Two days, 8 workshops, 30 sessions and a deliciously embarrassing amount of Wannawafels later, the 2nd annual Social Media Camp has come to a close. This year saw over 650 participants, almost 200 more than last year.

There were newbies, students, personal bloggers, teachers, businesses, government representatives, police officers, tourism professionals—every industry under the sun (which also made a well-needed appearance). Owly, the cuddly Hootsuite mascot who smells much better than Marty the Marmot, also made the rounds, giving out high-fives and hugs to those in need of feathered love.

The tradeshow area doubled in size from last year, with 27 exhibitors from across North America each sharing their unique take on social media. On the first day, the Stikky table showcased the social media campaign for our sister company northStudio360’s viral Nimmo Bay 360 video, which received millions of views in its first few weeks and was nominated for West Coast Social Media Award’s “Social Media Campaign of the Year.” On the second day, we were able to change “nominated” to “award-winning,” as we took home the coveted glass trophy!

This year’s bigger-than-ever Camp goes to show how significant social media has become, not just for businesses, but also for government agencies, educational institutions, churches and even individuals looking to share their experiences in a meaningful, interactive way.

Victoria has become a leading city in the growing and developing world of social media. Not only do we have Social Media Day and Foursquare Day that have both been officially proclaimed by the city Mayor, but the multitude of businesses, brands, organizations and individuals that use social media to engage with one another and connect in the community has become engrained in the society’s culture.

We are very excited to have had the opportunity at Social Media Camp to learn from and connect with everyone from industry leaders to newbies to discuss and share our passion for the online marketing world and look forward to what this ever-changing industry will throw at us next.

Thanks again to everyone who voted for northStudio360’s Nimmo Bay campaign! We also want to extend our congratulations to the other nominees, who all did amazing jobs on their nominated social media campaigns. There are some extremely talented and creative people out there, and we are honored to be working alongside them in this industry.

Thanks to Chris Burdge, Paul Holmes, and all of the event’s organizers and volunteers who worked so hard to put this together!