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I get to be part of a lot of neat stuff at work, but this project is going to be really special. 

Today, tickets for the Free State Social went on sale! The World Company is backing social media so much, they're allowing Ben and I to throw a social media conference on April 29-30, 2010.

We've confirmed Chris Brogan, Jeremiah Owyang, Sarah Evans, Shawna Coronado and Ellyn Angelotti to be our speakers, and we're going to have an exhibit hall that features local technology innovations and social media groups. 

The plan is to touch on everything from customer service and personal branding to news organizations and blogging. 

Last week The Oread staff (which is still under construction and opens on Jan. 8, 2010) let me take a tour of the unfinished venue (video below). It's going to be a fantastic space for what we're going for. It's like a giant castle with Jimmy Johns in the basement.

I will admit this is my first time organizing an event of this scale. It's like planning a 36-hour wedding for 350 people. The details are insane (power strips, bandwidth, projectors, tables, badges, printing, etc.) But I'm learning as I go and adjusting accordingly.

The biggest complaint we've heard is that tickets are too expensive. Believe me, I wish we could let everyone in for free. The talent ain't cheap (especially our lineup) and neither is the locale, but after attending a some similar events in the past few years, I know that the ticket prices we set are much lower others. This year will tell us a lot about what we need to adjust for the following years. 

So... keep an eye on the Free State Social Web site. I'll be making updates about the event there. Hope everyone has a great holiday!