The Motherhood and Pittsburgh Magazine recently partnered to create and host the first-ever Pittsburgh Influencer Summit on Thursday, September 20 at Slate Studio in the Strip District.
The event idea was born out of a conversation that happened between The Motherhood and Pittsburgh Magazine months prior about the intersection of traditional and social media. We were specifically talking about the amazing talent right here in our city of Pittsburgh and wanted to have a larger conversation about one of the most innovative topics in marketing, publishing and business right now: influencers. So, we invited a group of influencers and brand marketers to come together to exchange their knowledge, skills and experiences surrounding marketing, publishing, blogging and more.
The theme we observed throughout the day: when you assemble influencers, marketers, brands, small business owners and creatives in one space, amazing conversations happen.
The #PghInfluencerSummit opened with insightful influencer panel discussion. The six talented influencers each shared their stories of how they began their blogs and businesses, and other things they’ve learned along the way. These influencers each shared different reasons that they got started blogging, but one common thread emerged: these women work HARD. They’ve spent years cultivating loyal communities who value what they have to say, and they place a premium on genuine connection and authenticity.
Huge thank you to the following panelists for sharing your expertise with us:
- Jessica Merchant, author and creator of How Sweet Eats
- Erin Alvarez, food stylist and photographer at The Almond Eater
- Brianne Conley, proprietor of No. 14 Boutique and author of Just a Girl Boss
- Chaton Turner, author of Chaton’s World
- Valerie McKeehan, proprietor of the online shop Lily & Val
- Victoria Deardorff, owner and editor of Burgh Brides
https://twitter.com/melmoraes/status/1042807439177998336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1042807439177998336&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.themotherhood.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D24910%26action%3Dedit
No matter what you do, never stop growing, learning, moving forward! #Influencer #PghInfluencerSummit #Entrepreneur #GirlBoss pic.twitter.com/oKQYOSgrCn
— Mary Beth (@thehowtohome) September 21, 2018
The second panel was brought to us by Pittsburgh Magazine’s very own editors, Brian Hyslop, Sean Collier, Lauren Davidson and Hal B. Klein. They shed light on the elements of a good story, journalistic integrity and the importance of fact-checking. This panel was hosted by our guest emcees, Kelly Brennan and Courtney Brennan. Courtney is a reporter for WPXI and Kelly, formerly a reporter for WTAE, is a lifestyle blogger who writes about motherhood, style and health.
We were honored to have Michelle Faist, Senior Manager, Corporate Affairs at StarKist Co. as our keynote speaker for the Pittsburgh Influencer Summit. She shared key learnings from StarKist’s influencer campaigns, as well as tips for influencers on how to stand out and partner with the right brands, so it was a win-win.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn9DdKqhPzi/?tagged=pghinfluencersummit
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn93u_Wgh5Z/?tagged=pghinfluencersummit
Thank you to all who attended the Pittsburgh Influencer Summit and helped to make it happen. We’ve been inspired by this conversation and looking forward to what will come next for the industry and particularly in Pittsburgh.
P.S. Make sure to also check out the Five Things We Learned From the Influencer Summit here!
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