PLEASE NOTE: Pre-registration is not necessary but is strongly recommended. We expect this event to sell out, so make your reservations early. The $5 registration fee helps us cover the cost of renting the venue. Register here.

Topic: The Social Media Press Release

Who should attend: PR professionals, business and association communicators, interactive marketing and tech professionals, bloggers, vloggers and podcasters.

Moderator
* Cynthia Baker, public relations professional and co-founding member of Social Media Club

Panelists
* Kevin Dill is president of Press Release News Network and CEO of Applied Internet Research. Austin-based PRNN is a press release and archival network capable of dynamic social and multimedia press release creation and distribution. A.I.R. is a third-party provider of R&D and implementation of Internet technologies; the company developed proprietary kiosk software for a gaming company this past year. Kevin has an extensive background as a systems engineer, facilities engineer and Internet marketing.

* Omar Gallaga is a reporter for the Austin American-Statesman covering the culture of technology. While at the Statesman he has been editor of ¡ahora sí!, the Cox Newspapers’ Spanish-language newspaper, and an editor of entertainment and technology. He’s a staff writer for TelevisionWithoutPity.com and other Web sites including his own Terribly-Happy.com, the online comic “Space Monkeys!” and his Statesman staff blog, “Digital Savant.” He’s a founding member of Austin’s sketch comedy troupe The Latino Comedy Project and also writes for “The Almost Late Show with Bobby Bones.”

* Clint Howell is the account executive for Business Wire Austin/San Antonio, assisting local clients from Dell Computer and Introgen Therapeutics to Tootie Pie Company and KittyTrainer.com. As a product specialist for EON-Enhanced Online News, he shares what he has learned as a frequent host of Business Wire’s weekly EON webinar. Previously, Clint was a founding member of Market Wire Inc. While he is fairly diligent about updating his “Clinternet” profile on MySpace, LinkedIn and FaceBook, he’s also been known to take an occasional flight in Second Life as “Sword Sabre.” Clint prefers his first life as father to two loving boys and three rowdy dogs.

*Michael Pranikoff, director of Emerging Media at PR Newswire, is responsible for educating PR Newswire staff and customers about the role emerging media, such as RSS, blogs, social networks, search engines, and other Web 2.0 technologies, play in public relations. He has been with PR Newswire since 1998 and is an active participant in the Northern Virginia Technology Council, the DC Technology Council, the Software Information Industry Association. Michael has been a featured speaker and moderator at events for PRSA. Prior to joining PR Newswire, Michael worked for MacNeil / Lehrer Productions, which produces the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.