Social Media Week Fairfax returns in September

SMWFairfax is returning to Fairfax County, Va., in 2018.

The Social Media Week event is scheduled for Sept. 14 at Capital One’s headquarters in Tysons Corner, according to the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, which is a co-organizer of the event.

#SMWFairfax: a great place to build your social network in person. Check out the line up here: https://t.co/6mTHpBcPvt Purchase your tickets today! https://t.co/F8qmjyxF3m Use code: FairfaxEDA18 for 20% off! pic.twitter.com/brat441S6I

— SMWFairfax (@SMWFairfax) August 6, 2018

The theme of this year’s event is “Closer,” with some of the topics examined including the interconnection between people, conflicts between the community and individualism and developments in artificial intelligence, virtual reality and wearable technology.

As Technical.ly DC reported, last year’s event drew about 300 people for conversations on the role of social media in media, politics and entrepreneurship. For Fairfax County officials, it’s a draw that spotlights the area’s tech community.

“The global nature of SMW is in line with our efforts to showcase the county as a place where innovation, creativity, thought leadership and diversity are assets that contribute to both the community and its economic base,” Gerald L. Gordon, CEO of FCDEA, said in a statement.

The speaker lineup is itself an interconnection of the local tech, government and media communities. Here are a few of the panels planned so far, per SMWFairfax:

• “Playing with Matches: Does Digital Media Fuel or Burn Startups?” with Joe Falit of Yombu, Amelia Friedman of Hatch Apps, Ryan Croft of TransitScreen, and Ajay Kori of UrbanStems.
• “Hug Your Haters: The Art of Dealing with and Defusing Negativity Online,” with Molly Cain of the Department of Homeland Security, Laura Larrimore of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Joseph Gallo of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, and Christopher Dorobek of GovLoop’s DorobekINSIDER.
• “Future Tense: How Companies and Brands Inspire Innovation,” with Caitlin McKenna of Hilton, David “Rev” Ciancio of Yext, Jinnyn Jacob of Booz Allen Hamilton, and Neal Rothschild of Axios.

More info and registration info is at the link below.