"From Mass to Grass" Marketing Conference Launches ... and an Early Bird Discount

Canada's must-see conference for the conversation marketplace, participation media, user generated content and new research worlds launches!

Check this out - The Canadian Marketing Association's "From Mass to Grass" returns again this year on June 12 in Toronto at a very cool summer-friendly venue (Pavilion at Ontario Place).

Nowhere in Canada will you find a more entertaining and remarkable set of speakers dedicated to getting their companies noticed and talked about. Sure, there are other great conferences in Canada - mesh and ICE have their devoted followings, and for good reason.

Whereas they deal with various facets of the new online and media environments in great depth, "From Mass to Grass" is designed to tie together these disciplines and shape insights and fully integrated strategies for progressive business people, marketers, entrepreneurs, agency people and media folk alike.   

If we don't all know it yet, you will after this conference - there is no more potent force to shaping consumer attitudes and changing customer behavior than word of mouth. It has its own orientation, its own tactics, style of communication, media, targeting, emphasis, measurement and success principles and deserves its place alongside the more traditional practices of advertising, promotion, PR, online and innovation.

My personal mission is to ensure future rainmakers, firestarters, headline stealers and start uppers have an understanding of what's out there, why it works so well, the nitty-gritty of how to make it work for you and some of the watchouts. I promise you, you will drink from the "fire hose" of buzz-driven insight...at "From Mass to Grass".

So as conference founder, I'm exceptionally happy to be chairing Canada's mecca for word of mouth for a second year with a star-studded roster of over 30 speakers and topics you have asked for in the past, check out this lineup:

- Richard Bartrem, Westjet's VP  Culture & Communications - our morning keynpote talking about "Caring Owners - Driving Word of Mouth Through Employee Empowerment and Enagagement"

- David Usher, award-winning musician and entertainment social media participant and resident expert in a segment called "Behind the Music"

- Douglas Rushkoff - Narrative Lab Founder, award-winning docuumentarian ("Merchants of Cool" and "The Persuaders"), author (Media Virus and Get Back in the Box) and new media expert

- Julie Cole & Tricia Mumby, Founders- Mabel's Labels "Word of Mouth Works in the Mama Market" - and their amazing Canadian grassroots success changing the way we think about  and market to mommies

- Chris Matthews, Specialized Bikes - Vigilante Organization - Global Efforts in Building brand Awesomeness and a Sense of Brand Community - a guide for large companies on how to evoke the passion of your customer base regardless of your size

- Jim Button, VP Marketing, Big Rock Brewery - tales of great craft beer community tapping word of mouth building from its grassroots headquarters in Calgary

- Su McVey, VP, Marketing Planning, TD Bank Financial Group- changing the face on how banks market to their audiences

- Scott Brooks, Chief Evangelist and Co-Founder, ConceptShare - kickass BtB success and the power of testimonials built from of all places, Sudbury, the new hotbed for collaborative creative building

- Mike McDerment, Co-Founder and CEO, Freshbooks  - an extraordinary story of a bootstrapping Canadian company turned global success that has taken the pain out of accounting and invoicing clients

- William Azaroff, VanCity - a not-for-profit example of what you can do when you say "yes we can", the triple bottom line success of VanCity credit union and a webby award nominee sponsored social network "Change Everything" 

- Deborah Kaplan, Executive Director, Zerofootprint - for those that have been sleeping, "Green is in" - learn how Zerofootprint is enabling companies to change and buzz about their green credentials

- Malcolm Roberts, President, Smith Roberts Creative Communications - the mastermind behind the United Chruch of Canada's "Wonder Cafe" and Ontario Colleges "Obay" teaser campaign

- Ross Buchanan, Director, Molson Coors Relationship Marketing - how Canada's iconic beer company makes successful forays into word of mouth worlds and watchouts for those who tread there too

- Dan Hunter, Partner, IMI International - yes, you can measure word of mouth and what a bounce you can get vs. the traditional stuff, Dan shows you how

- Dave Balter, President, BzzAgent - one of WOM's pioneers demonstrates the ironclad argument for the ROI on word of mouth 

- I'll also be conducting a rapidfire session "In the Rainmaker's Studio" with 5 consummate WOM Canadian pros - asking them the important questions and getting their unique indivudal perspectives

Janice Diner - General Manager/Creative Director - Ripple Social Influence (part of Sharpe Blackmore Euro RSCG (social networks)

David Dougherty - VP, Strategy, Trapeze (viral, online WOM)

Claire Lamont - Partner & Creative Director, Smak (guerrilla, experiential, offline WOM)

Keith McArthur - Senior Director, Media Innovation, Veritas (social media)

Patrick Thorburn - Co-Founder, Matchstick  (influencer WOM, product seeding)

Nothing is more aggravating than having a hotbed of talent and not asking the right questions (file under Sarah Lacy).  We have the best group of moderators you'll ever find at any conference in Canada teeing it up for "From Mass to Grass":

Mitch Joel, President, Twist Image and ringleader behind blog and podcast Six Pixels of Separation - what can you say about Mitch that hasn't been covered, he's Seth Godin North (kind of looks like him too) 

Joseph Thornley, CEO, Thornley Fallis  - champion of PR's ride into social media, omnipresent and omniscient social networker, author of ProPR, the Gepetto of Third Tuesday's revival in Canada and change agent

Kate Trgovac, President & Chief Evangelist, LintBucket Media - social media goddess, Duchess of One Degree - Canada's hitching post for online stuff, author of one of my fave blogs My Name is Kate  and uber laptop bag maven 

David Jones, VP, Digital Communications, Hill & Knowlton - as he's better known "The Professor"(for his altruistic efforts to thought lead the Canadian media world into the new digital age), the intelligent voice behind the Inside PR podcast, PR Works blog and H&K's master online flack

Amber McArthur - Co Founder, MGI Media - new media journalist and web strategist, face behind award-winning podcast commandN, former Webnation host and PEI's charming gift to the online nation

Andrea Wojnicki, Professor, Rotman School of Business (U of T) - WOMMA Advisory Board member and Harvard published author on "Social Hubs"

I would be remiss if I didn't once again mention the "brains"and "energy" behind this conference...

Mirabel Palmer-Elliott -Group Director, Audience Development, Rogers Media - AIMs board member and fellow League of Kickass founder

Baron Mannett - Senior VP -Strategy and Client Development , Ariad Communciations - high WOM IQ and master of new media, custom content and experiential worlds

Michael Seaton - VP Marketing, Thornley Fallis - architect behind Scotiabank's Money Clip podcast and author of the always insightful The Client Side blog    

Allison Daisley - PR, Cake Beauty - otherwise know as the idea and enthusiasm spark and also purveyor of fine funky beauty products to boot   

Minnow Hamilton - Co-Founder, Savvy Mom - if a Mom should know about it, Minnow probably already knows

Steve Osgoode, Director, Online and New Media, Harper Collins - as mentiuoned to Steve many times, if i was in jail and I had one call to get me out, I likely would phone Steve - a master connector

Jay Moonah, Digital, Information Strategist, 58Ninety - budding hamster viral impressario, digital pro +++ and driving force beind blog Media Driving

Peter Coish - Founder of XYYZ Media Venture - builder of a community of guys and former agency head of Draft Canada

Kiran Balladin  Cathy Landolt, Scott Bartley and David Phillips , CMA - our conference planning experts, gurus, communicators and sponsorship whizzes

Sign up today or go to  our Facebook page, become a fan and get a code for $50 off before May 1st...and of course, spread the word.

My other colleague's post of "From Mass to Grass":

David at PR Works "Psst...50 dollars off CMA Word of Mouth Conference...Pass It On"

Kate at My Name is Kate "From Mass to Grass Returns"

Mitch at Six Pixels of Separation "SPOS #88"