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Even though it's only April this thread has me excited for Internext in FL already!!! hehe
I was just thinking about some of the events that will be held at the show and the people that I know are going to be there and so since we're now post-Phoenix and pre-Internext, time to look forward to Hollywood in August!
I'm glad to see someone from AVN answered. I have been in communication with them regarding different events we are looking to throw at the convention. My past experience is that AVN prices are so over the top that its not worth new companies buying booths. Personally I believe we all know what AVN, TopBucks, ***********, etc are all about. I'd be more interested in the convention if I could hear from small companies and new websites.
The pricing of access in some way limits non-industry people from getting access, which is good. However, paying $250 per person is very difficult for startup sites that might not even be making that per month. AVN needs to be encouraging everyone to attend this event, not just the big guys.
Your 100% correct on that statement. For example we are bring a staff of about 15 to this years convention, however, we are only purchasing passes for the owners.Quote:
Originally Posted by BDBionic
I have to agree with Holly. I am one of those " new companies" that someone mentioned earlier. While the $1500 for my business partner and I to attend is a very large chunk of change at this stage of the game, I think that as Holly said, We can not miss out on this opportunity to attend. The forum in Phx had approximatly 1000 in attendance and I was glad that I spent the money for travel to attend because I walked away with valuable information, friends, and new business opportunities. From what I understand, Internext generally has about 5000-6000 in attendance. Just imagine the potential business opportunities to be had there!Quote:
Originally Posted by Direct Holly
Lately whenever I have balked at having to spend money for travel or some business related expense people keep telling me "you've got to spend money to make money" (And yes I know that you have to have the money before you can spend the money) I'm starting to really understand what they are saying. The $1500 it will cost my partner and I to attend will hurt to fork over, but the potential in revenue and of course the fantastic people we will get to meet and spend time with, are things that I think will make it well worth it.
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Originally Posted by kcwebwerks
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Originally Posted by boyfunk
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Originally Posted by Direct Holly
Great points made by great people and they have certainly rung true for me personally and professionally and underscore one very salient truth: you have to be in it, to win it!Quote:
Originally Posted by Madame0120
WM's events, referring to the Winter & Summer InterNexts and the Phoenix Forum as the big three, offer the opportunity to not just meet the faces, but to get to know the people behind emails, IM's and message board posts. It's one thing when someone is tenacious & trying to get your attention with the billing company of the week, but it's a very different matter when you develop trust and respect and just plain joy from getting to know someone and the impact that can have.
It was during a Vegas show a few years ago, conveniently ensconced in the same hotel, I became "show buddies" with some fellow attendees. That gave us the opportunity to share cabs, meet for meals, attend the soirees and walk around the show floor together with no agenda beyond that. The "us" I am referring to is myself, Joe and David. Before that, Joe and I had had no more then had a few ICQ conversations and in fact, we only recognized each other from pictures. What came out of those few days was discovering we liked each other as people and respected each other professionally. What came out of that was something we now call "PrideBucks."
That can be used to your advantage & as that certainly paid off for us as well. In our first year, all of us attending every show was not in the budget so Joe and David attended a NY Show since it was a short train ride away from them. There they got to hang out with some people we didn't know well and now do regular business with that is mutually advantageous. Amazing what some quality time can do to eliminate misunderstandings and misconceptions that can be created when people only know what they read in cyberspace.Quote:
Originally Posted by BDBionic
Later that year, I attended the Florida show, since it was in my neck of the woods. Being there solo, I had the opportunity to not just meet, but get to know people over a few days spending more time with each of them then I probably would have had all "Three Amigos" been there en masse. Aside from several people who's names are on now on my speed dial as friends, what also came out of that was meeting someone and seeing them at all of the gay events and saying hello at the next couple of shows. That someone is named "Rainey." It's hard to imagine my life without PrideBucks...its hard to imagine PrideBucks without Rainey.
Whether a webmaster payout, a traffic trade, a sponsorship fee, a design project, co-sponsoring events, or a paid banner ad...PrideBucks has done business when many members of the GWW community.
It's not the event producers I give credit to, but I do acknowledge the opportunity it affords to meet and get to know people face to face over a few days that can a be huge impact in your personal and professional life.
Businesses grow and change and we all know the joys and pitfalls of making our living in such a fluid industry. There are people you meet and develop what I call "a professional friendship" with at the shows. As your business models changes, its been invaluable to have those contacts in your rolodex or ICQ list that, while initially they may have not been any business to do together, all of a sudden there's an opportunity you can take advantage of when you are already networked and you know who to go for what. That can make a huge difference in the timeline from idea to fuition and we all know, time is money.
When you think about the added cost the $100 Summer InterNext badge costs in the short term, choosing not to spend the money could eliminate some things that can pay off in the long term. Remember, you have to be in it, to win it!
I already added my 2 cents before, so I guess I'm up to a nickel now
Suggestion to the webmasters:
Join a new affiliate program today.... spend a week implementing it on your site(s) so that by July it will be generating $200 - $250 a month in revenue for you. There - you've just created a way to pay for your Internext/FL budget!
Steve