Nearly 200 Page Society members and their guests began to think through the challenges of communicating in a connected world where multiple audiences of one are voluntarily engaged in continuous conversation. The Page Society’s 20 th Annual Spring Seminar, “Talking to a Group of One: The New Super Segmented Stakeholder,” also explored the impact new media is having on corporate communications and public relations – from blogging and podcasting to online networking and instant messaging.

The first day of the two-day program, held at the New York St. Regis Hotel, included a session entitled “Conversational Engagement: Ending the 100 Year War Against Stakeholders,” with David Weinberger, fellow, Berkman Center for Internet and Society, Harvard Law School.

“Multiple micro markets, all engaged in constant conversation with one another, are shifting power and authority to the individual,” Weinberger said. “The many new mediums available today allow for a more unguarded and conversational style of communicating – quite unlike corporate communications because there is no assumption of perfection. In fact, the inherent fallibility factor of the new media is what is inspiring stakeholder believability, and this is important for PR.”

Other sessions held Thursday, April 7 included:

• “The Vanishing Mass Market,” presented by David Martin, president, Interbrand North America;
• “Meeting the Business Challenge: The CEO Perspective,” with Norman Wesley, CEO, Fortune Brands;
• A panel discussion on affinity groups and today’s employee engagement with Gary Grates and Edd Snyder of General Motors Corporation and Dani Monroe, president, Center Focus International;
• From 1 to 1 Million+: New Ways to Know and Understand Your Stakeholders,” with Josh Herman, product leader, Acxiom.

The seminar which concludes Friday, April 8, was chaired by Paul A. Capelli of Staples.