To help keep the balance, I'll shine some light on some of my favorite things about search conferences:
- Presenting - It's exciting to be on stage, sharing ideas and being a thought leader. There's an undeniable allure to it, and while I take it as a serious responsibility, I admit that I have a real passion for it, too.
- Meeting New People - Very smart, talented, entrepreneurial and well-connected folks show up at search conferences - thousands of them.
- Seeing Old Friends - Since there's at least a half dozen conferences I'm at each year, they're very practically a place to see friends from all over the world that I'd never have the opporuntity to know were it not for the group environment.
- Expensing Travel - It's a beautiful thing.
- Expensing Meals - mmm... free food (kind of).
- Learning New Techniques - Every conference I go to, I come away with tactics I'd never heard of before.
- Hearing About New Companies - Competitors expose themselves, new potential partners reveal themselves and new ideas you'd never think could work come out at conferences.
- Search Engine Announcements - I can virtually guarantee that 2 of the 3 major search engines (and probably all 3) will announce big news next week.
- After-Hours Parties - You'd have a hard time beating the search industry for after-hours get togethers, both public and private.
- Wearing Yellow Shoes - I never put them on at home.
- Losing Weight - I almost never eat more than 6-700 calories a day at conferences, so Mystery Guest always loves it when I come back after a week and I've lost those extraneous 5 pounds.
- Blogging on the Road - it's so much more dynamic and engaging when you get instant feedback and direct access to people.
- Hotel Mints - That and having your room cleaned for you.
- Seeing a New City - OK, so downtown San Jose is a bit boring, but I've been to London, China, Munich, Toronto, New York and many more
- Free Stuff - SWAG may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I always try to bring back something for my coworkers who couldn't attend.
- Drama - WHen it's on stage, it's terrific to see two sides attack and defend - I think that's when the most specific and relevant tips are exposed.
- Nametags - Since I suck at remembering names, I love seeing nametags around people's necks.
- Black Hats - They rarely come out online (at least in the places where I hang out), but they're all over the conference world.
- Burying the Hatchet - If you've had an online disagreement, chances are that 5 minutes in person will smooth it over.
- New Research - Someone always comes out with some new research showing click fraud is X% or Google is susceptible to this kind of spam or Yahoo! local contains 80% businesses started by ex-Microsoftees, etc.
- An Official Party Coordinator - Oh, wait...
- Drinking - Responsibly, of course.
- Wrestling - With which parties to attend, I mean. Not this kind.
- Comics - from Boowrecka, yeah :)
- New Tools - from SEOmoz (oh wait, was I supposed to keep that secret?)
OK - Your job is to fill up the other 25 in the comments...
It's good to see that you think of conferences in the same light that I do. It may sound like one big piss-up (well, it is) although a major part of my career can be milestoned and attributed to 4 conferences (networking rather than sessions) - that's a lot of value in my book.
PS. I think I should win an award for the least "least helpful/interesting comments". I'll soon resort to "Me too" and "Nice post"! :o)
25 comment copout from Rand ;)
Losing Weight - disagreed. I keep running into fine dining establishments or fast food joints. Neither are gonna help the waistline.
Burying the Hatchet - I can't hide behind my monitor and nickname in real life :(
26. Forces search vampires to get out and about in daylight hours
27. Encourages introverts to speak rather than communicate via email or IM
28. Monitor a KPI of the industry: the male-to-female search marketer ratio
29. Collect and trade business cards - ooh, the Rand Fishkin rookie card!
30. Drinking
31. Laugh at the accents of people not from your country - "Haha, make him say Crikey again!"
32. Complain about how the weather sucks compared to home (or vice versa if you live in Seattle or England or Melbourne etc.)
33. Compare the real life person with what you imagined they would look like based on their online persona
34. Participate in {gimmick} bait
35. Drinking
That's a mighty important KPI - I'd like to be on the email list of people who get that update, please :)
40 something, I've lost track. The adventures = memories
Walking around Chinatown in Chicago lost in freezing weather. Walking around Chinatown in New York, the red devils, the Italian desserts and the limo ride back.Walking around everywhere in China especially the hutong and 798 in the rain. (just went yesterday by the way).Seems to be a theme here.
David - so sorry to be missing you in San Jose, but I'm sure things in China are keeping you busy. Take good care!
Kwyjibo bought me a beer last time, guess it is my turn this time...
Best part of conerences? Free booze.
Okay, and also that whole "meeting all the wonderful people".
"meeting all the wonderful people" in the presence of booze is especially interesting. Strange things usually get said :)
I won't be at SES - but I hope all you guys have a blast! ohh, and like learn and stuff...
37. Rubbing Elbows with the Elite - You get a chanch to spend some time with some of your SEO heroes.
38. Live Blogging from the Floor of the Event - Instant Linkbait!
39. Networking - Conferences are a great place to display the polish on your networking skills.
I enjoy getting together with people who "speak my language."
I've been to all the local meetups and I'm looking forward to my first real conference... SMX Santa Clara '07!
I'm looking forward to the SEOmoz training seminar. Not sure if that is quite a conference, but it sounds close. It will be my first SEO event ever and I'm looking forward to:
- being able to say: adwords, adsense, pr, linkbait, goog-juice, and "lots of rockstar energy drinks" in one sentence to people who know what the crap I'm talking about.
I went to a post-college group event (I'm 24) last night at my church and got asked like ten times what I do.
I mostly just got 10 blank stares back.
So I'm looking forward to no blank stares. Yeah.
I may be missing SJ but I will so rock at WorldCon *WOOHOO*
I'll be geeking with geeks of a different sort so couldn't do the time off but am hoping and praying and sacrificing large animals to whatever dieties that I'll be able to go to PubCon
I can't wait until I can add to this list. Unknown SEO Conference 2009 here I come!
You forgot to add the part about the hundreds of business cards you get, and how cool you feel during the show to have amassed a huge collection of them, but by the time you look at them the next week (after recovery period) you can't remember the faces to the card owners! Doh!
Kwyjibo, I give u a thumbs up...!!
Yes, free holidays with loads of learning...uhh...who minds it!
Seeing what the hot topics are, and seeing lots of friendly faces..
New tool, huh? Looking forward to the announcement!
And what I feel to be THE BEST part of going to conferences:
40. Not having to be IN the office - You get time off work, and it's paid!!!!!
Aww I'm jealous. Wish I was going. I never get to these events either and I can see how much one can benefit (aside from the partying that is!)
I've never been to a conference so I got nothin to love/hate/whatever, but I do love it when ya'll go to them and tell us about it.
And, now - I have a question....
In number 11 you state you "almost never eat more than 6-700 calaories a day..."
So - how many calories a day do you DRINK, hmmm? ;)
Man, I wish I was going. But, as an internal SEO guy (with many other duties) for our company I just couldn't get the buyoff (due to both cost and time away)-we're a pretty small company). Any suggestions for a one or two day training/conference where a rook like myself can get good value? Have a great time! I am quite jealous.
https://www.seomoz.org/seminar
Yeah, never been to a conference. Day long training seminars - that's as good as it gets maybe. Meeting "up" and networking would be the top items for me.
How much new knowledge and techniques get really published on those conferences anyway? I would assume nobody really likes to spill the beans on tricks that keep 'em ranked high.
Christoph
Well, this probably isn't relevant to all conferences, but I understand there's going to be some special fun stuff going on in San Jose.
sounds a bit naff, but actually being able to focus solely on SEO for 3-4 days is a nice change from having 50% to seo and 120% time to clients calls, admin, doc prep, etc etc...
Hey Matt, you must be missing me..
Okay, after using the Internet for the past few weeks in China I would like to give you guys some basic advise.
If you interested in targeting the 2 billion some Chinese eye balls please have your own domain or you will be blocked if you use blogspot, typepad, wordpress subdomains.
Also Chinese goverment blocks domain by proxy which I totally agree with them.
It looks like Chinese goverment wants resposible Net citizens not under the radar type.
I have spent a few weeks traveling around Shanghai and the Chinese dollar aka RMB power is very strong.
Many Chinese middle class have money to burn and they like anything that is Western...
Okay have fun at SES and Rand say hello to Adam Lasnik for me I am sure he misses me..
Hey Mr Berger.
Hows about a YouMoz post on this? saves hijacking a thread with off topic material.
I'm sure there will be people who will enjoy reading about it in the right context.