Media

I really loved my first year of collegiate teaching and learned a lot along the way.

If I could be anything else besides a PR and social media guy, I would be a professor. My grandfather and dad both taught at the collegiate level and I always loved to share information with people. Or talk.

I was very excited to be able to teach this year with the Indiana University School of Journalism at IUPUI; my first full year of teaching went amazing. I held classes online which was very smooth via Google + for both my undergraduate and graduate course.We chatted, laughed, learned from each other and had special guests on LIVE which was fun too. I had student taught over the last two years with Julie Vincent, one of my instructors at IUPUI and absolutely fell in love with teaching. Some of my favorite times have been presenting as a professional and I knew I would love to help teach people REAL knowledge.

Thank you to the IU School of Journalism for the opportunity, I LOVE IT. Thank you to the great students for listening and challenging me. I am already looking forward to next year. No matter where life may lead me now, I do know that I want to teach. What an amazing feeling to be able to help others learn. For those of you who might follow – you will see #J360 and #J560 hashtags popping up in my feeds starting again in August. If you are in the public relations, communications or new media realm take a look, you might just learn something!

One of my students told me at the end of class in May, “I understood why we used the hashtag and why you had us post, but I didn’t really get it. THEN, I had a friend ask why I was making all of the posts with #J560 and I told him. He then went and searched and learned some stuff, not even being a PR or Communications major he loved it. That’s when it just clicked in my mind.” Needless to say the comment made me very happy and for myself, it truly helped bring it all around. People listen, they want to learn more and that social media has tremendous power if used in the correct fashion. I can’t wait for more.

Knowledge is power…I am blessed to be able to help share what I can.

Across the Arts 2013 Speaker – A Gleeful Literary Celebration

I have a local Indy friend who recently called me and said that I had to be a part of this new conference. Amy P can be quite persuasive so I said OK without really understanding what was going on. 🙂

Amy introduced me to a fantastic person named Andy Murphy and I was set. This is gonna be BIG people. Across the Arts is a new writing conference to be held on Saturday, July 20, 2013 at the Carmel Palladium.

The website states, “A Gleeful literary celebration — Indiana’s finest filmmakers, best-selling NY Times authors, award-winning newspaper journalists, columnists, magazine writers and editors, publishers and noted musicians will join together in the “Writer’s Studio” in the magnificent Palladium Theater in Carmel, Indiana on July 20th. This accomplished cast of talent all LIVE in Indiana and are NATIONALLY recognized.”

The list of authors, media people, local celebrities and more is AMAZING. The hosts for the day will be Debby Knox, award-winning news anchor at WISH-TV, an affiliate of CBS; Tania Castroverde Moskalenko, President and CEO of the Center for the Performing Arts and Liz Brainard, First Lady of the City of Carmel.

Publishers, Filmmakers, book authors, personalities and a social media panel. I get the honor of chatting up how to best use social media with local online faves Amy Stark of Stark Reality Check and Elizabeth Musgrave of Gotta Go.

Get your event tickets HERE. More info on the Write Stuff Writers and Across the Arts 13 HERE. Make sure to connect to Write Stuff Writer Conferences on Facebook and use the hashtag #AcrossArts13 on Twitter.

Bands 4 Boobies 2013

Give Back - come and party with us to live, local music.

Proud sponsor & emcee of the 2013 Bands 4 Boobies charity rock show.

My good friend, Shawn June (writer of the DoItIndy theme song) called me up a few weeks ago and told me about a new charity show. Bands 4 Boobies. He asked if I might be interested in being involved and helping spread the word and have the crew help emcee. I was completely sold on the idea when he asked. My mother (Barb) is a breast cancer survivor and then a decade later had another cancer battle. Thank goodness she beat the odds both times and is still with us. I will do this for her.

Hanging out with my parents at an Indianapolis Colts game in 2012.

DoItIndy Music Editor MPCavalier’s blog

I chatted with Jason Oldham of Audio Hitmen (creator of show) and told him we were in. There will be TWO locations on Saturday, April 20, 2013 for Bands 4 Boobies. Kelly’s Pub on the west side of Indianapolis and Drifty’s Sports Pub on the south side of Indy. Jason will be emcee of Kelly’s Pub and the DoItIndy crew will be emcees of Drifty’s Pub! Fun starts at 7:30 p.m.

More info and band lineups online. Please like the Facebook page of Bands 4 Boobies and be informed. Thanks for all your help.

Audio Hitmen in the DoItIndy studio to film a promo for Bands 4 Boobies.

Revenue North Conference Speaker

Learn about many different techniques for business from the Revenue North conference.

Learn about many different tricks and techniques for business from the Indianapolis Revenue North Business Growth Conference.

I was recently asked to speak at the new Revenue North Business Growth Conference happening Thursday, March 21st. My topic will be using social media for small and medium sized business. Just because we can all post to Facebook and Twitter, that doesn’t mean you are doing it right. Social media is a tactic that if utilized correctly, can build your audience better than you ever thought. Read more on my breakout session HERE.

Topics covered will include finance, video, public relations, writing, SEO, branding, work and life balance and more! Don’t miss out on this fantastic one day conference to help take your business to a new level.
CLICK HERE for Conference Details

Don’t miss out. Lots of amazing Indianapolis area professionals to network with and learn from. Yes, we can all post to our social media pages…but do it right, engage and analyze!

A Drink with Ben & Steve: Google + Hangout

Ben and Steve will chat social media, the drink of the week and life on the 30 minute weekly webcast.

A few weeks ago a friend of mine, Steve Neville, of Intelligent Designs Media said we should chat social media more. We geek out. I completely agreed as I’m a social media junkie and can talk platforms and strategies all the time. Yes, this conversation was had while drinking a beer.

SO…a Google + Hangout was thought up. There are a lot of different podcasts about social media, but none focus on being a gentleman, having a gentleman’s beverage and social media. This week we chat #Vine – the new web six second video platform to use with Twitter.

I hope that you will join us to chat social media and just have some fun. The link to the Google + Hangout will be posted around 7:10-7:15 on Thursday evening via our Twitter handles. We will also take live questions and chat from Twitter – please use the hashtag #DrinkWBS to chime in and say hi!

Ben Risinger on Twitter: @Ben Risinger | Steve Neville on Twitter: @IntelMediaGroup

Somnium Media

I am very proud to announce that I have started a new media and communications company in the Indianapolis area with two partners! I am now a Principal at Somnium Media along with Stephanie Eppich Daily and Susan Decker. We offer public relations, social media, writing and more. Somnium in Latin means “the dream.”

Call us today at 317.643.0099 if we can help you!

@SomniumMedia | Facebook | Google +

Please click the link below to read my first blog on the Somnium Media website. Thanks!

http://www.somniummedia.com/somnium-media-came-to-be/

The Last Good Year rocks!

Yes…I am a fan of the band The Last Good Year. I was introduced to them from my DoItIndy co-host Tolin about a year and a half ago – they are now on my iPod. For sure. The band has been in the studio recording a new album which will be out soon. Rad.

Please click on this link to check out my blog over on www.doitindy.com

www.thelastgoodyear.com

Enjoy our video from their LIVE recording show

My secret job during Super Bowl 46

As anyone who is from the Indianapolis area knows, the city just hosted Super Bowl XLVI to much fanfare. The event went off without any major incidents and was a fantastic success. Way to go Indianapolis!

One of my professors at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) called me a few weeks before the big game and asked if I would be interested in volunteering for a special assignment during the Super Bowl. Heck yeah I was up for whatever?! My mind raced as to what it was and I finally found it would be assisting local civil service with the media in case of an emergency. I was given the opportunity to volunteer at the Joint Information Command Center for several days alongside members of police, fire, homeland security & more.

It was amazing to see how well organized the different entities were and how they all came together to help the city for a common cause. I cannot get into any details as to where the JICC was located or what it looked like unfortunately due to security. BUT…it was very impressive. In the case that an emergency would have happened, all information that would go out to the world would have been coordinated through the JICC by members of civil service. The operation was really amazing and efficient.

I learned some new skills and it was interesting to talk with other people when I was working to see how they were connected and dealt with the media. I am glad in the end that nothing happened to the city and game. Way to go Super Bowl 46! Working the JICC alongside my duties with DoItIndy (www.doitindy.com) made for a very interesting and no-sleep week. I will never forget how cool it was to be a part of history in Indianapolis.

I’m already looking forward to the next time we get to host a Super Bowl.

BenRisinger.com

Public Relations, New Media, Education, Life, and the Michigan Mitten

Media

Bands 4 Boobies 2013

The Last Good Year rocks!