Whitman to host technology and marketing exec Feb. 27

Whitman to host technology and marketing exec Feb. 27February 22, 2008Amy Schmitzaemehrin@syr.edu

As part of the Marketing Spring Speaker Series, the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University will host a guest lecture by Matthew Van Ryn, an attorney with Melvin & Melvin and formerly of Technology Solutions. The lecture — titled “Tech Marketing Before and After the Bubble — Has ‘Web 2.0’ Changed the Way Companies Communicate with their Customers?” — will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 27, at 5 p.m. in Room 402 of the Whitman building. It is free and open to SU students, faculty and staff.

Van Ryn will discuss to what extent Web 2.0 has changed marketing practices and what lessons from the “pre-bubble” world still apply today. The lecture will also cover how Netscape was the defining company of `Web 1.0′ and has since been overtaken by Google as the leader in `Web 2.0.’

Van Ryn worked for the company Technology Solutions (later known as TSI Communications) as a marketing and media relations consultant to IBM. He was also a member of John Patrick’s “Get Connected” guerrilla marketing team, which originally encouraged IBM and its customers to utilize the Internet to maximize business potential. While doing consulting work for IBM, Van Ryn, worked on the launch of IBM’s “e-business” marketing campaign, which launched dozens of products for IBM’s software group. He was awarded IBM’s Communications Achievement Award in 1997 and 1998. Van Ryn is currently heading up Melvin & Melvin’s Green and Renewable Energy Practice Campaign.

For more information, contact Amy Mehringer, Whitman communications manager, at (315) 443-3834 or aemehrin@syr.edu.