Social Media Portal interview with Simon Lewis from On The Edge London

Profiled - Simon Lewis, co-founder and editor at On The Edge

Social Media Portal (SMP): What is your role at On The Edge?

Simon Lewis (SL): I'm the co-founder and editor of On The Edge (OTE) conferences. My role is to identify then coordinate the speakers, directing them on content and writing their amazing bios.  I also create all the copy for the On The Edge website.

SMP: Tell us a little more about the companies / company organising On The Edge?

SL: On The Edge conferences are organised and hosted by the UK Marketing Network, a forward-thinking community networking website for UK marketing professionals.  There are currently 7,000 network members, which we anticipate increasing to 20,000 by the end of 2012.  The network contains an engaging forum and is content-rich with industry news & updates, events, videos and relevant promotions.

SMP: Tell us about On The Edge, what is it and when / where is the event scheduled?

SL: Bored with stale, stakeholder-led events, On The Edge conferences have been built to produce the provocative and genuinely creative conference that contemporary marketing professionals crave.  OTE challenges convention, pushed boundaries and re-writes rules.  Led by leading brands and supported by bright independent minds, OTE guarantees delegates leave inspired, engaged and ignited.  The first OTE conference is in London on 21st June, with Manchester (28th June), Bristol and Birmingham to follow later in the year.

SMP: Who are your target audience and why (and who should attend)?

SL: OTE conferences have been carefully designed to transcend all areas of contemporary marketing, appealing to graduates wishing to be inspired through to forward-thinking directors and business owners looking to reignite their brand and excite staff through energising ideas and strategies.  Anyone interested in improving their marketing skills and developing their team or company using ground-breaking and inspiring insight should attend OTE.  But be warned ? these conferences are not for the faint-hearted.

SMP: Why was On The Edge started, and how long has it been going?

SL: We?ve all been there: you?ve taken a day out in the hope of being inspired by so-called ?experts?, only to leave feeling somewhat deflated.  On The Edge was conceived in January this year on a train journey back from yet another dull marketing conference.  There is a need in the industry for an independent series of conferences, with balls!

With four conferences scheduled throughout 2012 the industry is set for a new style of conference.

SMP: What is On The Edge event doing that?s different?

SL: OTE speakers have been specifically chosen because of their relevance to and understanding of today?s contemporary marketing environment.  Each has been given a simple brief: Be as provocative and inspiring as possible.

OTE does not answer to stakeholders and has no motive other than to ignite delegates to become better marketers.

We?ve got big brands leading the way, including the controversial News International, Red Bull, Barclays, The Army, BBC and adidas.

If it?s shrinking violet stuff you?re after, you won?t find it here.

SMP: What will be the highlights at the event?

SL: Big, contemporary, brands fused with nimble, autonomous, consultancies will provide thought-provoking content and expose industry secrets during an action-packed, fast and furious one-day conference, where rules are there to be broken.

Our highlights include:

• Advice from global marketing experts, who?ve made literally billions for their clients
• Be inspired to super leadership by Frank Dick OBE, ex Great Britain Olympic coach
• Reinventing the marketing mix & preparing you for the digital age
• What?s hot around digital content? ? Hear from News International?s CMO
• Getting to grips with the Gen Y problem
• Understanding the mystical art of online advertising ? what works in the current world?
• Mobile Technology -  why experience is the new holy grail for marketing ? insights from Wunderman
• Why your PR is pants, your press releases don?t work and no-one remembers what you present

SMP: How are you attracting and attendees to the event?

SL: We have developed a great website, which are using to push the event, particularly through our social media channels, which include: 45,000 Twitter followers; 37,000 LinkedIn group members; 7,000 UK Marketing Networkers; and 2,500 Facebook fans.

We are also working with a range of media partners within the marketing sector.

SMP: What are the most important things that attendees can take away from this event?

Attendees can:

• Hear from some of the most respected people and leading brands in the marketing industry
• Unlock the secrets to success and how to implement these into winning strategies
• In an age measured by individual creativity learn how you can become the best in your business
• Networking with like-minded, brilliant industry professionals

SMP: What are the low moments of what you have been doing so far?

SL: Anything involving technology frightens me.  I?m a writer so creativity comes more naturally than building a website!

SMP: What are the high moments of what you have been doing so far?

SL: Anything new is exciting and organising these conferences has already been a fantastic journey.

Working with the speakers has allowed me to learn more about what we?ll hear at the conferences and it?s incredibly exciting!  When I?m writing content for the website it?s great to be in a position where I have to edit the details to keep some of it secret.

The delegates are in for a real treat.

SMP: Have you any early birds discounts (if so when does it end)?

SL: Our Early Bird discount expires at the end of April but SMP readers can benefit from a special discount using the code SME100.

SMP: What do you think the next big developments in marketing, PR  & Communications and mobile space are likely to be - and what role does social media have to play in this?

SL: In our new-found world of supposed altruism social media is driving every progressive marketing and PR strategy.  Whether this is the correct philosophy is open to conjecture but what there can be no doubt that digital is the way forward and whenever I see someone without a Smartphone I wonder what job they could possibly do that doesn?t require one!

SMP: Best way to contact you (e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn Twitter, YouTube etc)?

Twitter: @simonlewisOMJ
LinkedIn: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/simonlewis1


SMP: What did you have for breakfast and lunch?

SL: Breakfast was the original Swiss Alpen.  Lunch is likely to be a tuna and mayo doorstop with gherkins instead of cucumber. No sandwich should include cucumber.

SMP: What?s the last good thing that you did for someone?

SL: I donated money to Sport Relief and on Saturday I set someone up with a goal to complete his hat-trick, when I could quite easily have scored myself!

SMP: If you weren?t running On The Edge (or doing what you do) what would you be doing?

SL: Once I?d stopped dreaming about playing for Tottenham Hotspur I?d probably be the editor of Loaded magazine and then once I?d grown up a bit, Esquire.

SMP: When and where did you go on your last holiday?

SL: If the definition of a holiday is ?time away to relax? then I?m not convinced I?ve had a holiday in the past 15 years.  However, I did go to Dubai for a week last June and I think I?m going back there again this year.

SMP: What?s the first thing you do when you get into the office of a morning?

SL: Ask one of the girls to make me a cup of coffee.  When they inevitably say no I make it myself.

SMP: If you had a superpower what would it be and why?

SL: I?d have the ability to be invisible whenever I wanted.  Endless possibilities, some more credulous than others..!