2011 Managed Print Services Global Conference: MPS Purity, Pure Content, Pure Energy

What's the difference between a Conference/Trade Show and an Educational Conference?

The trade floor.

Remember when COMDEX was the shit?

How about the North American Auto Show, held each year in Detroit?

Or the Boat Show here in L.A.?

Does one attend any of these shows expecting to learn more than what the handout says?

Do I hear battle-stories from the trenches articulated by any of the booth-babes? Would I care?

Granted, one can learn something at each.

A new MPS players can glean insight off a marketing slick, establish a new working partnership and possibly find his new soul-mate.  Possibly.

Soul mates aside, the 2011 North American MPS Conference is striving to make their more educational and less sales-like.

I had a conversation with Misty Hamel, Director of Marketing with Photizo the other day and she calls out the difference between a trade show and educational conference - "Content".

Agreed. I push one step closer to the Edge and call it "High Intent".

High Intent + Educational Content = Pure Energy

Misty pointed out that there will be 40 presenters this year and that every slide show will be reviewed.

Vetted twice - NO ADVERTISING or Sales Pitches during the presentation.

Sure, somebody is going to verbally pitch their wares, it is inevitable.  But before any of the slide shows are etched into history (thumb drive) each is reviewed for selling content.

Twice.

What's the intent?  Educational Content.

Another interesting nuance, keynote speaker slots are sponsored - high end sponsors are not keynote speakers.

For example, TheDeathOfTheCopier may sponsor Wednesday's keynote speaker, but I will not be the keynote speaker.  He'll just be drinking out of a DOTC mug, in front of a 3-story high DOTC banner, next to Leopard-clad pole dancers...

Get it?

And another thing.  Most shows love to have attendees fill out 'satisfaction surveys', grading everything from the food, to the A/V, to the keynote speakers, conference presenters.

If, for example, I turn my presentation into a "why advertise on DOTC"  I will receive less than stellar reviews.  These sub par reflections will get me "86'd" - I won't ever be asked to present again.

This year's repeat presenters received good grades last year. The folks you see presenting next year received high marks this year.

One Track is the Vendor Track.

Expect the standard sales pitching/carnival barking - and that's ok - selling makes the world go around.

Sell, Sell, Sell...

I've said it before, I will say again and again - the best action takes place after the show, during the sponsored, adult beverage heavy, networking sessions.  And at dinner. And in the lobby.  Out by the pool.  Side balcony.

Good people, great MPSr's, solving the worlds problems on the back of a napkin. - Pure Energy.




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