Integrated mar.com: direct results for the indirect world

Friday, November 14, 2008
There Is Nothing "mickey mouse" About Disney World
Posted by Robert M. Cohen at 10:36am
President and Business Editor Integrated mar.com (eChannelLine Daily News; Conne

It has been a great week.

I attended ScanSource’s partner summit in Disney World and then met up with my wife and 4 year old for some intensive meetings with Mickey and his friends (more about that later).

The ScanSource event was very well run and well attended. Great content. Well attended Vendor fair. Time for networking with lots of senior people. Fabulous guest speaker to ensure attendees leave on a high note.

As I reflect back on some of the channel events of the year, one thing rings out crystal clear. The events, like ScanSource and SMB Nation, that are rising to the top are (finally) those that provide strong content and great networking opportunities. In contrast, there are the events where the organizers pay all the expenses of the attendees (air fare, ground transportation, hotel fees, meals, event costs) and then may still have to bribe potential attendees with 40” Plasma TVs; iPods, cash rewards and who knows, maybe a trip around the world or (the one that will capture my attention) a family vacation at Disney World.

The events that offer large bribes, pay for the attendees

So here is the deal: these events that rely on bribes to get attendees out quickly run into a snag whereby the C-level people don’t want to attend (they realize that the cost of missing work is greater than the value of the bribes) and thus the event organizers have to settle for lower level attendees in order to get enough people out. The attending Vendors start complaining because they see the same, lower level people at every event (we all know the type, the professional event goers who come for the trinkets and trash and try to skip the content portions of the event … but never miss a meal). These Vendors start complaining and thus the event organizers revert back to their flawed coin operated model and increase the size of the bribes in order to get more attendees.

In my opinion: a show with fewer people that are the right people who are coming for the content, networking and to discuss business opportunities is far better than meeting up with a bunch of professional event goers who really don’t care about anything except the freebies.

So, back to Disney World. They understand. Unlike all the other theme parks that try to bribe you to attend, Disney World is the real thing. Fabulous content. Great value. Run by professionals that keep everything flowing like clockwork. They don’t have to play games to get people to attend. The parks are clean, safe, exciting and offer great value to everyone. The service is unbelievable. And to think … the whole place is run by a mouse.

There is nothing mickey mouse about the way a good event should be run. And there is definitely nothing mickey mouse about Disney World … except for Mickey Mouse.

Chaim Lowenstein of Webcom247 sent me the following quick response: Buy a toaster get a bank for free! My response: If you look at how the IT channel is going and how the value of the banks are falling & this may not be very funny. It may become reality. Robert M. Cohen President & Business Editor Integrated mar.com Corporation office: 905-763-1200 ext. 226 toll free: 800-465-2059 cell: 416-568-2059 fax: 905-886-6216

Posted by at 9:35am

In response to Tony Fattal's comments
"

     Robert, what I think you're trying to say is that 
people will pay for value when it is there. In fact, value 
delivered is remembered long after price has been paid and 
forgotten. 
     That's as much a cornerstone for the Trusted Business 
Advisor (TBA) program that you are building as well as any 
of the many trade shows that dot the global IT landscape.

"

Robert M. Cohen replies:

Tony:

You are absolutely correct. See ya soon.

Posted by Robert M. Cohen at 7:00pm

     Robert, what I think you're trying to say is that 
people will pay for value when it is there. In fact, value 
delivered is remembered long after price has been paid and 
forgotten. 
     That's as much a cornerstone for the Trusted Business 
Advisor (TBA) program that you are building as well as any 
of the many trade shows that dot the global IT landscape.

Posted by Tony Fattal at 3:34pm

In response to Cynthia Slade's comments
"

I loved SMBNtion the firs few years for its content and 
networking (with peers and vendors) and then stopped 
attending SMBNAtion after the third conference because it 
was way too much vendor selling and little usable content. 
I returned this year and will go back next year because 
the empahsis was back on content. 

I agree with Robert - give me content and I will be happy. 
Throw in the networking with vendors and peers and you 
will have me returning next year even if I don't win a 
prize for get an ipod for attending. 

If you do not have content, content and content then you 
cannot bribe me to attend with a free trip, possible 
prizes, or fancy meals. There is only so much time I can 
spend away from my business to attend conferences, if it 
isn't compelling content - why should I be there?

"

Robert M. Cohen replies:

Thanx for the comments Cynthia. 

Interesting ... it seems as though everyone agrees that
content is KING. So why do so many of my competitors
resort to selling the prizes? 

Are publishers and event companies in the IT industry
so paranoid that they think that their only way of
getting VARs to attend events is by buying them?

Do they honestly believe that this is the way to build
the best audiences?

Do the Vendors who attend these events (any ultimately
pay the costs) think that paying the way for the VARs,
offering prizes, finding the best hotels, offering
golf, providing fancy entertainment and serving free
cigars and all sorts of alcohol will result in a better
range of VARs for them to talk to?

Since the obvious answer is that you get the best
audience by providing the best content, great
networking time and business information or
opportunities that will result in increasing ... then
why are the

Posted by Robert M. Cohen at 10:06pm

I loved SMBNtion the firs few years for its content and 
networking (with peers and vendors) and then stopped 
attending SMBNAtion after the third conference because it 
was way too much vendor selling and little usable content. 
I returned this year and will go back next year because 
the empahsis was back on content. 

I agree with Robert - give me content and I will be happy. 
Throw in the networking with vendors and peers and you 
will have me returning next year even if I don't win a 
prize for get an ipod for attending. 

If you do not have content, content and content then you 
cannot bribe me to attend with a free trip, possible 
prizes, or fancy meals. There is only so much time I can 
spend away from my business to attend conferences, if it 
isn't compelling content - why should I be there?

Posted by Cynthia Slade at 12:48pm

In response to Tim Curran's comments
"

Robert - Good comments and good feedback. It was good to 
meet you in Mickey Land and I look forward to further 
discussions. At the GTDC Vendor Summit we strive to do as 
you say - maximize networking opportunities for 
distribution CEOs and vendor executives and offer just 
enough stimulating content to spark numerous conversations 
and connections. This past September, for example, Mark 
Hurd of HP hit a home run as our keynote speaker. Best 
regards, Tim Curran GTDC

"

Robert M. Cohen replies:

Likewise Tim. It was great finally meeting you. I have
heard wonderful tings about the GTDC Vendor Summit and
look forward to attending the next one. 

From our meeting and past conversations, I am sure that
we are going to work tremendously well together and add
a lot of great new content for the IT industry. Mickey
Mouse will be proud of us!!!

Posted by Robert M. Cohen at 11:08am

In response to Jim Estill's comments
"

Great post.

I have lo9ng believed that events that can help people make 
money are the best events.  Most people do not need to be 
brided to learn to make $.  

And you get the right audience.

"

Robert M. Cohen replies:

Jim: Seems we always agree on just about everything. I
want to talk to you about being a contributor to the
new pub we are launching: Trusted Business Advisor. It
is right up your alley ... a multitude of media ways to
get great content to VARs about how to make their
business more successful.

Posted by Robert M. Cohen at 11:04am

Great post.

I have lo9ng believed that events that can help people make 
money are the best events.  Most people do not need to be 
brided to learn to make $.  

And you get the right audience.

Posted by Jim Estill at 10:56am

Robert - Good comments and good feedback. It was good to 
meet you in Mickey Land and I look forward to further 
discussions. At the GTDC Vendor Summit we strive to do as 
you say - maximize networking opportunities for 
distribution CEOs and vendor executives and offer just 
enough stimulating content to spark numerous conversations 
and connections. This past September, for example, Mark 
Hurd of HP hit a home run as our keynote speaker. Best 
regards, Tim Curran GTDC

Posted by Tim Curran at 10:55am

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