cheap: expect prices to air-kiss $1,000.” Source

What’s your number one portable business device?

2. Digital Wearable Devices

Expect to see a bevy of wearable devices, including a bandage-like patch from BodyMedia, that will monitor approximately 5,000 data points on its wearer. Using technology developed by I.B.M., the patch can determine things like calories burned, steps taken, sleep patterns and much more. Source

Who do you know that could use one of these?

3. Connected Cars

There are two trends to watch here: The rise of the “connected car,” which can take the various apps and content off your smartphone and redistribute them around the dashboard, and the growth of automatic safety systems that can keep you from rear-ending someone, drifting out of your lane or missing a car in your blind spot — presumably because, in part, you have apps and content all over your dashboard. Source

When do you use apps in your car?

4. More Likeable Laptops 

“Laptops are about to change…later this year laptops coming later this year featuring Windows 8 and Ivy Bridge will bend over backward to wow with new design elements. The redesigning of what’s currently a pretty boring landscape of laptops may start soon enough.” Source

5. Smarter TVs

Samsung’s 2012 line of smart TVs includes a built-in HD camera and dual microphones to support voice controls, motion controls and face recognition. The Smart Hub adds three new services: Family Story for users to share photos and messages, Fitness for customized workouts and a Kids option to help parents find educational programming. Samsung Smart TVs will add a slot on the back for “Evolution Kits.” These kits allow owners to make quick TV upgrades.  Source

6. MySpace Comes Back – on TV

Specific Media-owned social network Myspace on Monday unveiled  Myspace TV, a social TV service that it will launch on Panasonic Viera Connect-enabled HD TV sets during the first half of the year. Myspace co-owner and singer/actor Justin Timberlake: “We’re ready to take television and entertainment to the next step by upgrading it to the social networking experience. Why text or email your friends to talk about your favorite programs after they’ve aired when you could be sharing the experience with real-time interactivity from anywhere across the globe?” Source

Want to watch my Barbed Wired report for Chicagonista Live? Fast-forward to the 54 minute mark. Thanks the show’s co-hosts for including me: MJ Tam, Nancy Loo, Beth Rosen and Duong Sheahan.

Image: CES 2011 press conference by Barbara Rozgonyi.

What’s on your 2012 must-have gear acquisition list? 

“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.” George Bernard Shaw

Boy, do I know how to fail fast. I made so many mistakes with the cooler social media marketing webinar series I finished today, I felt compelled to share them with you. On the flip side, here’s how to create and produce a webinar.  You’re probably perfect, but if not, we’d like to know about your mistakes, too.

15 Webinar Mistakes I Made That You Don’t Have To

1. Announce with a super short lead time – this is real time, right?
Fix: Plan a few months, at least, in advance. Sure, it’s good to challenge yourself to get things done, just make sure you have a work in progress to work from.

2. Assume people will actually show up and participate in the complete webinar series.
Fix: Even with paid registration, few people showed up. Why? They knew they would be getting a recording, transcript and a workbook. I’m not sure what the answer is for this – what do you think?

3. Add in too much time for questions and answers.
Fix: To me, the biggest value was in getting time to ask questions. So I allowed 45 minutes, but that was way too much time. Maybe add in a study call?

4. Structure it like an old-school college class.
Fix: Handouts, a power point and case studies may be too much – and students may want more of multi-media experience. How to do that? Add in a few videos. What else?

5. Leave action plans open for interpretation.
Fix: A general guide is good and works for the masses, but not everyone is motivated or creative enough to fill in the blanks.

6. Forget to unmute yourself before you start recording. Yep, I did that.
Fix: But . . . I did have a backup recorder. I used a Sony digital voice recorder, which goes for around $40.

7. Write the reminders and replay emails as you go.
Fix: Write them all at once, you’ll save time and stay in the flow. Plus, you can schedule if you’re following number 8.

8. Don’t send emails through a tracking system.
Fix: Set up an automated system to deliver and track email opens and clicks – you’ll know who read what.

9. Rely on email to communicate; let messages get lost.
Fix: If your group can’t find their email messages, set up a private Facebook group, a Google group or even a Google+ circle. Everyone can talk to each other and all the information stays in one place.

10. Delay packaging as an information product because you need a designer.
Fix: Digital products may be priced less, but there’s much less fuss in getting them out. And, if people really want your information, don’t make them wait.

11. Don’t plan on providing customer service. Everyone will get everything the first time.
Fix: Troubleshoot signup, checkout, registration, replay – you get the idea.

12. Skip on promotions, you don’t want to bug anybody.
Fix: Map out a promotional strategy that includes news releases, partner offers, posts and invitations. If you’re going to all this trouble, you want people to show up, right?

13. Include three times more information than you can cover.
Fix: Well, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but I found myself edging an extra 15 minutes into the question session with material. Can they really absorb all of it? Better to offer as a special report or bonus.

14. Talk really fast – like you’re from Chicago and you’ve just had your fifth cup of coffee in an hour.
Fix: Wow, can I zip along, but can people follow what I’m saying? Can I? Slowing down grounds the conversation.

15. Don’t make a list of what to fix – you’ll remember.

Well, that’s what this post is about. What webinar mistakes have you made – or fixed?

There is only place and one time every year where you can have much as this. Fly into into Chicago if you must. Whatever it takes, don’t miss Social Media Club Chicago’s Sugar and Spice holiday party on December 13 at the Chicago Tribune Museum. [Disclosure: I am honored to serve on the Social Media Club Chicago board, which means it's our job to invite everyone to cool parties every month since October 2008!!!] Will you be there?

See how much fun we had at our 2010 SMC Chicago Mad Men party at CME group? Here’s the official invitation.

Join Social Media Club Chicago for traditional our largest event of the year, and arguably the most fun. To spice things up this year, we wanted to sweeten the pot by inviting two of Chicago finest when it comes to social media.

Social Media Club Chicago Sugar and Spice Holiday Party Tickets

Join Social Media Club Chicago for traditional our largest event of the year, and arguably the most fun. To spice things up this year, we wanted to sweeten the pot by inviting several of Chicago’s finest when it comes to social media.

Social Media Program Panelists: Todd Carpenter, Mari Luangrath, Ernest Wilkins and Amy Guth

 Event Details

Date: Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Time: 5:30 pm- 8:30pm

Location: Chicago Tribune Museum

435 N. Michigan Ave.

Chicago, IL

After Party: Bull & Bear 431 N. Wells (inlcudes 1 Free Drink)

Tickets: $20 Advance/$25.00 at the door

Price includes: Program, food and drinks.

Food: @Ramon_DeLeon Domino’s Pizza, Hot Aisan Buns from Bao Wow, and catered appetizers from Cafe Bella.

Drinks: Beer, wine, water and specialty mixed cocktails to match our sugar and spice theme, thanks to Google Places!

Tickets include: Program, food and drinks.

SMCChicago is proud to be once again partnering with TweetDrive this holiday season. How can you help? Bring a toy or clothing item to the event! 

What is TweetDrive (@TweetDriveHQ):

The mission of Tweet Drive is to form communities in the real world through the tools and culture of social media in order to help under privileged children around the globe. This year is the 2nd annual Tweet Drive, with more than 25 ‘communities’ nationwide participating over a two-week span in December. To learn more about the nationwide TweetDrive efforts, visit www.tweetdrive.org.

About the Chicago Tweet Drive (@CHITweetDrive):

This will be the second year the Chicago Tweet Drive will partner with @SMCChicago to host the wonderful event. The @CHITweetDrive has also selected Shelter, Inc., as the charity of choice again for this year’s toy drive. Based in Arlington Heights, Shelter, Inc (@ShelterInc) provides community based, emergency and longer-term housing for children and adolescents who are abused, neglected, dependent or in need of supervision throughout the Chicago-area. To learn more about Shelter, Inc., visit http://www.shelter-inc.org/.

So please, bring a toy or clothing item for the @CHITweetDrive efforts to the December SMC Chicago event. Any bit helps! And remember, give back this holiday season, one tweet at a time!

SMC Chicago Board Members

-  Barbara Rozgonyi [@wiredprworks], Founder

-  Jeff Willinger [@jwillie], President, Chicago SMC chapter.

-  Amy Korin [@interactiveamy], Coordinates Volunteers 

-  Tim McDonald [@tamcdonald], Manages Communications

-  Jeannie Walters [@jeanniecw], Oversees Logistics

-  Carolyn Martin [@syncsocialmedia], Online Marketing

Contact:

-  http://smcchicago.org

-  smcchicagonews@gmail.com

-  @smcchicago on twitter

-  @www.facebook.com/SMCChicago

- 630.207.7530 or 312-970-0846

 SMC Chicago Chapter Mission

Social Media Club’s primary mission is to expand digital media literacy, promote standard technologies, encourage ethical behavior and share best practices. We bring together journalists, publishers, communications professionals, artists, amateur media creators, citizen journalists, teachers, students, tool makers, and other interested collaborators. Essentially the people who create and consume media who have an interest in seeing the ‘media industry’ evolve for everyone’s benefit. We are more than just USERS, we are the reason the tools exist – we are the people who communicate our thoughts and ideas near and far. Join us and let’s shape the future together!

Image: left to right Kim Redd Johnson @reddsmitty, Amy Ravit Korin @interactiveamy, Allan Schoenberg @allanschoenberg, Xan Pearson @xanpearson and Barbara Rozgonyi @wiredprworks

How do you add sugar and spice to your social media communications – or parties?

Felicia Slattery - Steve Sipress - Barbara Rozgonyi

Here’s an invitation to join me and a room full of Chicago’s sharpest entrepreneurs on November 19. Join GKIC [Glazer Kennedy Insider's Circle] Chicago for a day of learning, networking , and taking action.

I’m excited to be one of five small business experts who will present ways to rethink, reorganize and reroute your business plans.  That’s me with Felicia Slattery and Steve Sipress at a Peak Performers mastermind group event.

You will leave with new ideas, contacts and plans. It is all free, but reservations are required. Hosted by Steve Sipress, leader of GKIC Chicago and Chicagoland’s Sharpest Entrepreneurs.

Register online at http://celebration-rsvp.com

GKIC Chicago Entrepreneurs and Marketing Event Speakers

Dov Baron, best-selling author and international business building expert on “The 5 Foundations of Building Wealth in the New Economy.”

Joe Cross, the Comeback Coach, will present “The 5-1-7 Principle: How to Become the top 1% in Your Industry.”

Barbara Rozgonyi,3D marketing results expert, on “3D Business Development Strategies to Stand out and Be Sought Out.”

Steve Sipress, small business-building expert, on “How to take advantage of the Holiday Season to accomplish more in the last six weeks than you have the entire rest of the year.”

Felicia Slattery, communications expert and M.A., M.Ad.Ed, on “The 3Cs of Credibility: How to Confidently Increase Your Business.”

.::. .::. .::. .::. .::.
Join GKIC’s Chicago chapter for a day of learning, networking and taking action.

Make your 2011 holiday season the best ever. And, get a head start on 2012 success. You deserve it!!

GKIC Chicago Entrepreneurs and Marketing Event Promo Video

Steve suggested I make a promo video. It was fun and easy to do – especially after enjoying an evening of improv at Social Media Club Chicago’s third anniversary party.

Can’t make the program, but want more information about GKIC [Glazer Kennedy Insider's Circle]?

FTC Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means that commissions are paid when sales are made. I only recommend products and services I believe in and use personally. I joined GKIC in July, met Bill Glazer in September and am delighted to discover so many other successful people credit Bill and Dan Kennedy as mentors.

What’s your take on this topic?

Hard to believe, but October is SMC Chicago’s third anniversary. Three years, 30 meetings, thousands of attendees – not to mention hundreds of slices of Ramon DeLeon’s pizza later, here’s a look back at our first event and an invitation to join us October 19. Thanks to everyone who’s ever attended, tweeted or watched one of our events. The passion and energy that springs out of this group is astounding!

Thanks to Facebook, we have the original October 2008 SMC Chicago Kick-Off event RSVP list. Take a look at who was who then. We miss you Allan Schoenberg!

[Disclosure: I am a founding SMC Chicago board member and am honored to be working behind the scenes with these talented board members: Jeff Willinger, Tim McDonald, Amy Ravit Korin and Jeannie Walters.]

Here’s how I covered marketing the first SMC Chicago event on wiredPRworks.

Nine days after posting the event on Facebook, the Chicago Social Media Club kick off site recorded 88 confirmed guests, 53 maybe attending, 65 not attending, 67 awaiting reply. Over 60 guests crammed into the Pepper Canister.

In July, the group created the Social Media Club Chicago Facebook site. To promote the kick off, we invited all the members to attend and added a link to the home page.

It was definitely worth the few minutes it took to set up the event site. We found that the Facebook [and accompanying twitter] connections added an automatic ice-breaking element to the event.

Heidi Sullivan, a former SMC Chicago board member, who blogs for Cision wrote ‘Tweet-ups’ become organic networking events for new media mavens.

The night before Halloween was the first official meeting of the Social Media Club of Chicago. As dozens of Chicagoland bloggers, Tweeters (those who microblog on Twitter) and other social media enthusiasts descended upon the bar the Pepper Cannister, I wondered how many other Social Media Club events and Tweet-ups were occurring around the world.

And, Heidi Miller wrote about the event on her blog TalkitUp

Tonight was the first meetup of the Chicago Social Media Club, and River North’s Pepper Canister was packed solid, full of over 200 social media folks hungry for face time. Did we spend a lot of time exchanging Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn profile names? Um, well, yeah, of course. We want to keep in touch, after all. But most of the time we spent doing what communicators do–sharing stories about life in South Africa, commenting on the drinks and the great job the harried waitress was doing, sharing opinions about the newest industry tools from Twitter to Qwitter, discussing the elections and the value of dogs versus cats and asking questions to see if we could help someone else out with a link, a recommendation or an introduction.

And I’m jazzed. I’m energized. Pumped. Excited in a way I just don’t get from typing or texting. The contact, the shouting across the noisy bar, the tasteless jokes–these are things only real face time can provide.

I think Heidi’s count of 200 measured the spirit more than the people.

How did we get from there to here?

Back in July 2008, a few Chicago social media folks decided that it was time to explore starting a local Social Media Club chapter. A small group standing under a street light at night in front of Monk’s Tavern debated the need for an organized group.

With so much already happening on the social media scene, including the 2016 Olympics meeting we’d just left, we wondered if there was room for a club. Besides with all the tweeting and Facebook going on, who had time to set up something like that?

Someone set up a Facebook page anyway. And, people started to join the group.

A few months later at BlogWorld in Las Vegas, Social Media Club’s co-founder Kristie Wells asked me if I would put the Chicago stake in the ground. “All you have to do is find a place, set a date, and see who shows up,” Kristie advised.

She made it sound so easy. Amber Naslund offered to create content and find a meeting place. We settled on the Pepper Canister. Little did we know that our crowd would push the restaurant way past its capacity limits. Thanks so much to Amber for being there at the beginning and helping us get the lift we needed to take off.

Gratitude goes out to everyone who’s attended an event, joined our Facebook page, tweeted about social media and follows SMC’s motto: “If you get it, share it.”

And now, here’s your invitation, copied from the SMC Chicago eventbrite site.

Celebrate Social Media Club Chicago’s 3rd Anniversary with TweetLife Improv, a Sushi Chef and of course Social Media!

Social Media Club Chicago turns 3 and what better way to celebrate that to take a look at what social media and improv have in common and what we can both learn from each other. And if you love Little Debbie and/or sushi, you won’t want to miss what a sushi chef can create!

October 19, 2011 at Kimball Office located at 325 N. Wells

5:30 – 6:30 Check-in and Networking

5:45 – 6:30 Little Debbie Sushi Demonstration

6:30 – 7:30 Playground Theater’s Tweetlife

7:30 – 8:30 Socialize and Network

Tickets include Little Debbie’s Sushi creations, Dominos Pizza; drinks; and the program.

SMC Chicago SPONSOR Little Debbie

Little Debbie is providing a LIVE sushi demonstration with sushi chef, Little Debbie and you! Be ready to take pictures and taste sushi like you’ve never had before!

FOOD SPONSOR

Ramon DeLeon, Domino’s Pizza

Ramon is a valued sponsor of Social Media Club Chicago and we look forward to pizza and lava cakes along with some #RamonWOW.

LOCATION HOST

Kimball Office

Create productive work environments with our broad line of quality casegoods, seating, and systems products. An exciting mix of wood, metal, laminate, paint, and fabrics, our office solutions will enhance your distinctive image and provide exceptional value and flexibility for years to come. A culture of caring and a history of building warm, friendly relationships complete the package. The Kimball Office name stands for stability and reliability, and we are committed to providing the ultimate combination of excellent service and superb product solutions. Kimball Office. A place that works for you. 325 N. Wells, 1st floorChicago, IL 60610

Social Media Club Chicago

Social Media Club [SMC] is a worldwide organization, with local chapters, that serves as connecting organization for anyone interested in social media. Membership is free and open to all levels, including beginners. Chicago’s SMC chapter, launched in October 2008, presents events that mix socializing, networking and learning. Barbara Rozgonyi [@wiredprworks], founder and Jeff Willinger [@jwillie], president, lead the Chicago SMC chapter. Amy Korin [@interactiveamy] coordinates volunteers; Tim McDonald [@tamcdonald] manages communications; Jeannie Walters [@jeanniecw] oversees logistics; and Alex Levine [@alexklevine] student/young professional outreach. Event attendees include entrepreneurs, corporate communicators, journalists, business professionals, publishers, marketers, media creators, citizen journalists, students and technology types. For more information, visit http://smcchicago.org, email smcchicagonews@gmail.com, follow @smcchicago on twitter, or call 630.207.7530 or 312-970-0846.

Remember this song from 2008? What do you remember most about what’s been happening in social media these past few years?

Image: Barbara Rozgonyi for thesociallens.com Y7ESZGHWKZAZ