Katy is managing director at the independent PR consultancy, immediate future.

Katy’s experience in public relations spans both traditional organisations and digital businesses. She is passionate about integrated communications: championing consistency and excellence across all channels from the more traditional press to the newer online and social media. Katy’s ‘feet firmly on the ground’ approach means immediate future deliver effective results on everything from national media coverage to blogger relations.

With a strong focus on influencer relations and thought-leadership programmes, Katy helps companies put stakeholders at the heart of their communications. Her understanding of the blogs, social media and digital opportunities has resulted in successful online PR programmes for brands such as Sony Europe, Kinder Bueno and Kids, Sara Lee, Polaroid, BT, Sony PSP, Diageo, NSPCC, BBC, Hotel Chocolat and Kodak.

Her expertise extends across the digital business and media industries: ensuring immediate future’s B2B PR, for companies including Logan Tod, AOP, Flirtomatic, Mercado and Avenue A| Razorfish, results in high profile reputations that crucially deliver against business objectives.

Katy networks with leading bloggers, podcasters and search engine experts and participates in key roundtables and seminars. She runs the UK’s online PR training course for the institute of Direct Marketer and sits on the IAB social media council.

Passionate about knowledge sharing, Katy is known in the industry for delivering straightforward, no nonsense advice on how to improve public relations and tackle online PR and social media.

Mary Ellen is Managing Director of Market Truths. Market Truths was the first company to conduct commercial market research in Second Life, and was the winner of the Edelman/Electric Sheep Company business plan competition for Second Life. Mary Ellen guides Market Truths' virtual world research efforts, and has conducted projects for clients in the UK, US, and New Zealand. Prior to founding Market Truths she was a Senior Lecturer in Marketing at the University of Canterbury, and prior to completing her Ph.D. she held marketing positions with Serono Laboratories and Coca-Cola in the United States.

Founder of Depo, Peter is responsible for imagining and exploring ways in which virtual worlds can add real benefit to clients' businesses. He has a unique blend of skills in advertising, finance and IT and heads up Depo's pilot business applications as well as overseeing the development of the Park and its pioneering work in virtual organisations. He was a pioneer of the commercial applications of virtual worlds, with clients that include the BBC, BDO Stoy Hayward, Lovells, Informa and Field Fisher Waterhouse.

Prior to Depo Peter worked for Bank of Scotland, Renault Financial Services, Sema and ran outdoor media and advertising agencies in the Middle East.