Social Media Week 2012 Kicks Off with International Social Experiment

Feb. 9, 2012 - PRLog -- Social Media Week (www.socialmediaweek.org), a week-long global conference kicks off February 13th simultaneously in 12 cities around the world. On February 9th, at the official global press conference, Social Media Week organizers, together with global headline sponsor Nokia, launched a social experiment, “Can Man Live on Social Media Alone?.”

Armed with just a Nokia Lumia 800 phone (nokia.com/gb-en/products/phone/lumia800/) and airtime, the clothes on their back, their bare wit and an airline ticket to a foreign land, Daphne from Singapore (#CanManSG) and Martin from London (#CanManLondon) will trade cities, power up their social media channels and prepare for a week of resourcefulness and adventure.

In addition to having to secure food and lodging each day of the experiment, the travelers will be issued daily challenges, which will be shared on their Facebook pages (facebook.com/CanManSG & facebook.com/CanManLondon).

“Can Man Survive on Social Media Alone takes the conversation on the power of social connectivity and challenges us to think differently about its role and influence in our lives,” said Ben Scheim, Global Director of Social Media Week.   Over 9 days, Daphne and Martin will gain a deep understanding of the strength of their social networks and whether the crowd is the best survival kit a person can have.

"I've climbed an active volcano in Indonesia, taken a 36-hour train ride across the Tibetan Plateau in seater-class, and lived in random strangers' houses while Couchsurfing in various countries,” said Daphne. “However, nothing quite beats this social experiment where I'll be given practically nothing and will have to get by purely on the goodwill of others. I think the beauty of it is that the goodwill runs both ways in this experiment – as through the daily tasks, I will be helping to raise awareness for various social causes."

The press conference concluded with Chief Digital Officer of the City of New York, Rachel Sterne, presenting Social Media Week, founder Toby Daniels with an official proclamation declaring February 13-17 Social Media Week in New York.

Registration for Social Media Week began Tuesday, January 17th. For the latest news and updates and information about how to register, speakers and event updates, visit www.socialmediaweek.org, or follow SMW on Twitter (@socialmediaweek) or Facebook (facebook.com/socialmediaweek).

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About Social Media Week
Reflecting the global impact of social media– and its role as a catalyst in driving economic, cultural, political and social change– Social Media Week is one of the world’s most unique global conferences. Owned and operated by New York based Crowdcentric, Social Media Week offers a series of interconnected activities and conversations around the world on emerging trends in social and mobile media across all major industries. To learn more, visit www.socialmediaweek.org

About Crowdcentric
Crowdcentric is a New York-based strategy firm that works at the intersection between media, communications and technology, helping organizations around the world establish deeper and more valuable relationships through crowd-accelerated innovation.