What do I know about Roche’s upcoming Social Media Summit? The short answer is “not much”.
I’ve seen the invite list. While I don’t remember exactly who was invited in years past, there are certainly some names that will be new to the fray – mine included.
I know I’m flying to Indianapolis on Sunday, July 29 and coming home on Tuesday, July 31. Somewhere in there I have a flight that leaves at 3:36 p.m. and lands at 3:38 p.m. Isn’t time travel awesome?
I also know that, for some reason, people tread carefully when it comes to talking about this stuff.
This perspective obviously comes with a huge helping of naïveté, this being my first corporate sponsored muchado. I have no idea what we’re going to talk about when we get there. I have no idea how much feedback will be solicited on whatever topics we cover. I have no idea how seriously any of my comments will be taken by everyone else attending. I’m honestly skeptical that I’ll have anything of value to add to the discussion.
There was a time when I feel this blog had a greater purpose. Detailing my struggles and successes living with diabetes used to be a daily ritual. Lately the theme of the blog has turned into “here’s something cool I saw or did”, “we’ve got mad plants on our balcony”, or “aren’t these Instagram filters neat?!” But if the diabetes blogging community were a stock market, my value spiked over a year ago.
So what business do I have being invited with a number of diabetes community folks that have a more clear and meaningful impact on the diabetes community? I have no idea.
But, if there’s an assumption that I’m going to become a corporate shill or not share my own genuine feelings here, or here, or here, or here, or here then you must be new here. I don’t talk about politics or religion because that stuff’s personal, you do you and I’ll do me. I don’t talk about work unless it’s specifically relevant to my life with diabetes. Everything else is fair game – come and go as you please.
A Consequence of Hypoglycemia. 
I think we are way past the days where diabetes bloggers as a whole could be accused of being “corporate shills.” And I think that you will see that the veteran attendees have worked hard to develop a relationship with Roche where we talk and they listen…and they help. There have been several programs that came out of the Roche summits (their prescription assistance cards, providing funding for the Big Blue Test, and more) and the bloggers themselves have been able to do some great things because of the connections made with each other and the discussions at the summits (Diabetes Advocates, for one). Last year a lot of time was devoted to taking our online efforts offline and I have seen that in action for sure (not to be self-promotional, but my book is an example of someone going from blog to published author to hopefully help more families).
Of course we will listen and they will listen and we will all value what you have to say.
There may possibly be wine (I hope so!) and we will certainly dine (we all need to eat, right?), but don’t think for a minute that the attendees are ones that can be swayed by being wined and dined!
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Chris, I’m in the camp that believes these events are marketing events held by wealthy companies that hope you’ll write glowing things about what they do. But that doesn’t mean that great things can’t happen (see Leighann’s comments above). For what it’s worth, I haven’t read anything from anyone at these events, or from you, that leads me to believe that you’re corporate shills. And why not you? Are you less worthy? Less truthful? I don’t think so. Enjoy the trip, and keep doing what you do.
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My only thought is that I wish I could go!
and I’m pretty sure you’re cool enough to not be some sort of corporate shill.
wth is a shill any way? 😛
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Buy low. Sell high. I wish I would have known this a little sooner. I guess I will just have to wait for the market to turn again. 😉
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i for one am happy you’re going. i think there is some definite value in events like this. and you do a lot for the diabetes community. let’s not forget about your little podcast!
it gives me great comfort to know there will be a number of people i trust present at roche. am i naive? maybe. but companies like roche need to hear from people in the DOC. thanks for going.
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