Buzzfeed, Unilever and Salesforce set to speak at Online Influence conference in Cardiff

Cardiff has been selected to host the conference for the third year running, owing to the organiser’s belief in the city’s potential to become one of Europe’s leading technology powerhouses.

The one-day conference will comprise four keynote speakers and six masterclasses, focusing on digital, mobile and social media, with the use of online content, video, and messaging apps taking a particular emphasis. Other topics will include instant messaging, dark social and social data. In addition, the conference will have an exhibition area and speakers’ corner, where delegates can talk to the experts and ‘pick their brains’ in a more intimate setting.

Event organiser and founder of Coup Media, Paul Shepherd, took over the conference after being inspired by the Dublin Web Summit, and hopes to make the Welsh equivalent as successful as its Irish counterpart.

Talking about this year’s event, Mr Shepherd said: “The Oi conference is the only event of this type in Wales, whereby the coolest, biggest names and brands come to talk about what’s working, what’s next, and how we can all get better at using platforms that promote the social and mobile landscapes right now. Social and mobile media is moving so relentlessly fast, which makes an event such as the Oi Conference necessary to keep pace with the changes. And after all, who better to talk about the latest innovations than the companies who are driving the agenda.

“Following feedback from last year, we’ve refined the agenda and included more female speakers as part of our line-up, which is really important. Cardiff is a phenomenal city and we’re really excited about the event, which I’m sure will, once again, prove to be a huge success for professionals both locally and throughout the UK in expanding their knowledge of the digital sector.”

The day will see Jeremy Waite, head of digital strategy at Salesforce, kick off the conference as a keynote speaker, discussing email, mobile and social business. Buzzfeed’s head of brand partnerships, Simon Low, will attend for the first time to talk about the website’s innovative use of content. Representatives from Unilever, the World Wildlife Federation (WWF) and the Government Digital Service have also been confirmed as speakers.

The Oi Conference takes place at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama on 21 April from 8.30am to 6pm. Tickets are available from www.onlineinfluence.net.