I need to learn to listen, follow, lead and always strive to innovate.

I want to thank everyone I have worked with in 2011. I’m happy to be bringing new excitement to the Roger Smith Hotel in 2012 operating as their Director of Digital Marketing.

Panman Productions is not dead but will be focused on very specific projects. In 2012 I look to release my documentary on earth healing. It is a project that I have been working on since 2007 and it is long over due.  I am also going to be introducing a new app and will be driving the social initiatives at the Roger Smith Hotel. You will see new pop-ups and witness the next level of collaborative efforts. There will be an increased mobile integration surrounding everything that I am apart of and mark my words, 2012 is my year to shine.

Panman mixtapes have been a great creative initiative for me over the last couple of years. They have served as a testing platform for experimental video and artistic expression.  I have created 80+ mixtapes and am embarking on new artistic collaborations with top New York artist and playwrights as a result. The efforts of live video mixing as an art form have inspired the creative collaborations with Aleks Degtyarev, Abianne Prince, John Birdsong, Lisa Paul Strietfeld,  Daniel Rothbart, Mark Wiener, James Knowles, Jasminka Baney, Melissa Gonzalez, Kate Griffler, Molly Barnes, Daniel Terstad, Fleur Keyes and others…

With new relationships being built I imagine the list of artistic collaborators will grow and become more  sophisticated.

It is also important to note the emergence of the new artistic space at 125 East 47th street and the developing program of artists collaborations in our space in 2012. The current sculpture piece by Harlan Mack stands strong in New York City’s newest Gallery installation window. I will be working with Molly Barnes as well as the Vermont studio center to fill the program for 2012. Be sure to follow the 125 window gallery tumblr for latest updates and news.

So at this point I want to thank a couple specific people with made huge difference in my year and recognize their good work. Starting with the RS pop-up shop, I tip my hat to Melissa Gonzalez and Lionesque media. Together, inspired from an idea of transforming an under utilized space Melissa has gone far and beyond my levels of expectation. She has pushed me to be much more accountable and taught me how to succeed in business in New York City. She sets the pace, and has a compass for the next developments of our industries. We have become friends, disagreed with each other routinely to eventually agree and as a result have created a unique and desirable product known as RS Pop. I look forward to continuing our growing business and personal relationship.

I also need to thank and recognize John Birdsong. At this point John has been the longest working colleague of mine in the field of production, social media and marketing. We worked together at Plum TV, then at Panman  Productions and now with the Roger Smith Hotel. We absolutely disagreed on creative decisions but find clarity when discussing strategy and the vision ahead. A project in John’s hands will always take shape and inspire different levels of conversation. I’m not going to lie, he can be a pain in the ass but he’s always reliable and has continually had my back. Thanks John for the years of continued support.

The third acknowledgment that I feel is necessary to mention is my family. From my father who is always been my number one fan and audience member, to my mother who always believes in me and Phoebe who is continually trying to help me be my best. My family is the best support team that I can imagine and I am truly lucky to have them in my corner. They are the reason for the opportunities that I have in front of me and they are continually trying to keep me on my toes. I thank Allie and Jeremy and James and Maureen for providing a brilliant next generation.

I believe in that one can accomplish their greatest desires in life and I strive to live by that expectation. With hard work, support from others, and a dedication to seeing it through, I believe we will experience our biggest achievement in the new year. So my advice is, dare to dream and believe in your own success.  I look forward to making it happen in 2012.

I appreciate the continued support. Thanks for following the tangent

Please leave a comment and let me know what you are looking forward to in 2012.
Much love,
Panman
Aka John Knowles

Marc is a member of the Roger Smith Community who will be actively creating content for the Roger Smith Social Media Program at the Roger Smith Hotel. Reporting from Spain Marc will be encouraging global engagement. His return to the Roger Smith Culture after being an intern for almost two years is exciting.

@highville on twitter, Marc is a Roger Smith Super Star. The quote below was recently posted to his tumblr.com account and provides a bit of insight into his sensibilities.

“Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteers be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.”

—

If You Can Raed Tihs, You Msut Be Raelly Smrat

(via bcnnyc)

Roger Smith News: I am Roger Smith by Marc Vilalta

As an intern at the Roger Smith Hotel the question that is asked, “Who is Roger Smith?” Marc explains that he is Roger Smith… in five languages.

You should follow Marc and engage with him online. By participate in the growing culture that is Roger Smith you are contributing to its global buzz. Post a comment and share with a friend. Thanks for engaging.

John Knowles

PART 1 Emotions

“How do we get people to care about our ideas? We make them feel something.”

- Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die. Chip Heath & Dan Heath

PART 2 “Its all about the people.”

The characters make the story interesting. Last week we met with a collection of Chinese Television Executive to talk about the Real Time Media, Live broadcasting online and the effect of Social Media on an industry. With a language barrier we broke ground when we had each of our guests introduce themselves directly into the camera. With the share cameras on the market like the flip or the Kodak Zi8 it is an interesting moment when you realize that you can turn the camera on yourself.

“The stories told here show how individuals, sometimes by design, but often by accident can change the course of history.”

10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America.  Steven M. Gillon

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PART 3 To Summarize

“Here is our checklist for creating a successful idea. A Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credentialed, Emotional, Story.”

- Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die. Chip Heath & Dan Heath

We are interested in the art of story telling as a way to engage with people. With people as our subject we build relationships surrounding the stories that are told. We look to listen, engage and share your stories. So please engage us with your story and become part of our culture. If you like it, Share it, and be sure to make a comment.

Thanks for watching.

John Knowles

For the many of you who already know us and embrace our culture, there is a clear understanding that our satisfaction is in knowing you! We are in the people business ~ Roger Smith is not a person – Roger Smith is a community – we look to expand community everyday with new connections, new clients and most importantly new friends. 

In the new social internet it is important to engage in the discussion of social media in such a way that we can help others build and share information. We are excited to engage with people in the dialog and embrace the opportunity to interact face to face. 

We are excited to be part of the Social Internet and hope to learn more about others who have similar experiences. Please feel free to reach out through any of our social media platforms.  Thanks to everyone who has helped build the Roger Smith Community. Please Share, Comment and Engage!

In the links below you will find great blog posts, editorial articles and even a couple of thoughtful videos published by our guests ( who we like to call friends ). Enjoy. 

Some other interesting articles mentioning Social Media and the Roger Smith Hotel;

Twenty-One Top Twitter Tips

Life imitates Twitter at a hotel in midtown Manhattan (ragan.com subscription only)

Q&A: The marketing duo behind New York’s social media hotel

Secrets to Writing a Social Media Policy that Actually Means Something