You’ve probably attended many conferences in the past, but you’ve never attended anything like the Local Media Association’s “Innovation Mission.” This is a study tour that gives attendees a chance to visit some of the hottest names in social media and Internet marketing. It’s your best chance to learn more about audience development!

The Innovation Mission runs from June 1 through June 6. During those six days, you’ll have the opportunity to visit some of the world’s most innovative media and technology companies. You’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at online businesses that have become household names.

Day 1

During the first stop, in New York City, you’ll have a chance to meet with Gerold Riedman, the CEO of Russmedia Digital. This is a media company that has successfully implemented a disruptive business strategy. During this session, you’ll have the opportunity to learn about the company’s plans for growth.

Day 2

On the second day of the mission, you’ll be visiting two great media companies. The first is CBS Local Digital. This is a company with a website that receives 50 million unique views every month. You’ll have the opportunity to learn about the company’s strategy for mobile marketing during this session.

The second company that you’ll visit on that day is GateHouse Media, where you’ll meet with CEO Kirk Davis. He’ll tell you about a spin-off company called GateHouse Ventures and talk about his company’s impressive growth strategy.

Day 3

On the third day, you’ll get to visit the offices of The New York Times. While there, you’ll have the opportunity to learn about the successful advertising initiatives being developed by that company.

The next stop on the third day is at the offices of Gawker. There, you’ll get a chance to meet with editor John Cook. Gawker started off as just a blog, and has since become an Internet media giant.

Next, you’ll get to visit the offices of another media giant, BuzzFeed. That company’s business model relies solely on native advertising. You’ll have an opportunity to learn about the company’s content and marketing strategy.

Then, it’s over to The Wall Street Journal for a meeting with senior executives. While there, you’ll learn about the company’s new exciting initiatives.

Day 4

Day 4 begins in San Francisco. For starters, you’ll meet with Joe Fahrner from Twitter. He’ll provide an update on some ideas that were kicked around last year and share some of Twitter’s plans for growth.

Next, you’ll meet with Joanne Bradford, head of partnerships for Pinterest. She’ll discuss opportunities for local media companies to partner.

Then, you’ll have the opportunity to meet with Google+ executives who will talk about products, opportunities, and partnerships.

Day 5

Day 5 opens with a tour of LinkedIn and a meeting with the executives that handle publisher tools, partnerships, and recruitment services. You’ll also have the opportunity to be part of an exchange led by Internet Marketing participants.

Next, you’ll have the opportunity to tour eBay. You’ll also get to meet Jody Ford, VP of Marketplaces.

Day 6

The final day begins with a breakfast meeting. There, you’ll get a chance to share your top takeaways with other attendees. That’s where the dates for follow-up webinars will be established.

The Innovation Mission is literally a one-of-a-kind conference. As an attendee, you’ll have an opportunity to network with fellow professionals and learn from some of the brightest minds in the industry. Reserve your spot today.