That’s SMWF Europe over for another year; thanks to everyone who took time out of the ludicrously summery weather to come indoors and listen to a host of social media experts waxing lyrical about the developments in our industry.

After Chris Brogan tore down our preconceptions and misapprehensions on the morning of day one, before building us back up again based on fundamental common sense, we knew we were in for a good show. Thanks to all our speakers and chairs for the benefit of their insight and expertise over the two days.

There’s much debate about whether social media has matured as a market, and as such, whether there’s anything new to be said, but what we saw this week the answer to that question is a resounding no. It’s true that many of the basics and best practice areas are out there, including commonly know tips and tricks, but many of the less glamorous organization’s wide issues are still being worked on. In many cases it’s the organization wide role that hasen’t been addressed, and how ‘social’ is being approached from a top down perspective.     Fundamentally how social is approached from a strategic role and its integration within an organizations wide approach either from a campaign generation or service quality and relationship management perspective. As always, much still needs to be done in terms of best practice, and delivering on the basics is always important.

This year we’ve seen delegates approaching our speakers and exhibitors with complex strategic and operational questions about how they achieve pre-defined objectives. They understand the channels and they know what they want to achieve. That’s a big jump from last year when the majority of conversations centred on why social media was worth getting involved with; the question used to be ‘why’, this year it was most definitely ‘how’.

The top end of social media is forcing its way into the stratosphere, with measurement strategists burrowing ever deeper into the data, returning with philosophical questions about how we define engagement, why we measure it and how we mine applicable insight from it to inform future strategies. As the understanding increases, so the hunger for more data driven insight also grows.

Next year SMWF is moving onwards and upwards to a new venue. Look out for some massive developments in the format and content too. We’re constantly developing, and will introduce a number of new facets, including more in-depth content and new innovation only sessions, breakout workshop sessions, barcamp discussion only tracks for audience participation,  more speed networking with multiple parties and networking opportunities around the event.

We look forward to continuing to connect with you until then. Here’s how this year unfolded, in pictures.

 Keynote conference room

Chris Brogan – Keynote Address

‘Who should create content within an organisation? Everyone.’

‘Checking your Smartphone is the new smoking’

Moderator: Richard Draycott, Associate Editor, The Drum
Paul Fabretti, Brazen PR
Chris Jones, Social Media manager, BBC (2011 Judge)
Dave Coplin, Director of Search, UK at Microsoft (2011 Judge)
Ac Muir, Owner, Illegal Jacks
Jae Hopkins, Head of Communications, Butlins

 Afternoon Keynote, day 1 : Bruce Daisley, UK Sales Director, Twitter 

‘We don’t see Twitter as a social network, we see it as an information network’

Keynote track:  Gert Wim ter Haar, Social Media Hub Manager, KLM 

‘On average KLM answers Twitter questions within 23 minutes and have an issue solved within 10 hours’

 Thank you to our lovely massage ladies who helped us relax during a busy two days!