Social Media Week in Jakarta offers a chance to hear from Buzzfeed, Twitter, Path and the city government

Jakarta has just become the first Southeast Asian city to join the global Social Media Week (SMW) network. The conference with international and local speakers is taking place this week at Pacific Place Mall and other satellite venues in the Indonesian capital, and showcases the use and importance of social media for corporations, small and medium-sized businesses, media, and government.

Ever since Pesta Blogger and its successor OnOffID disappeared from Indonesia four years ago, there has never been a formal gathering of social media professionals of this size in Indonesia.

Yet Indonesia has gained global notoriety as a “social” country. The image is that of a hyper-communicative, vast, and young population, particularly quick to adopt new technologies. In 2012 research institution Semiocast published a widely-shared report that placed Jakarta on the top of a list of the world’s most active Twitter cities.

Recognizing a gap and need for a new and regular meeting place for social media professionals in Indonesia, Merah Cipta Media Group (MCM) reached out to the the Social Media Week initiators in New York and asked permission to execute the conference in Jakarta. MCM has a number of digital marketing and media companies under its wing, including local tech news outlet Daily Social.

See: Indonesia is Social: 2.4% of world’s twitter posts come from Jakarta

Who’s gonna be there?

SMW Jakarta spans a full week of presentations and panels featuring established industry players, but the event also includes meetups and workshops in various locations around town. The event’s chairman Antonny Liem explains that he wishes to facilitate discussion and a deeper understanding of how technology affects lives in Indonesia.

The highlight of the conference will certainly be the keynote presentation from the deputy governor of Jakarta, Djarot Saiful Hidayat on Jakarta’s Smart City program. The city council has promised to make technology and social media an important part of its communication with Jakarta’s residents. It has taken the first step by incorporating maps and tools sections into the Smart City website. The deputy governor’s keynote speech will be a rare chance to find out where the city’s administration is planning to take this initiative in the months to come.

Another noteworthy speaker is sure to be Buzzfeed’s VP of international, Scott Lamb. After recently setting up an Indian edition of Buzzfeed, his presence in Indonesia is already causing a stir. Buzzfeed knows it has traction in Indonesia, according to Liem, and participating in the conference is an excellent opportunity for the company to put out feelers in the local market.

Lamb will deliver insights on how Buzzfeed has approached the art and science of social sharing. Lamb is also participating in a discussion on social media at the @america venue as part of a separate event this week.

Several other big names have recently set up shop in Indonesia. Twitter’s Indonesian head of business, Rick Mulia, is also featured in the conference lineup, and William Tunggaldjaja will have his first public appearance as Path’s country manager for Indonesia.

Social Media Week Jakarta is relevant for pretty much all Indonesia’s media and communications professionals, and it’s not to be missed. For startups, it’s less of an opportunity to pitch ideas or meet investors, but instead learn about trends and new ways to reach audiences.

See: The skinny on Indonesia’s love affair with Path