Simon Owens is a 26-year-old social media consultant and online journalist. Over the years, Simon has secured hundreds of placements on top blogs and social news sites for clients. He has conducted digital PR for both major and small brands and has driven millions of page views for clients, getting them on the front pages of Technorati Top 100 blogs and major social news sites like Digg and Reddit. Simon has been interviewed by reporters from numerous newspapers, television and radio programs about his expertise in new media. His blog, Bloggasm, was launched in late 2005 and focuses on the intersection of new and old media. It often includes in-depth feature articles on a variety of media subjects. The site was named in 2008 as one of PC Magazine's favorite blogs. In that same year it was also nominated for a Weblog Award in the "best large blogs" category. Simon was named the second best Twitter user in DC in 2009 in Washington City Paper's "Best of" issue.

David Carr writes the Media Equation column for the Monday Business section of The New York Times that focuses on media issues including print, digital, film, radio and television. He also works as a general assignment reporter in the Culture section of The Times covering all aspects of popular culture. For the past 25 years, David has been writing about media as it intersects with business, culture and government.He began working at The Times in 2002 covering the magazine publishing industry for the Business section. Prior to joining The Times, David was a contributing writer for The Atlantic Monthly and New York Magazine. In 2000, he was the media writer for Inside.com, a web news site focusing on the business of entertainment and publishing. Before coming to New York, David served as editor of the Washington City Paper for five years. From 1993 to 1995, he was editor of the Twin Cities Reader and wrote a media column there as well. On August 5, 2008, David's book, "The Night of the Gun," came out on Simon and Schuster. The book is a memoir of addiction and recovery that used reporting to fact check the past. He lives in Montclair, New Jersey with Jill Rooney Carr and has three children. By the way, David will talk about anything, except the hardy AAN perennial, 'What is alternative?' He has no idea.