By Joe Procopio
Joe Procopio
I’m often asked why I attend so many events, not just locally, but anywhere. This is an especially odd phenomenon when you consider the fact that I generally don’t like people.
My answer is always the same, and it’s not particularly groundbreaking, but I’m shocked that more techies and business folks and marketing wonks don’t understand this. It’s not about the theme, it’s not about the location, it’s not about the speakers, it’s not even about the content.
Well, it isn’t and it is. All four are key factors in a successful event. If you’ve got a good theme, like “the Internet,” and a good location, like Raleigh, and you throw in a mix of high tech giants and high buzz entrepreneurs talking about the current and future state of the web, then you’ll get the primary reason why people show up.
The Attendees.
I know I just said that you need people get people, but this is the conundrum of any good event, just like it’s the conundrum of any good party. And that presents the depressing notion that real life is a lot like high school – if you don’t have the jocks and the cheerleaders, you’re not going to get everyone else.
Luckily, at the kind of events I attend in real life, we’re talking about the jocks and cheerleaders of the nerds. These happen to be much better people, for one thing, and for another, it doesn’t take a whole lot to get them super motivated.
If you can get a dozen people to show up and blab about Ruby for three hours, you can get a few thousand to show up to hear what the dude behind Playboy.com has to say about making money on the web.
Sorry, easy joke.
But they also happen to be you.
You Get an A for Effort, Poindexter
In my last column, I talked about how Brad Feld, when asked how we should go about maintaining a successful entrepreneurial community, answered that we needed a shared desire by a whole bunch of people (an allusion to all of us in the room) to see said community happen.
So when you attend a 3-hour discussion about Ruby, it’s usually because you want to be more better at Ruby. When you attend an event like Internet Summit, where the conversation swirls around the future of the Internet, it means that you not only want to be a part of said future, but you might also want to help create it.
Full Disclosure
These words that you’re reading appear in TechJournal South, another part the digital kingdom owned by TechMedia, the company that puts on Internet Summit. I want you to be aware of that so you can read the next part and qualify it… however you want. Don’t care.
The Internet Summit is, without question, the highlight event for techies and friends of tech in the RTP, maybe the entire Southeast. And it’s not due to the theme – let’s face it, a discussion of the future of the Internet is like a discussion of the orange of “Hey Jude.”
It’s not about the location. It’s in Raleigh, but it could have been anywhere. Last month’s Digital East was in DC, and it was essentially the Internet Summit of DC. It reflected DC like Internet Summit reflects the RTP, but it doesn’t define the event. NASCAR, college basketball, and Superchunk are probably doing a lot with the Internet. They weren’t there.
It’s not about the speakers and the content. Sometimes, speakers were under-prepared. Other times, they were about 9 months behind the curve. A few times, they just hyped their own company. See, I’m not defending the badge.
It’s not about the content, and even if it were, all that content got tweeted out. If you weren’t there, search Twitter for #isum10. You just got the whole thing.
1500 Reasons Why
But all of those things together brought 1500 people out of the woodwork, both from here and from very far away, to talk about the current and future state of the Internet. And they talked about it by asking questions, either by Twitter or just asked the old fashioned way (they one where you raise your hand and stuff).
They talked about it by networking in the lobby and the open area out front and the terrace and the reception and the after-party and the after-after-party.
Did you go to the after-after-party?
They’ll also keep talking about it, based on the exchange of business cards, Twitter follows, Linked Ins, and Facebook friends made.
And speaking of the future of the Internet, does anyone still use Facebook?. There you go.
Goldmine
That’s why I go to all these events. I can always pick up on something, some problem to solve, some inspiration that unlocks some idea (like a column, or maybe a company), or just a general understanding, a finger on the pulse of 1500 people who kind of know what they’re talking about or are at least learning.
That alone is worth the price of admission. And it wouldn’t happen without the right theme, the right location, the right speakers, and the right content.
Well, that and a whole lot of hard work. But that’s another column.
Joe Procopio owns intrepidcompany.com and intrepidmedia.com and puts his writing up at joeprocopio.com. He also recently joined StatSheet to head up product engineering. He can be reached via twitter @jproco.
Join hundreds of Marketing Professionals and Internet Execs at Atlanta’s premier Digital event – Digital Summit 2012
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Tags: #isum, Columns, Internet Summit, Joe Procopio, NC, Playboy.com, Raleigh, twitter
I spoke in 2 sessions (1 pre-con and 1 main sessions) and hope that people received value from both.
“and Superchunk are probably doing a lot with the Internet. They weren’t there.”
I actually thought how great it would have been to have Mac and/or Laura on a panel. Merge Records is thriving and hearing about what they have done and are doing would have been a compelling session.
Joe, it was great catching up at the summit and just skimming the discussion about fostering the local entrepreneur community like ExitEvent, etc. At the summit, I often looked around and said, now this is a community, but as soon as everyone leaves, it is now a past event. Even though discussions about the Internet could absolutely happen anywhere, there\’s a power in keeping a local discussion and community alive to keep up with the local thoughts and trends. Even though Twitter can provide some of the content from the event, we still need a proper way to keep this community engaged in an ongoing way. Let\’s continue the discussion. – Jeff – http://www.Vybee.com -
Hi Joe,
Nice bit of writing on the #Isum10 here!
Your facebook comment struck me because I heard two sides of the coin on FB. Paul Lee, in his presentation ( @iPaulLee ) suggested it will eclipse the galaxy of other companies. Others thought it was gaining irrelevance. I’m between them, I think it’s potential is amazing, but I’m a firm believer that execution is more important than potential. It also struck me because I’m not sure if it is just a tongue in cheek reference to the speakers who asked things like “Who in the audience has a facebook account?” I’d like to “borrow” your “jocks and cheerleaders of the nerds” phrase. I completely agree with your goldmine idea. Amazing synergy can happen at the right place with the right people after you filter out the self-promoters, the “9-months behind the curve” people, and a few others. I really enjoyed the Internet Summit, can’t wait for next year’s and hope I can deserve to get out of the audience and off the bench in that nerdy goodness.
What struck me most about the Internet Summit was Bob Young. He was simultaneously very humble and awe-inspiringly brilliant. I take my hat off to anyone who can rock the red-socks like that while making precise points like: “Congress needs to write laws to protect freedoms.”
I really look forward to next year.
Best, -John