The Festival of Social Science is run by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) from 2-9 November 2013. The ESRC Festival of Social Science has helped over 500 researchers to engage with a new audience, including individuals from business, charities, policy, teenagers, pensioners, parents and the general public.

ESRC Social Media at Bournemouth University

As part of this festival, Bournemouth University had held an interactive seminar titled Social Media: Make or Break your reputation chaired by Professor Dimitrios Buhalis, Director of eTourism Lab from School of Tourism Bournemouth University. This event is aim to engage tourism, hospitality, marketing and technology professionals through dialogues and discussions that focus on monitoring online conversations about brands and executing online strategies to manage the online reputation of organisations. The topic is of particular value to the target audience given that Bournemouth and the area around depend on tourism as a major economic activity. It also facilitate participation from professionals who are in urgent need to manage their reputation on social media.

Welcoming the audiences!

The event was part into two sessions. In the first half, we were having numbers of inspiring short presentations on Social Media and Online Reputation delivered by experts in the fields, namely Dr Scott Mccabe (Nottingham University); Dr Philip Alford (Bournemouth University); Dr Brigitte Stangl (University of Surrey); Dr Eleni Michopoulou (Derby University); Alessandro Inversini (Bournemouth University); Vicky Loi (Bournemouth University); and Nicolas Gregory (Bournemouth University).

After a lunch break provided in The Retreat, this seminar continued by presentation from Rowena Revill (Dorset Creative) and Alex Moss (National Coastal Tourism Academy Bournemouth). This last session closed by industry panel discussion from few professionals who shared their social media experience along with question and answer opportunity for the audience that stimulated a vibrant and interactive discussion among them.

Please follow the link to find out more of pictures and slides from the event.

Here below are some comments on the event:

@Bev_boden: @buhalid amazing day thank you from your new friends

@TerravinaHotel: Agree- very good day. Thank you to all involved. Hope to attend still more as interesting.

@SplashRichmond: Thank you @buhalid for providing a thought provoking, interesting day #BUeTourism #esrcfestival

@inDORSETcom: Thank You @buhalid @bournemouthuni @ESRC for arranging such a good & informative day – Those biz that did not go keep eye out for next time!

@MarieHowell: Thanku @bournemouthuni @buhalid for great Social Media & Reputation Management conf @ESRC #esrcfestival Superb day!

@LexisClick: Great day at the ESRC Social Media Workshop #esrcfestival @buhalid @bournemouthuni @ESRC

@ESRC: Excellent event #BUeTourism Social media: make or break your reputation #esrcfestival @buhalid