by Patricia Redisicker of Social Media Examiner
Do you attend in-person conferences?

Imagine an event where you rub shoulders with the social media pros you follow and admire online.

Then imagine networking with 1,000 fellow marketers in beautiful San Diego, California.

Now add the waterfront San Diego Marriott Marquis hotel, an opening-night party surrounded by dinosaur relics, an evening networking cruise on Southern California’s largest private yacht and 49 expert-led sessions.

That’s a small sampling of what’s in store for you at Social Media Examiner’s new conference: Social Media Marketing World!

What? Social Media Examiner is hosting a physical conference?

Social Media Examiner is known for its signature online summits like Social Media Success Summit and Facebook Success Summit.

event montage

And yes, these events bring together the world’s top social media experts and entrepreneurs, and gather huge worldwide audiences.

But social media marketing doesn’t need to be strictly an online experience. There’s great value when you make those online relationships come alive in person.

“This is a unique opportunity to connect face-to-face with the top social media marketing experts in the industry, and to hang out with other like-minded professionals, many of whom you’re connected with online,” says Michael Stelzner, CEO and founder of Social Media Examiner. “Meeting these people and developing relationships opens up the kind of opportunities that simply can’t happen online.”

Marketers always have numerous opportunities to attend online events, but rarely do they get a chance to experience a one-of-a-kind physical event that delivers the experience of a lifetime.

Until now. Now the organization you trust for highly valuable content is bringing only the best presenters to its premier conference, Social Media Marketing World.

Social Media Marketing Meets ‘America’s Finest City’

san diego marriottRecognizing the need for actual face-to-face interactions among marketing professionals from around the world, Michael Stelzner and his team at Social Media Examiner have designed the largest physical social media marketing conference—Social Media Marketing World 2013!

And it takes place in ‘America’s Finest City,’ San Diego, California!

San Diego boasts 70 miles of pristine beaches, a dazzling array of world-class family attractions and wonderful weather all year round, which makes it a truly unforgettable experience for everyone.

This gorgeous setting will provide the backdrop for the historic mega-conference that will take place at the bayfront San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina on April 7, 8 and 9, 2013.

The conference is designed to inspire you with amazing content and empower you with the smartest social media marketing ideas and strategies.

Social Media Marketing World—an Exceptional Conference

Apart from visiting one of the most beautiful destinations in the world, making valuable professional connections and enjoying an exceptional experience, here are four other reasons why you should attend Social Media Marketing World 2013.

#1: Meet the Experts

meet the experts

Over the years, you’ve basked in golden advice from the top industry experts via blogs, podcasts, videos, webinars and Social Media Examiner’s online success summits.

Well, how would you like to finally meet the experts face to face?

All of the experts you’ve come to respect and admire will be in one place.

Presenters include Guy Kawasaki, Mari Smith, Chris Brogan, Jay Baer, John Jantsch, Michael Stelzner, Dave Kerpen, Lee Odden, Jason Falls, Mark Schaefer, Mario Sundar, Cliff Ravenscraft, Jesse Stay, Joe Pulizzi, Ann Handley, Marcus Sheridan, Ric Dragon, Brian Carter, Amy Porterfield, Nichole Kelly, Derek Halpern, Pat Flynn and authorities from more than a dozen major brands including Sony, Zappos.com, AT&T, SAP, Intel, Cisco, Neutrogena and Salesforce.com, just to mention a few!

#2: In-Person Networking With Like-Minded Peers From Around the World

At Social Media Marketing World, you’ll make priceless professional connections that will last a lifetime.

One thousand marketers are coming to San Diego from all over the world. Attendees are already coming from Norway, Dubai, France, Australia, Ireland, Costa Rica, Canada, India and the United Kingdom, as well as all parts of the United States.

The networking environment will be a one-of-a-kind experience. Here’s what you can expect:

museum1. Structured networking after keynotes and lunch (so you don’t have to miss any training sessions) and a catered opening-night evening party at the historic San Diego Natural History Museum. Here you’ll tour the museum, enjoy food, drinks and entertainment, and of course network with your peers while surrounded by dinosaur relics!

cruise2. On Monday night, prepare to set sail aboard the Inspiration Hornblower—the largest private yacht in Southern California and the venue for the exclusive San Diego Bay Networking Cruise.

This will be one voyage you’ll never forget! Cruising along San Diego Bay by night, you’ll be treated to fun music, delicious desserts and refreshing cocktails. Why not grab a drink and get to know some of the folks you’ve connected with online, as you take in the breathtaking views of downtown San Diego from the open-air sky deck?

3. If you want a quiet place to sit and talk, or perhaps do some video interviews, the Networking Plaza will be available for you around the clock. This is a huge centrally located space that can hold hundreds of people and is equipped with round tables, computer charging stations and video filming stations. So anytime you want to do some serious networking, this space is available to you 24/7!

#3: Highly Valuable Content

event venueTake in highly valuable and inspiring pitch-free content—a trademark of Social Media Examiner—from 49 expert-led marketing sessions covering social tactics, social strategy, community management and content marketing.

Here’s a quick glimpse of the amazing content you can expect at Social Media Marketing World 2013:

  • Social Tactics Track: Find out the best and newest ways to market your business with social media. Pick up actionable tips to improve your marketing with Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest and YouTube.
  • Social Strategy Track: Discover new strategies that will draw ideal customers to your business. You’ll soak in sessions on social strategy, the psychology of social media, measuring social activities, organizational transformation and much more.
  • Community Management and Business-Building Track: Discover how to build communities and ultimately sell your products and services via social media. Track sessions include Facebook community management, developing community with blogs, building local businesses with social media and selling with social.
  • Content Marketing Track: See how successful bloggers and podcasters build and maintain content that their customers love sharing. You’ll discover how to leverage content to sell, how to move people to action with content and tips for excelling with blogging and podcasting.

#4: Make it a Vacation

Social Media Marketing World starts Sunday evening on April 7 and extends through Tuesday, April 9, 2013. Why not stay a few extra days and make a vacation out of your trip?

If you’ve never visited San Diego, here are some things you can do while you’re here:

Be sure to watch this video.

The average weather in San Diego is 70° F year-round. San Diego also offers beaches, surfing, the world-famous San Diego Zoo, Sea World, LEGOLAND, San Diego Safari Park and tons more!

Keep in mind too, that an event of this caliber would normally cost thousands of dollars, and for sure there are smaller events out there that offer much less, and yet cost more. With all of these experiences and activities to enjoy in San Diego, this is the kind of deal you don’t want to pass up.

Want to Save Money?

For a limited time, you can save hundreds of dollars off the regular registration price. Click here to register!

What do you think? Does this sound like the kind of conference that might interest you? Please share your thoughts in the comment box below.

Guest post from Patricia Redsicker, content marketing expert, helping business owners to craft content that sells. Her blog provides content marketing advice to healthcare industry audiences. and reprinted with permission.  I highly recommend attending live events as a way to connect with industry leaders and grow your business through ideas presented at the conference.