I wanted to write a quick post in order to be transparent about how we select speakers for the Ypulse Mashup conferences. In a nutshell, it's a combination of input from the advisory board we put together for each event and my own editorial judgment.

Ypulse Mashups are one of many sources of income that allow Ypulse to grow and offer more information and analysis about youth-oriented trends. I have chosen not to turn Ypulse into a consultancy and don't produce and sell original research at this time. My partnership with Modern Media is meant to transform Ypulse into an independent media platform that will offer expanded editorial content and more live events. This direction felt like the best fit for my background and skill set as well as that of my new business partners.

One of my goals was to create a series of events that would be affordable to smaller companies, individuals and non-profits. The only way we are able to keep our attendee prices affordable compared to other events is by attracting multiple sponsors. Almost every time we have approached potential sponsors for Ypulse Mashups, they have asked to speak. Because Ypulse Mashups are events are for people in the youth space (i.e. a business-to-business vs. consumer event), many of our attendees would be potential customers for agencies and research firms, making these companies natural event sponsors (though we do pitch brands as well).

In response, we created 20-minute sponsored case studies and 10-minute research sponsorships for agencies and research firms to participate as speakers at the Ypulse Mashups. It's why you don't see as many agency professionals speaking on panels or as keynotes as you do at other events. Instead I have focused on people at specific media, technology and consumer brands, non-profits and academics as speakers.

I know this isn't how the other youth marketing conferences operate and that agency folks get asked to speak all the time. Most of these events are produced by larger conference companies that charge much higher attendee prices and produce many other events in all kinds of categories. These larger companies, for the most part, also don’t produce a media platform that covers youth marketing issues.

I just wanted Ypulse readers who may attend these events or who work at agencies to understand our thinking about attendee prices, sponsorships and speaking. Feel free to email me with your thoughts or concerns.

Posted by anastasia