This was a fantastic conference. The lineup of speakers was diverse and of high caliber. It was an amazing opportunity to get an inside viewpoint on the business of Pet Writing and even have one-on-one discussions with pet publishing leaders. Well done, Charlotte Reed! I'll be signing up for next year as soon as registration opens!

- Lauren Darr








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Presently, we are working to secure speakers for our 2013 Business of Pet Writing Conference. Below please find the 2012 conference schedule.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
7:00-8:00am Check-in, Registration and Breakfast
8:15-9:00am Keynote Address: Key Issues in Animal Welfare by PetFinder.com Co-Founder Betsy Saul
9:10-10:00am Swimming Upstream: How to Build Your Brand in the Digital Pet Space
10:10-11:00am Select One: How to Create Compelling Video or Introduction to Travel Writing
11:10 - 12:00pm Select One: What's the Real Value of a Facebook Fan? or Twitter for Writers
12:00-1:00pm Networking Lunch
1:10-2:00pm Select One: Authors on Writing or Learn to Pitch Pet Websites for Profit
2:10-3:00pm Select One: Reporting on Breaking News or Legal Issues in Social Media
3:00-3:20pm Coffee Break, sponsored by Dyson
3:20-4:10pm Preventive Veterinary Healthcare Seminar
4:15-4:55pm Select One: LinkedIn or E-Book Insights
4:55-5:00pm Conference Conclusion



Keynote: Key Issues in Animal Welfare
The relatively new field of animal welfare and its rapidly advancing ethic has paved the way for many new industries, including pet literature and animal news. Pet writers, in turn, continue to be one of the most important catalysts for lasting change, fueling an ever-increasing ethical literacy in their communities. Betsy's keynote address will celebrate our mutual successes in animal welfare and spotlight some hot issues to keep your eye on in the coming years.

Presented by Betsy Saul, PetFinder.com Founder



Swimming Upstream: How to Build Your Brand in the Digital Pet Space
In today’s digital marketplace, fragmentation and clutter make it increasingly more complicated to get your message out to readers. Furthermore, there are endless ways to consume content. How can you ensure that your message will resonate? There is no definite answer, but there are several steps you can take to build an audience and become an authority.

Presented by Charlie Arcella, NBC Universal



Creating Compelling Video
More video content is uploaded online in 60 days than the three major U.S. television networks have created in 60 years! Futhermore, 35 hours of new video are uploaded to online video sites every minute. With statistics like this, it is no surprise that even the most compelling videos often get lost in the shuffle. Doug Simon will provide attendees with a comprehensive review of proven techniques to create, distribute and market high-impact online video to amass views and drive results. Attendees will learn tricks of the trade of video production, marketing and search engine optimization so that they can successfully integrate online video into ongoing marketing and branding activities.

Presented by Doug Simon



Introduction to Travel Writing
In this seminar, Ms.Sorensen will fully discuss the travel writing market. She will speak about the inner workings of the field, and how travel editors think and what they want from writers. AnnaLiese will also review the critical role of pitch letters and will teach you about opportunities for publishing online.

Presented by AnneLise Sorensen



What's the Real Value of a Facebook Fan?
Everyone is on a mission to build a fan base on social media. But what do you turn that fan base into regular site visitors? Lana will go over best practices to develop a relationship with your Social Media audience, covering strategies and tools to keep them engaged. She will discuss how to convert that engagement into views for your site and turn your audience into ambassadors for your brand.

Presented by Lana Vitsup, NBC Universal



Authors on Writing
In this panel, participants will discuss the art and craft of writing about pets. They will talk about writing proposals, self-publishing, working with editors and illustrators and promoting their works.

Presented by Robert Vetere, Maureen Sullivan and Kit Feldman



How to Pitch Pet Websites
During this session Ms. Segrest will teach the basics of fine-tuning your ideas, pitching queries and getting assignments with new sites. She will cover: Choosing the Publications to Pitch – Deciding what kind of writing you want to be doing and deciding where you want your work to live; Refining Your Ideas – Tips on making sure the topics you are pitching are in top shape; Pitching Basics – 5 things to keep in mind when approaching any publication; Delivering Copy That Will Get You More Assignments – Tips on how to be the kind of writer that editors want to work with; and Professional Presentation – How to share your work in an appealing and easy-for-the-editor-to-handle way.

Presented by Susan Segrest



Twitter for Writers
For writers, Twitter can be a powerful tool because it can help you establish your authority and become a true Twitter leader in your field. Moreover, Tweeting can help you promote and conduct research for your writing. In this seminar, Stephanie will show you how to connect with more people, to find subjects of interest and sources for your work, to engage and to establish Twitter parties and Twitter Events, to learn about live tweeting events as well as how to effectively tweet with pictures or video. Additionally, Stephanie can provide advice about organizing and scheduling.

Presented by Stephanie Schwab



Reporting Breaking News
The goal of the seminar is for you to develop the skills necessary to report and write basic news stories for various media audiences – traditional and electronic – as well as basic ethical standards. It emphasizes the obligation of the professional journalist to cover the news with fairness, balance, accuracy and credibility. Video components will also be discussed.

Presented by Wendy Gillette



Legal Issues in Social Media
Our speaker provides a discussion of legal issues that are present and may arise while using social media.

Presented by Gary A. Kibel, Esq.



Preventive Veterinary Healthcare Seminar
Recent studies show that as a result of declining veterinary visits, some pets are not receiving the necessary healthcare that they need. Some factors that have influence pet owners decision to limit their vet visits include: the current state of the economy and the availability of information on the Internet. In this panel discussion, learn how pet owners can work with their veterinarians to achieve optimal pet health.

Presented by Ann Hohenhaus, DVM, ACVIM



LinkedIn
As a writer, your success in tapping in to LinkedIn’s rich source of contacts, business connections and industry intelligence depends on your comfort level with the platform itself. It is a tool with powerful networking abilities. Ana will review the basics (LinkedIn Launch) and/or the advanced functionality (LinkedIn Advanced) and show you how it works to sell you, market your writing and to strengthen your relationships. With Linked In, be more visible and be more aware of writing opportunities.

Presented by Ana Quillinan



E-Book Insights
The eBook market is rapidly evolving, and a lot of publishing companies are offering e-book deals bundled into their print book publishing packages. In this seminar, Dogwise Publisher, Larry Woodward, provides pet writing conference attendees with tips about publishing e-book.

Presented by Larry Woodward



BIOS

Charlie Arcella
Charlie Arcella is the Site Leader for NBC’s Petside.com. He has over 6 years of experience in Digital Business Development, including stints at Lifetime Entertainment, iVillage.com and Disney Interactive Media Group. Throughout his career he has helped his companies build and maintain business relations with partners like P&G, Apple, and Google. Building an engaged audience and effective marketing strategies across all emerging platforms is his mission. He grew up with a Pointer/Dalmatian rescue dog and will one day own a Siberian Husky.



Kit Feldman
Kathryn (Kit) Levy Feldman is an award-winning freelance writer who has been writing for such publications as Family Business magazine, Inside magazine, Princeton Alumni Weekly, the Pennsylvania Gazette, Dartmouth Alumni Magazine, and Haverford College Alumni Magazine since 1997. Her most recent release, with photographer, Sabina Pierce, The Culinary Canine: 30 Great Chefs Cook for Their Dogs, from BowTie Press, is currently in its second printing. Her biography of Elizabeth Atwood Lawrence, a pioneer in the field of human-animal interaction, A Spirit Apart (Heritage Publishers, 2005), is part of the syllabus for the Human-Animal Bond course at Tufts Veterinary School. In 2006 and 2007, she covered Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro, for the University of Pennsylvania Gazette for which she also documented her dog, Bentley’s battle with lymphoma in 2004. Since that time, she has become known for her profiles of people as well as of animals. A graduate of Princeton University, Levy Feldman earned a masters degree in liberal arts with a certificate in animal studies from the University of Pennsylvania in 2009. Her work has been recognized by the American Jewish Press Association as well as the Keystone Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. Feldman has spent very few years of her life without at least one dog, having grown up in a family of five children where dogs often outnumbered people! The mother of three grown children, Levy Feldman lives with her husband in suburban Philadelphia with her two Golden Retrievers and her Rough Collie.



Wendy Gillette
Wendy Gillette is the weekend anchor for Fios1 News, Verizon's new network. She is a freelance correspondent for NBC Newschannel, a freelance reporter for WCBS, and a freelance producer, writer, and editor for CBS NewsPath. She previously worked as a reporter and anchor in four local markets. Wendy received her bachelor's degree from Rutgers College and her master's degree from Boston University.



Dr. Ann Hohenhaus
Dr. Ann Hohenhaus, a practicing veterinarian for 25 years, is board certified in both oncology and internal medicine. She maintains her clinical practice at the Animal Medical Center in NYC, providing primary care to her long-term patients, and specialty care to pets with cancer and blood disorders.





Gary A. Kibel
Gary A. Kibel is a partner in the Technology, Digital Media & Privacy; Intellectual Property and Advertising, Marketing & Promotions Practice Groups of Davis & Gilbert. Mr. Kibel regularly counsels clients with respect to new media/advertising law; privacy and data security; and information technology matters.Mr. Kibel advises interactive companies, advertising agencies, media providers and other commercial entities regarding transactions for interactive advertising, behavioral advertising, social networking, user-generated content, viral marketing, mobile marketing, gaming and other emerging products and services. Mr. Kibel is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP) and advises clients in many industries regarding privacy and data security issues, including, internal information security policies, contractual obligations and requirements, security breaches and incident responses, audits, cross-border data transfers and other matters in connection with an organization's collection, storage and use of data in all aspects of its business. Mr. Kibel regularly conducts training sessions and provides internal presentations to both business and legal personnel on issues such as social media policies, privacy and information security practices and all hot topics in digital media. Prior to becoming an attorney, Mr. Kibel was an information systems analyst in the Investment Banking Division of Merrill Lynch & Co.



Ana Quillinan
Ana Quillinan is a marketing consultant and social media trainer, and is the co-founder of AMTM Consulting, a social media marketing agency based in Westchester County, NY. Her company consults businesses on marketing themselves and their businesses with new media. Ana specializes in setting strategies, training and coaching small and mid-size businesses alike to utilize LinkedIn and Facebook more effectively. Ms. Quillinan is frequent speaker and webinar host on the subjects of Social Media as a Game Changer and LinkedIn Strategies. She’s spoken for the Graphic Artists’ Guild, the Women Presidents’ Organization and numerous networking groups throughout NY and CT. She’s also been interviewed for the Marketing Show with John Follis podcast series. She is a graduate of NYU’s Stern School of Business and is active in Portuguese-American affairs, serving as a Board Member of two organizations based in NY and DC.



Betsy Saul
Betsy Saul is the co-founder of Petfinder.com, a successful Web business that has changed the face of animal welfare. Over 5 million people visit the site each month, and it facilitates over 2 million adoptions per year. Since Petfinder was created, the number of adoptable pets being euthanized has dropped from over 16 million to an estimated 4 million.

In addition to her Petfinder duties, Betsy serves on the boards of the Petfinder.com Foundation, the Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs, and Asparity Decision Solutions.

In 2010, she was named by Woman's Day Magazine as one of fifty “Women Who are Changing the World.”



Stephanie Schwab
Stephanie Schwab is Founder and CEO of Crackerjack Marketing, a digital marketing agency specializing in social media strategy, training and execution. The firm works with B2B and B2C businesses as well as non-profits on creating and successfully executing social media presences, platforms and campaigns. Stephanie has 15 years’ experience in digital media, with the last six focused in social media, and has worked with well-known clients including Target, Graco Baby, Lion Brand Yarn, Skype and Kaplan Test Prep.

Stephanie previously worked for award-winning PR and social media agencies Kaplow PR and Converseon. She has also been a management strategy consultant in the retail practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers and at LakeWest Group, a boutique retail consultancy. She holds an MBA in Marketing and Strategic Planning. Stephanie blogs about social media at CrackerjackMarketing.com and SocialMediaExplorer.com and can be reached via Twitter @socialologist or through her website.



Susan Segrest
Susan Segrest is the Executive Editor of Vetstreet.com, a new animal health site dedicated to giving consumers the most accurate information possible. The site launched in August 2011 and already has over 75,000 Facebook fans. Before coming to Vetstreet, Segrest was the editor of AOL’s Paw Nation site. She’s also been an editor or consulting editor at a variety of national publications including Prevention, Seventeen and Mode.



Doug Simon
Entrepreneur and Digital Strategist, Douglas Simon is President & CEO of D S Simon Productions Inc, which he founded in 1986. He also authors an award winning video blog at http://www.vlogviews.com. D S Simon Productions Inc. is an integrated video marketing, broadcast PR and social media video firm. The company creates content and distributes impactful video to help build brand reputation, sell products and achieve other organizational/ marketing objectives. Services include Internet Media Tours™, Satellite Media Tours, corporate and web video, Video Press Junkets and B-roll production as well as comprehensive distribution options.

The company has won more than 35 industry awards in the last three years for client projects and has worked with organizations and companies including American College of Physicians, Disney, Isaac Mizrahi/Liz Claiborne, Macy’s, March of Dimes, Parade Magazine and Verizon.

Mr. Simon was a three-time Past-President of the Publicity Club of New York and former Vice President of the New York Chapter of PRSA as well as former Director Delegate to the National Conference. He began his broadcast career at NBC Sports where he served as Talent Assistant to Bob Costas on the award-winning “NFL Live!” program.



AnneLise Sorensen
AnneLise Sorensen has written for New York magazine, Condé Nast Traveler, Gourmet Live, Time Out, Jetsetter, MSNBC, iVillage, Rough Guides, Fodor's, DK Eyewitness and Top 10 Guides, and MSN.com. She was a lead editor and contributor on Make the Most of Your Time on Earth: 1000 Ultimate Travel Experiences and wrote for Off the Tourist Trail: Unexpected Travel Alternatives. She contributes weekly travel segments for NBC Nonstop TV and has appeared on CNN, NBC New York, TV Land, Sirius Radio, and in Forbes Traveler, Real Simple, Budget Travel, Self, and the UK Guardian/Observer. She has also worked as a senior and commissioning editor, planning and editing travel books and articles to global destinations.



Maureen Sullivan
Maureen Sullivan is a business and style writer and the author of E- SPEAK (Harcourt) and Boomerangers (Th omson). Her articles on communications have appeared in the Wall Street Journal and USA Today, and articles on style have been featured in Coastal Living. She lives on the North Fork of Long Island. To learn more about Maureen Sullivan, visit www.maureensullivancommunications.com.



Robert Vetere
Beginning in 2002, Bob Vetere served as APPA’s COO and Managing Director and has recently been named President of The Association. Since that time he has made his mark in the industry as APPA’s chief spokesperson with guest columns in publications including Pet Business and Pet Product News and television appearances on such acclaimed shows as CNNFN, ABC’s World News Tonight, and CNBC. He has also been quoted in publications including USA Today and The Wall Street Journal. Responsible for all association operations, Bob assures sound financial operation, and works in collaboration with members, the Board of Directors, staff and other industry associations to support and further the interests and success of APPA members. Bob earned a Juris Doctor from Seton Hall School of Law, an M.B.A. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and a B.S. in Management Science, also from R.P.I. He is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, the New Jersey State Bar Association, and the American Society of Association Executives.



Lana Vitsup
Lana Vitsup has over seven years of experience in the interactive web space. Lana has held positions as a web designer, developer and an SEO consultant. Currently, Lana works a Senior Web Producer at NBC Universal's Petside.com, a position that combines two of her greatest passions - pets and internet. Lana shares her life with a Sheltie named Shakespeare and an orange cat named Juliet.



Larry Woodward
Larry Woodward is the president of Direct Book Service Incorporated and the chief content editor for its Dogwise Publishing division. He has been involved in the world of dog books for over 20 years at Dogwise, both in its retail operation and publishing arm. He has worked on 20 plus projects over the past five years, including several books which have won awards from the Dog Writer's Association including /Oh Behave!/ by Jean Donaldson and /An Eye for a Dog /by Robert Cole. His most recent editing projects were /The Thinking Dog/ by Gail Foster and /Chill Out Fido!/ by Nan Arthur.
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