Blogs with Balls 3.0 Announces Panels And Speakers

One of the best events for bloggers is Blogs with Balls and if you’re a regular reader, you’ll know that I attended  BwB 1.0 in New York last June. With Blogs with Balls set for Chicago on June 5, the speakers and panels have been set. Unfortunately, yours truly wasn’t chosen, but it doesn’t mean that there aren’t going to be great speakers. There a bunch of familiar names at least to me and I wish I could be at the Captain Morgan Club at Wrigley Field for this event, but I have committed to be in Baltimore that weekend (more on that at a later date).

Some great panels and for my friends at HHR Media Group, here is the list of the speakers and panel discussions.

Announcing Panels and Speakers for Blogs with Balls 3
3rd installment of Influential sports media event to be held in Chicago’s
Wrigley Field at the Captain Morgan Club
Chicago, IL ?? HHR Media Group and Modern Hombre are proud to announce the current lineup of sports bloggers, journalists, media industry leaders and technology innovators who will be speaking on a wide spectrum of topics at Blogs with Balls 3, held the June 5 at the Captain Morgan Club in Chicago’s Wrigley Field.   
“We are proud that over the course of the year, BwB has evolved into an industry leader in bringing together all facets of the online sports media community,” said event co-founder Don Povia. 
“The continued involvement of not only independent bloggers, but also representatives from companies like ESPN, Bleacher Report, SB Nation, Yahoo! Sports and Yardbarker, shows that collectively online sports media is working and growing together,” Povia added.  “But it’s the fact that more and more members of the newspaper, academic and marketing fields; and tech leaders like Gowalla are participating, that evidences BwB’s growth in size, scope and voice.”
Co-founder Kyle Bunch points out, “We received over a hundred speaker applications for roughly 30 spots, so this process hasn’t been easy, but it reflects the enthusiasm and importance that this event brings to our community. Being recognized as a “blogger” is becoming less and less a stigma and more of an asset.”
Tickets are available at a discounted rate through May 15 here:  http://blogswithballs3.eventbrite.com

Additional speakers and sponsors are to be announced shortly.
Going Local: Evolution of the Local Sports Media Market in the Digital Age
  • Jim Bankoff (SBN)
  • Enrico Campitelli (The 700 Level)
  • TK Gore (CSN)
  • Jon Greenberg (ESPN Chicago)
  • Dave Nemetz (Bleacher Report)
  • Moderator: Amy K. Nelson (ESPN)
Today’s Sports Media Landscape: Blogs and Beyond, Where Are Ad Dollars Going?
  • Rich Gallagher (Taylor)
  • Ian Sohn (Ogilvy)
  • Michele Steele (Bloomberg)
  • Pete Vlastelica (Yardbarker)
  • Mod: Amanda Rykoff (ocdchick.com)
You’ve Gotta Fight For Your Right…to Blog?: A Legal and Ethical Primer to Sports Media in 2010
  • Jonah Keri (Bloomberg Sports)
  • Dr. Nicole M. LaVoi (U. of Minnesota)
  • Alana Nguyen (Yardbarker)
  • Josh Zerkle (With Leather, KSK)
  • Mod: Jason McIntyre (The Big Lead)
Democratizing Sports Media: How Blogging Players, Fans & Leagues Are Changing the Game
  • Brian Cook (mgoblog)
  • Valli Hilaire (Fast & Fabulous)
  • Kevin Kaduk (Big League Stew)
  • Robert Littal (Black Sports Online)
  • Scott Reifert (Chicago White Sox)
  • MOD: Henry Abbott (TrueHoop)
The Kings of All Media: Leveraging Podcasting and Video to Build a Media Megabrand
  • The Basketball Jones (The Score)
  • Jay Busbee (Yahoo! Sports)
  • David Jacoby (ESPN, Sports Guy Podcast)
  • Ian Orefice (SI.com)
  • Michael Rand (Star Tribune)
  • Mod: Matt Sebek (Joe Sports Fan)
The Future of Sports Media (Circa 2010): What Today’s Technology & Innovations Mean for Tomorrow’s Fan
  • Ty Ahmad-Taylor (FanFeedr)
  • Michael Calderon (Big Ten Network)
  • Andy Ellwood (Gowalla)
  • Mike Germano (Carrot Creative)
  • Mod: Kyle Bunch (The Daily Bunch) 

Seeing people like Jason McIntyre of The Big Lead, Amy K. Nelson of ESPN, my Twitter Trophy Wife, Amanda Rykoff, Matt Sebek from Joe Sports Fan, Jonah Keri of Bloomberg, Robert Littal of Black Sports Online, Enrico Campitelli of The 700 Level and TK Gore of Comcast SportsNet Chicago in attendance will leave me with a heavy heart knowing that I’ll miss seeing them, but there’s always BwB 4.0 and if that’s close to the Northeast, I’ll be sure to attend.

As mentioned in the press release, discounted tickets remain on sale for BwB 3.0 through May 15 so if you’re a blogger and would like to attend, be sure to get tickets before Saturday otherwise you’ll have to pay full price. Knowing how poor many bloggers are, discounted tickets are always a good thing.

Thanks to Chris Lucas of HHR Media Group for sending this over.

About Ken Fang

Ken has been covering the sports media in earnest at his own site, Fang's Bites since May 2007 and at Awful Announcing since March 2013. He provides a unique perspective having been an award-winning radio news reporter in Providence and having worked in local television. Fang celebrates the three Boston Red Sox World Championships in the 21st Century, but continues to be a long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan.

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