With SMX Advanced wrapping up in Seattle earlier this week, many online marketers and Webmasters are going back to their companies with some new tips and tricks thinking that they're going to apply these new found tips and tricks and take the Internet by storm. Well I've been to more than a few of these type of conferences over the years and I have to tell you that I'm still not sure they are worth your hard earned dollars to attend them. Sure there are some interesting things that come out of the odd session, but I think that if these conferences are going to charge a couple of thousand dollars to attend they better provide value.
I feel even more strongly about this after attending a fantastic two day Summit put on by a client (who shall remain nameless). The client is in the B2B space and they organized a Search Summit that featured a number of great speakers who all talked strategy and who all "get it". Never before have I seen about 100-120 people get together with such intense focus and cohesiveness for the greater good of one company. From their C-Suite to the various department managers, to members from the Search Engines themselves, this Search Summit in two days accomplished more than most Search conferences cannot accomplish in 4-5 days.
The sessions were highly informative and engaging, the discussions in the hallway, at lunch, in the lecture hall and even in the restrooms were tremendous. This company gets it. They are a leader in their industry and with the vision to conduct summits such as the one I attended this week will continue to be leaders in their industry.
Frankly while I thought that SES NY in March was better than previous conferences, I still feel these shows have a long ways to go. My time is valuable. When I attend a conferernce or symposium I expect to learn and engage with intelligent professionals. For me it's not about the parties (although networking functions can be great...) it's about the conversations. It is about the high level strategy and the big picture. It is about being able to contribute to the success of my clients.
I haven't had a chance to get the lowdown from SMX Advanced, but I know that there was no other place that I wanted to be than the Search Summit for our client that we attended in Chicago this week. Very well done.Labels: search conference |
