The Twitter Geek's Guide to #MSUM14

The highly anticipated MarketCounsel Summit 2014 is finally upon us. As the capstone RIA industry event of the year, the movers and shakers of the independent advisory community will gather together at the Four Seasons Las Vegas for the debate and dialogue that we’ve all come to expect from MarketCounsel . With a powerhouse agenda of headliners and faculty, and a roster of attendees that is impressive in its own right, this Twitter Geek’s Guide to #MSUM14 will help you engage in the conversation.On Monday evening, @TonyRobbins kicks things off at the @MarketCounsel Summit, known in the @Twitter universe simply as #MSUM14 . How focused Mr. Robbins’ remarks will be to the RIA community and his intentions for participating within it, remain to be seen. But it is sure to be an energized kickoff to what promises to be a few days of extremely engaging debate, discussion and networking among many notable #RIA types. Following his interview with @MelissaLeeCNBC , he will address a packed room of 500+ attendees and set the tone for what’s to come.Yet as one social media hound recently pointed out, #MSUM14 can only accommodate about 500 or so of the many thousands of interested parties in the industry. As we witnessed last year, the Summit cannot be contained within the walls of the Four Seasons any longer. So how does one follow along with the action, in real time, getting a highlight reel of all of the best action along with interesting and at times contentious commentary? How can you be sure that you do not miss a thing? If you haven’t already guessed it, that would be Twitter.One of the many advantages Twitter offers to uses is that it allows us to listen, observe and assess companies, spokespeople, journalists – in real time, gaining a level of access and a view that does not appear in articles. If you pay close attention, you’ll feel like you are getting a play-by-play. You will learn and discover things about what’s happening that might surprise you. So what should you watch for, and when should you tune in?The most active times for the #MSUM14 feed will be DURING sessions. This is when various Twitter geeks in the audience (myself included) will be busy churning out commentary and observations in 140 character snapshots. Look for all of the journalists in attendance to offer their thoughts in real time, and they will also refer back to the feed to refresh their memories and find interesting sound bytes – that’s right, its all ON THE RECORD. A good cautionary note for those that like to opine in raw form first and then sort through the fallout later.Expect the #MSUM14 to start popping right around 9:00AM PT, Tuesday morning, when @HDelux (Brian Hamburger) and the @MarketCounsel cast take the stage to infuse the room with some energy, humor and wisdom, discussing various regulatory issues of the day in a gameshow style format.Next, its what we’ve all been waiting for, at 10:45AM PT: @MCuban (Mark Cuban) and Christopher Cox take the stage moderated by @MelissaLeeCNBC to discuss the SEC and their very different experiences with it. No one is quite sure what to expect here, as Cox was at the helm when the SEC brought the enforcement action (which it subsequently lost) against Cuban. But a moderator of Lee’s caliber and with two professionals of this caliber, suffice to say it will offer some eye-opening remarks and passionate debate. The crowd, and the #MSUM14 tweet feed will both be buzzing.Journalists will be all over this one, and notable Twitter-savvy reporters in the audience include: @JimPavia (CNBC) @FredPGabriel (IN) @Rachel_Elson (FP) @Megan_Leonhardt (REP) @MasonBraswell (IN) @TRHunnicutt (Trevor Hunnicutt – IN) @eChrisL (Chris Latham – FAIQ) @Think_Weinreich (Gil Weinreich – ThinkAdvisor) @iris_xyz (Advisorpedia’ own Douglas Heikkinen)Among others. But look for these reporters to be making observations and asking questions in real time, throughout the conference.Following the initial opening fireworks, lunch at 12:15PM PT is hosted by @CNBC ’s @RInsana (Ron Insana), and we can expect #MSUM14 to continue the torrid pace at 1:30PM PT as @Megan_FiComm ( FiComm Partners ’ Megan Carpenter) moderates a group of reporters including Fred Gabriel, Rachel Elson, Jim Pavia and @KNoblet (Kevin Noblet from @WSJ). To my knowledge, this type of stunt - a PR firm owner interviewing a quartet of senior editors in front of a live audience – has never before been attempted. Certainly not in this industry. We wish her well.From here, we move to “Perspectives on Adviser Regulation” at 3PM PT, which will feature Elliot Spitzer and Harvey Pitt (speaking separately with Brian Hamburger) and also promising some good sound bytes, to be sure.For the full agenda, which will guide you in terms of when you should pay closer attention to the Twitter action, visit MCSummit.com and you can also get the app for the conference by searching “MarketCounsel” in the App Store , or the Google Play Store . And what’s more you can also watch a selection of panels that will be streaming live on mcsummit.com .Other speakers of note, whom you should follow before #MSUM14 kicks off: @DuranMoney (Joe Duran, United Capital ) @JohnCircleBlack and @CircleBlackInc (John Michel) @Weissbluth (Elliot Weissbluth, HighTower ) @MarkTibergien @OpenAdvisor (Steve Lockshin) @SavanTweets (Brent Brodeski) @JonStein ( Betterment ) @JudMackrill ( Orion Advisor Services )The fantastic thing about Twitter with regard to #MSUM14 is that if you are attending, it infuses the conference with even more buzz – there will be a Tweet Wall in place where we can all follow the commentary in real time from the main ballroom. And if you could not make it, you will not be left out in the cold. There is no substitute for being onsite at the Summit, but you’ll find the #MSUM14 real-time view to be the next best thing.See you there, or in the Twittersphere.