Social Media Day Chicago Hall of Fame

We're thrilled to celebrate the annual Social Media Day in Chicago! We launched the event in 2011 as a way to recognize the digital revolution happening right before our eyes. We invite you to join fellow social media enthusiasts by attending our upcoming events?

Chicago Social Media Person of the Year 2016
Anthony Martorina, Cheferee of Culinary Fight Club


Social Media Ambassador of the Year 2016
Daliah Saper, Intellectual Property, Media, and Business Attorney at Saper Law


Chicago Social Media Campaign of the Year 2016
Nycole Hampton, Social, Digital and Influencer Marketing Strategy, formerly with Choose Chicago


Chicago Social Media Person of the Year 2015
Steve Green, Founder and CEO #Foodiechats


Chicago Social Media Ambassador of the Year 2015
* Beth Rosen, Creative Director, ChicagonistaLive
* MJ Tam, Editor of Chicagonista, Talk Show Co Host of The ChicagonistaLIVE Show


Chicago Social Media Campaign of the Year 2015
Nick's Pizza & Pub and Nick Sarillo, Founder, CEO and "Primary Keeper" of the Purpose and Operational Values of Nick's Pizza & Pub - the sixth busiest independent pizza company in per-store sales in the United States.


Chicago Social Media Person of the Year 2014
Billy Dec - Emmy Award Winning Entertainment TV Personality, Attorney and CEO/Founder of Rockit Ranch Productions, Chicago's premier hospitality & entertainment development company, specializing in the creation, marketing and management of some of the city's top venues including Rockit Bar & Grill, Sunda, Underground, Bottlefork, Rockit Burger Bar, AY CHIWOWA!


Chicago Social Media Ambassador of the Year 2014
Jeff Willinger, President, Social Media Club Chicago and Director of Social Business, Rightpoint


Chicago Social Media Campaign of the Year 2014
Lou Malnati's Pizzerias


Chicago Social Media Person of the Year 2013
Nancy Loo - Reporter/Fill-in Anchor at WGN-TV


Chicago Social Media Person of the Year 2012
AnnMarie Walsh - Formerly homeless Individual and Advocate, Public Speaker


Chicago Social Media Person of the Year 2011
Ramon De Leon - Global Business & Social Media Keynote Speaker. WOM SuperGenius. Sr. Social Strategist at @RiseInteractive


From left to right:
Billy Dec, Chicago Social Media Person of the Year 2014
Todor Krecu, Organizer of Social Media Day Chicago and Founder of Chicago Social Media Marketing Group


From left to right:
Todor Krecu, Organizer of Social Media Day Chicago and Founder of Chicago Social Media Marketing Group
Jeff Willinger, Chicago Social Media Ambassador of the Year 2014
Lou Malnati's Pizzerias, Chicago Social Media Campaign of the Year 2014
Billy Dec, Chicago Social Media Person of the Year 2014


From left to right:
Ramon De Leon, Chicago Social Media Person of the Year 2011
AnnMarie Walsh, Chicago Social Media Person of the Year 2012
Jeff Willinger, Chicago Social Media Ambassador of the Year 2014
Lou Malnati's Pizzerias, Chicago Social Media Campaign of the Year 2014
Billy Dec, Chicago Social Media Person of the Year 2014



Todor Krecu, Organizer of Social Media Day Chicago and Founder of Chicago Social Media Marketing Group

From left to right:
Ramon De Leon, Chicago Social Media Person of the Year 2011
AnnMarie Walsh, Chicago Social Media Person of the Year 2012
Jeff Willinger, Chicago Social Media Ambassador of the Year 2014
Lou Malnati's Pizzerias, Chicago Social Media Campaign of the Year 2014
Billy Dec, Chicago Social Media Person of the Year 2014


From left to right:
Jeff Willinger, Chicago Social Media Ambassador of the Year 2014
Lou Malnati's Pizzerias, Chicago Social Media Campaign of the Year 2014
Billy Dec, Chicago Social Media Person of the Year 2014


From left to right:
Nancy Loo, Chicago Social Media Person of the Year 2013
AnnMarie Walsh, Chicago Social Media Person of the Year 2012


From left to right:
AnnMarie Walsh, Chicago Social Media Person of the Year 2012
Todor Krecu, Organizer of Social Media Day Chicago and Founder of Chicago Social Media Marketing Group
Ramon De Leon, Chicago Social Media Person of the Year 2011
Nancy Loo, Chicago Social Media Person of the Year 2013


From left to right:
Todor Krecu, Organizer of Social Media Day Chicago and Founder of Chicago Social Media Marketing Group
AnnMarie Walsh, Chicago Social Media Person of the Year 2012
Steve Krull, CEO at Be Found Online


From left to right:
Ramon De Leon, Chicago Social Media Person of the Year 2011
AnnMarie Walsh, Chicago Social Media Person of the Year 2012
Ashley Ramirez, Senior Account Strategist at Twitter


If you would like to sponsor this event or have questions, contact Todor Krecu: tkrecu(@)gmail.com

Join the community page on Social Media Day Chicago

Social media management for exceptional companies


Using social media as a form of marketing has taken on whole new challenges. As the 2010 Trust Study indicates, it is most effective if marketing efforts through social media revolve around the genuine building of authority. Someone performing a "marketing" role within a company must honestly convince people of their genuine intentions, knowledge, and expertise in a specific area or industry through providing valuable and accurate information on an ongoing basis without a marketing angle overtly associated. If this can be done, trust with, and of, the recipient of that information - and that message itself - begins to develop naturally. This person or organization becomes a thought leader and value provider - setting themselves up as a trusted "advisor" instead of marketer. "Top of mind awareness" develops and the consumer naturally begins to gravitate to the products and/or offerings of the authority/influencer.

According to a report by Nielson "In the U.S. alone, total minutes spent on social networking sites has increased 83 percent year-over-year. In fact, total minutes spent on Facebook increased nearly 700 percent year-over-year, growing from 1.7 billion minutes in April 2008 to 13.9 billion in April 2009, making it the No. 1 social networking site for the month."

The main increase in social media has been Facebook. It was ranked as the number one social networking site. Approximately 100 million users access this site through their mobile phone. According to Nielsen, global consumers spend more than 6 hours on social networking sites.