PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Visitors Bureau wants to help the local travel industry harness the power of social media. On Thursday, April 8, the organization will host its "Eye on Travel 2010" conference at the Crowne Plaza, with the theme "Social Media Marketing."

The program, which runs from 1 to 5 p.m., includes a keynote by Ethan Zuckerman, senior researcher at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, and sessions on social media as it relates to customer service, how to use social media effectively, and emerging trends. For a full program, click here.

Conference fees are $69 for bureau or area chamber of commerce members; $99 for nonmembers. The registration deadline is Thursday, April 1.

For more information or to register, click here.

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STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — The Berkshire Visitors Bureau invites any business person in Berkshire County to attend its next forum on Wednesday, Feb. 14, when the topic will be public relations – specifically, participants are invited to "share (your) ideas and strategize messaging for the Berkshires."

The forum will take place from 3:30 to 4:30, at the Norman Rockwell Museum, 9 Route 183.

Forums are free and open to all businesses in Berkshire County; for a full schedule, click here.

Update, Feb. 24: Due to the weather, today's forum has been canceled. It will be rescheduled at a later date.