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We just wrapped up our 3rd outingР’В at the RSA Conference, whom we serve as theР’В PR agency-of-record.Р’В  The show is the largest IT Security gathering; it's been going on forР’В 17 years and regularly draws 17,000+ people.Р’В  It's a grueling, exciting assignment.Р’В  We've rubbed elbows (or spotted & swooned over) folks like Al Gore, Malcolm Gladwell, Bono, etc. ... and that was just this year!

With each passing year, Social Media has become a bigger component of our planning.

For example, in 2006, there was nary a blogger in sight.Р’В 

In 2007, our RSA Conference client first wrestled with the issue of "What makes a blogger a blogger?Р’В  How should we think about their credentials versus the bona fides of a Wall Street Journal reporter?"Р’В 

In 2008, bloggers were embraced.Р’В  Because RSA Conference is a hot ticket, we worked with RSAC organizers to set strict but sensible guidelines regarding the assignment of blogger credentials: the focus and longevity of the blog, frequency of updates, Technorati rankings and number of page views were all taken into consideration.Р’В  Bloggers who made the cut were given full journalist privileges.

In addition, this year we offered RSA Conference bloggers an official online seal (pictured)Р’В to display on their blogs.Р’В  And, we warmly supported a Security Bloggers MeetupР’В and twitterfeed.Р’В 

Our PR team also maintained their own twitterfeed, to guide "followers" at the show to important events.Р’В  (I don't know if this represents the 1st time that an official tweetstream was managed by a conference organizer, but anecdotally it was a well-received idea and I foreseeР’В more of this type of activity in the future.)Р’В 

All in all, a successful event, and I want to offer kudos to our RSA Conference client.Р’В  The IT Security field is filled with many brilliant, irascable, and understandably paranoid people; the decision to embrace the blogosphere was not taken lightly - but the right call was made, and I think it benefitted the show and its attendees.