RE: [isp-marketing] ISPCON - Don't feed the Parasites!

["Jon Price" <jprice@...>]

Jeff, all - a word of caution:

Just so you understand, free hall passes won't get you in to see people like
McKown, Elliot, Doug, Guy, Cassidy or Stapleton and the CEO session is ONLY
open to the conferees. The show and these guys (just ask them) that I've
mentioned above, among many others here are not about the pure connectivity
business and there's a ton of hosting content well worth checking out. You
might be wise to at least consider a 1 day conference pass if nothing else.
Besides, you get breakfast, lunch and dinner with a few hundred peers along
with it on Wednesday.

Last year, you may have gone to a free "vendor education session" in the
conference area thinking it was the conference itself. Assuming the vendor
is bright enough to "educate" rather than "vend" during their paid session
timeslot, they can and do present excellent free sessions for attendees. But
those are not part of the general conference programming. The CEO session
was not policed as tightly as it probably should have been last time, but as
it was in the Spring: A) we won't run out of drinks this time and B) dinner
is served.

At $30K+ for a cocktail reception tab and serving meals at $10K a pop, we
either need more sponsors to cover the costs or at least make it part of
what you get for your $199 that day. Admittedly, I run a very small business
too and I can't afford to keep covering the tab for everyone - as much as
I'd like to. imho, it's a pretty reasonable value considering the business
impact from just about any one single aspect. It's really your choice to
make though and depends on the kind of business you run if the $200 is
remotely justifiable. Hopefully we have a match with the requirements of
your business and an overwhelming supply of sound advice on how to grow it.
If not, no harm done - at least we tried and you can check out what's on the
exhibit hall floor.:)

There can be some free rides out there like the keynotes and walking the
exhibit hall. In fact, I'm headed over to pick up the car we're giving away
on Thurs - so there are indeed some "free" elements. But everyone PLEASE,
PLEASE, PLEASE don't show up expecting to sneak in to the conference
sessions, lunches or the ISP-CEO session or dinner without the appropriate
badge.

Sorry if this is a bit OT - just want to make sure this is clear and nobody
is left out due to a misunderstanding. 

Thanks all - looking forward to seeing everyone again!

cheers,

Jon

 
Jon Price
Managing Dir, ISPCON
CEO, The Golden Group, Inc.
P: 720.221.7225 F: 720.221.7477
www.inboxevent.com  www.ispcon.com
Inside ISPCON Blog: http://ispcon.blogs.com


You make some good points, Guy.

Now let me point out my position...

I have a tight budget, just like many of us "small guys" do.  The show is
good for me, but perhaps not as good as it is for others; we do hosting and
not connectivity.

Last year I paid for a full ticket.  And I enjoyed every minute of it.

But I saw a lot of people getting free tickets from exhibitors and attending
the same meetings I paid to attend.

So guess what I did this year?  Actually you don't have to guess; it's
fairly obvious.

Now, unfortunately it's too late to add the full ticket cost to my budget;
if I don't get a chance to attend some of those meetings I'll only be
attending the exhibits.

Last year, and this year, I invited some of my consulting clients to the
show... to buy from the exhibitors.  They did.

It's important to find the right mix and the right value add.  I don't think
the show is too expensive, and I would not have bought at any price (save
maybe a token price) this year, because I honestly expected a freebie once I
got to the show, as I saw so many people get last year.

I'll budget now to attend the show at the going price next year... 
that's how much I get your point.

(I used to attend Comdex free because I wrote a magazine column.  I no
longer do so, and I don't pretend to do so, so I no longer qualify for press
passes.)

Jeff
--
Jeff Lasman, Nobaloney Internet Services
1254 So Waterman Ave., Suite 50, San Bernardino, CA  92408 Our blists
address used on lists is for list email only Phone +1 909 266-9209, or see:
"http://www.nobaloney.net/contactus.html";

** ISPCON Fall 2005 - Santa Clara, CA  www.ispcon.com **
** THE EVENT for ISPs, WISPS, CLECs and WebHosts **
** Get Smart about your Marketing. ISPCON will show you how. **





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** ISPCON Fall 2005 - Santa Clara, CA  www.ispcon.com **
** THE EVENT for ISPs, WISPS, CLECs and WebHosts **
** Get Smart about your Marketing. ISPCON will show you how. **





To unsubscribe via postal mail, please contact us at:
Jupitermedia Corp.
Attn: Discussion List Management
475 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10016

Please include the email address which you have been contacted with.

Copyright 2005 Jupitermedia Corporation All Rights Reserved.