In the continuing discussion on whether virtual events will succeed or fail in the associations and for profit events market, I get to read comments for and against virtual since I have my antennae up for such information. Given that Michelle Bruno and I have a dog in the fight (EastVirtual Event Workshop) I could be considered biased, but I don’t think so.
This comment posted recently on an industry association LinkedIn page caught my eye:
Love this post from my friend Joyce McKee of Let’s Talk Tradeshows:
http://blog.iceem.net/questions-develop-virtual-event-strategy/
Questions you should certainly ask before spending Big money!
One of the many hats I wear, is as a sales guy. Sales has really changed in the last ten years, and selling, especially what one might call ‘cold to warm calling’, given the impact of personalization and inbound marketing.
In a way, inbound marketing has made selling easier, as inbound leads are usually pre-sold and have opted in to your products or services. It doesn’t however totally negate the idea of ‘push’ or proactive selling. I just love this article from David Brock on the subject:
http://partnersinexcellenceblog.com/what-happens-when-the-customer-doesnt-raise-his-hand/
Absolutely agree. Sales guys, we’ve still got to pick up the phone!
I am enjoying one of the main benefits of virtual events this weeks-not having to travel. Michelle Bruno, My erst-while partner on the EastVirtual Event Workshop, is attending (and working at) The Virtual Edge Summit(VES) while I work on other customer projects in the office.
I am attending VES virtually which is a relatively rare experience for me to attend something more intensive than the odd webinar . Usually with an event which I interested in enough to pay attention to, I usually go to the physical event or not pay any attention at all.
I had a chance to catch my breath during the holidays in The Hamptons last week thanks to Bloomspot(a Groupon competitor). Well sort of, since I had my brand new iPhone 4S(I had a 4 year old Blackberry), and my world has been opened with Apps the Blackberry can only dream of.
I’ve had the fortune this week of speaking with some smart people who are doing neat things, Colin Crawford at Conferize and Brian Perkins of Highliner Events. Both are working on vehicles or events where the emphasis is on “who’s there” rather than “what’s there.”, In other words, they are forwarding the idea that the actual list of attendees of an event is becoming a more and more important marketing tool to convince those who weren’t familiar with the brand, to think about jumping on a plane and attending an event.
This year’s 5th annual Inbound Marketing Summit is where I’ll be going to see Guy Kawasaki on September 14/15 in Boston. Save 20% on your registration when you use Promo Code: IMSP2. If you’re going, ping me and we can share a beverage at some point…. http://t.co/NgAvGLt
Here is a quick tip and one of the 5 steps to long term success in social media at which I will be speaking on during the Marketing Challenges Workshop at the MTO Summit in DC on November 9th:
Step Number Two: Learn how to Build a Target Persona to Reach Your Buyer Audience
In order to be successful with social media, you are going to need to build an audience to whom you’ll target your content efforts. These ‘straw men’ are called ‘target personas’. And what exactly is a target persona and how do you develop them?
Tarsus Advon’s MTO Summit, scheduled Nov. 9-10 at the Hilton Alexandria Hotel in Alexandria, Va., has announced a stellar lineup of industry thought leaders as speakers and sessions designed to engage show organizers and suppliers in the event industry.
“We are excited with the content, speakers and sponsor participation for the upcoming MTO Summit” said Stephen Nold, founder of the MTO Summit and president of Tarsus Advon. “With the theme ‘Technology: It’s Time to Execute’ our audience will be told to quit thinking about strategic technology design and challenged to start implementing.”
Love this article as a concept from: Eventmanagerblog.com
Open sourcing your event. A featured interview with Harrison Owen
December 12, 2007 By Julius Solaris
It is a great honor for this blog to host Harrison Owen as a part of the featured interviews section.
Harrison has worked on virtually every continent with organizations ranging from small villages to large corporations and NGOs. His major concern has been to assist organizations as they negotiate a transforming world. In some cases his role has been little more than holding the hands of the anxious. In other situations his function was more overt, assisting organizations in the sometimes painful process of self-understanding and renewal. In all situations the organizational mythology and culture was the focal point, and the power of self-organization the ultimate driver.
