Arre IT professionals aware of why some conferences are free?
There are two models for conferences/events! The first is where developers are required to pay a fee to attend. With declining IT budgets, most individuals unless they pay out of their own pockets are out of luck. The second, is based on finding a sponsor that is willing to pick up all costs.
The economics of sponsorship is primarily driven by eyeballs whereby the more people who attend, the bigger the value proposition for the sponsor. So, many developers will register and attend, but don't necessarily help spread the word. By spreading the word, you can help increase the amount of free events.
So, what does it take to encourage IT professionals to take the next step.
Answers (15)
It's an interesting question. I worked in the past at trade shows that were attended by a variety of people, from senior management to lower level IT people. Most of the people there didn't want to be "sold to", and I remember spending a lot of time in the booth alone or in conversations "pulling teeth".
Fact of the matter is that SOMEONE has to pay for it. If developers want to get the free lunches and cocktail hours, they need to engage the sponsor community or be prepared to have large attendence fees (which means no conferneces). One vendor (large ERP) had a conference with roughly 1000 users attend, and we and almost all of the other vendors had fewer than 5 PEOPLE visit the booth. No one sponsors that event anymore, and I believe it was cancelled altogether.
Groups that are run by attendees are usually pretty poorly attended because there is no way to justify any expense, unless the attendee is willing to pay out of pocket. Management will never pay for something that has no tangible benefit- which how these events are perceived.
Truth be told, I also know that I witnessed a great many folks lowering their company's ROI at the BlackJack tables in Vegas. If I was in IT management and I sent one of my people out to ANY event, I would expect at least 3 great ideas to act upon. If you just sit through the presentations and never act, why bother attending (free or paid?)
If you want to drive attendance to your events, you should have some measurable output that is DIRECTLY related to attending. Without it, you'll only get folks looking for jobs...
David S
Senior Software Engineer at Data PAC Mailing Systems
Best Answers in: Career Management (2), Government Policy (1), Compensation and Benefits (1), Personnel Policies (1), Staffing and Recruiting (1), Computers and Software (1)
The other source of sponsorship for monthly meetings AND Code Camps (free conferences for software developers by software developers) is professional recruiters.
Software developers are typically concerned about learning the tools of their trade rather than a specific vendors application.
There are exceptions to this rule. Companies that make controls, for example, for ASP.NET, WinForms, Windows Presentation Foundation, may be of larger interest to developers (for example, Telerik, Infragistics, ComponentOne, etc). Red Gate is another exception to this rule.
The other thing for free conferences is that sponsorship is generally shared among multiple sponsors.
Clarification added 3 months ago:
Here are some examples of Code Camps that are free and generally well attended: New England (or Boston) Code Camp, and the Toronto Code Camp. Though I have never attended, I believe the Philadelphia Code Camp is well attended as well. By well attended, I would estimate somewhere between 200 and 500 attendees. Both the New England Code Camp and the Philadelphia Code Camp are on October 17th this year.
Free events are appreciated by the software developer community because fewer companies are sponsoring conference attendance. The travel expenses are coming out of the developer's own pocket, so their attendance really means they are expecting good things at the free conferences.
Anthony S
ICT Manager at Bott Limited
Best Answers in: Enterprise Software (3), Computer Networking (3), Software Development (2), Using LinkedIn (2), Business Dining and Entertainment (1), Resume Writing (1), Conference Planning (1), Staffing and Recruiting (1), Advertising (1), Writing and Editing (1), Organizational Development (1), Project Management (1), Career Management (1), Ethics (1), Professional Networking (1), E-Commerce (1), Computers and Software (1), Databases (1), Information Security (1), Telecommunications (1)
Personally, I would never attend an event that required me to pay for it, and it's unlikely that any of my staff would either.
I would expect to get some benefits from the free events - new ideas, information of a product or service that we had limited exposure to or contacts with suitable potential vendors. We usually have to pay for transport to the event so I would expect there to be a purpose behind it, not just as a junket.
I would suggest that a lot of IT people work in smaller teams - they may not have that many contacts. So they might not be able to pass the information on to too many others. This is changing slowly - I've noticed an increase in local groups. This might be a better way for you to get the message out?
Sarah F
Director
Best Answers in: Offshoring and Outsourcing (2), Government Policy (1), Software Development (1)
The challenge in today's all about me culture is to get folks to spend more than thirty seconds to understand the economics of the ecosystem in which they belong. Most IT professionals won't make the time to save themselves.
Free is something that appeals to most folks. And is the key business driver these days.
Lets us analyze the issue in greater detail.
You host a conference, sponsors pick up the tab, the content revolves almost completely on the vendors' products. Its is a marketing promotion alright. The attendees goes to see whats new happening there and what can be adopted in his working environment. He does invest by giving his time and ear to the pitches. Conversions to a fanatic would however depend upon the convincing power of the pitch/product.
On the other hand, at a paid conference, the attendee knows that he has to take back something significant to justify the company's expense. He not only invest his time, he also pays to hear and learn. So the expectation is pent up and he is willing to hear you out completely.
Case in point, developments in Java are actively followed upon and there are tons of documentation and web resources. BUT, folks still go to Java One, to hear the visionaries and to learn about what new stuff you can do. That does make a lot of sense to those who can afford the expenses.
But as I said, the free model is the model of the future and nobody likes to pay for the unknown. The key here is content. If the delivered content at the conference, makes sense, people will be automatically encouraged to take it forward.
The main objective is to get benefits (new ideas, information of a product or service, networking with other professionals, case studies) from the events whether it's paid or free. Today time is priceless which everyone spent for the events.
Benefits goes to the sponsors to know more about the companies, people, their current solution, future plans to build the relationship for future business.
End of the day some one has to bear the cost either sponsors or organization. Professionals aim to get benefits from these events which help him/her and the organization.
From my experience, and judging by many of the answers below, they do not. At least not fully.
This misunderstanding is fueled by the fundamental rift between the ‘Sales and Marketing personality’, and the personality of the IT Professional. I am not one to promote stereotypes, but having worked on both sides of the fence for several years now, I can say that there are few things that are more frustrating to a skilled IT professional than trite and meaningless marketing language. When an IT professional attends a 'sponsored' conference or trade show, they often attend for the 's.w.a.g.' and the day or two off in another city and come prepared to blow off every toothy grinned sales person they come across just long enough until they can run to the bar for whatever ‘themed’ cocktail is being served that day. Frankly, can you blame them?
There needs to be a fundamental shift in the approach that technology based companies take to sales and marketing. One can only listen to some with little to no understanding of their product drone on about a “lowered T.C.O.”, a “robust ‘end-to-end’ solution”, a “lowered C.P.A.”, or –my personal favorite – “with ‘product x’ you are really going to be able to go out there and penetrate those new vertical markets…” before they run screaming to the bar. All of these phrases are useless to the IT professional and are the bane of our existence. These ‘buzzwords’ and ‘catchprases’ have cost every IT professional I know countless hours of talking their Executive staff out of poor business decisions which would have been made solely on the foundation of that type of language.
It sounds dazzling to the Executives out there, but IT professionals know it is meaningless crap, and guess what, when it comes down to it, we are the ones really making the technology decisions. The owner of the company that I work for relies exclusively on recommendations made by myself and a colleague for any and all technology purchases because they don’t know the first thing about what is being purchased, they just know that we need it.
I would like to now dispel the myth that IT professionals do not like being sold. This is wholly false. IT professionals do not like having their intelligence insulted by superficial marketing language. I and my colleagues get tremendously excited about new products and services that will allow us to streamline our internal processes and make us more efficient and productive and we carry this enthusiasm back to our Executive team. We get excited by the products themselves. Not by the sales rep in the flashy suit, the free t-shirts, or the ‘booth girls’ (well maybe by the booth girls…). We get excited by the products that offer real value to our businesses and to our employers and we understand that when we are given the ‘soft sell’ treatment by a truly knowledgeable representative.
So to answer your question, to really get the IT community to take the next step, take these steps with the sponsor of your next event:
1. Can the marketing b.s. (I hate to sound like a broken record, but I cannot stress this enough…) Everyone knows that these events are a sales pitch, but they will be more likely to drive traffic to the event if they know that they will be presented with more than fluff.
2. Staff the event with knowledgeable and engaging individuals who are excited about their products. DO NOT staff the event with your typical sales representatives. You are not hosting a President’s Day car sale, and the staff should reflect this.
3. Don’t expect the community to promote the event until they have attended their first. If they haven’t gone, they won’t tell others to go.
4. Make the experience a memorable one that is a good mixture of fun and (most importantly) substance and your event will continue to grow each year. IT professionals talk to one another, and if the experience was worth it they will promote it for you.
I think your dichotomy is wrong. There is a third option: community conferences, where most people speak for free, the organization is done by volunteers, and there is a minimal charge for attendance that mostly goes to pay for the keynote speakers, the venue and the catering.
The charge is generally the sort of number that programmers will pay out of their own pockets, or that the employers will not choke on. You do have to pay, but it isn't a lot.
Your biggest cost in attending is then your airfare and your hotel bill, and depending on the city and your tolerance for discomfort and indignity, both can be cheap.
A first-class example of this sort of conference is EuroPython (www.europython.org). At the last EuroPython conference in Birmingham I got to sit next to Sir Tony Hoare (among many other things, inventor of quicksort, children: that one at least you may have heard of), a privilege I could never expect in those other sorts of conference. It is not given to everyone to rub shoulders with a legend.
Links:
Anthony L
eProduct/Project/Marketing Campaign Manager, Seeking Employment
Best Answers in: Internet Marketing (6), International Law (1), Direct Marketing (1), Viral Marketing (1), Lead Generation (1)
Knowing the market is key. Answering the 'so what' and 'what's in it for me' needs to be addressed not only to the IT industry, but more importantly to the job titles you're hoping to attract.
As you will admit, people go for networking and new business, product launches and exclusives and to learn [mainly with workshops]. Sponsorship can take all different routes, from sponsoring food and drink, to free wifi zones, stands, presenting and workshops. The list is indeed pretty endless when you count in incentives!
If your event has no-one of note, the agenda isn't well researched you will indeed encounter a mixed response. For spreading the word a decent media partner, affiliaton to various business associations is half the problem solved. What you'll be lacking is the buzz part of the marketing mix.
This involves better use of online groups such as here, and other mashup functionality. You probably DO find people talking about your conferences but they might be on invisible web or registration only blogs and forums. If I was to approach these markets I'd approach various tech based bloggers and social media experts to speak and contribute to communities.
Many events companies believe that hard sell, sell, sell in these areas is the way to go. In my experience it is not. Unless you're adding value over time to the event, people will not listen to you. The next part of the puzzle is if you pay someone else to do this, like an agency, your company isn't being transparent. Why? As you're paying for recommendations. One unhappy blogger who's well known in these communities will find itself on pages like the register and slashdot pretty quickly!
What else? Well, are your speakers engaging their communities for you?If there's a new development in the industry are you making use of exclusives for your event? Of course, strategic marketeers on both sides of the fence can work towards managed press leaks.
The basics of buzz marketing, the new online I'm a trusted authorit and online imparitialty are the foundations of great buzz for events.
Bottom line: If people aren't talking about your product, you really need to consider why is this? If people are, find your advocates on and offline and approach them. If people are not talking about your product, then get someone in your production team to find out why.
Even with limited budgets great buzz can be created from these trusted people in the development community providing your approach is right!
Best of luck!
Links:
James,
I have attended both and surprisingly some free events were good. Most of those that were free were only a single day event and close to my work or home. Recently I have been attending virtual events that are free and find these to be good but sometime being able to discuss the topic with colleagues after a session or in the evening, it loses some value but if structured properly with chat and collaboration rooms that are led like a panel discussion has some improved the experience.
Those events that were fee based were longer and more in depth events. I found the value from these events worth the money and travel expense since there were hands-on training, certifications, partner events, and meet peer companies to collaborate.
I think the impression of most IT professionals is that a free event is nothing more than an elaborate sales event to pressure you into buy a product or service. You get beat all day long by internal customers and vendors alike so, who wants to go to a learning event and listen to high-pressure sales pitches and skewed information.
What I find of particular value is the 1-hour free webcast. Now granted, many are put on by vendors as an attempt to get the word out on their latest product or service or feature. If you can cut through the PR crap, most give you some decent data points about their product, product strategy and roadmaps. It is valuable if you validate the data subsequently through other channels with independent research.
Another free channel is user group sessions, which are extremely valuable and free most if not all the time. These user community events are superb since they are "real life" experience from customers. Some time the vendor is there to "help" but for the most part this is an unfettered and honesty look at a customer's experience with a particular vendor's product and or service.
Personally, I think every IT professional should have a mix of virtual seminars, webcasts, user group conference, free conferences and paid conferences. However, of course, that is just my humble opinion.
Cheers,
Matt
Clare R
Serial Entrepreneur & Leading Authority on Retail Planning: Range & Space to Forecasting, Replenishment & Supply Chain
Best Answers in: Professional Networking (2), Using LinkedIn (2), Staffing and Recruiting (1)
Actually I run a free event for retailers myself (for proof see http://www.retailconference.co.uk) and the model was based on sponsors making it available in order to enable delegates to come along.
The number of attendees and quality of attendees (i.e. they are interested in engaging with the topics for discussion and taking that insight / learning back to their own businesses) were of paramount interest to sponsors, however, we always advise sponsors attend the event with the objective of building relationships, networking and not selling but educating delegates as to what their area of expertise is (done through workshops / roundtables). To do achieve this it is important delegates have an appetite and enthusiasm for what they are sharing and aren't just making up the numbers!
This approach of course engenders trust in the sponsor by delegates and therefore builds the necessary foundations for a productive relationship when the time is right for the delegate to come to market to speak to sponsors about how they can fulfil a need.
We have very much avoided being an exhibition event, focusing absolutely on content, thought-leadership and networking - the things that are of most significant value to the delegates. When delegates have had a good experience they spread the word.
What you must also be aware of is at many events (ours included) the venue actually charge per delegate in attendance, as they are provided with lunch etc. Therefore it is really important to balance just sheer volume of numbers with relevance - as in relevant delegate to content, to sponsor conversations and to the general seniority / expertise levels of the majority of other delegates.
Hope this helps!
Links:
Sean W
Network Guy, Linux Guru, Author
Best Answers in: Web Development (5), Computer Networking (2), Software Development (2)
In general I've found that the free events aren't worth my time. They're naked sales pitches and don't teach me anything other than what products a vendor is trying to pitch. Conversely, I've found that when the attendees pay to go, that the speakers talk about actual problems and don't pitch their products. It's a cheaper form of training, IMHO.
There's another class of events, where a vendor holds a briefing and usually offers free breakfast, lunch, or a sporting event, that I find a better proposition for me. I can look at the time it will take out of my day, the topic, and then decide if I want to go or not.
So, to address your question, "why would I want to see more useless events?"
Peter B. G
Business Strategist-Speaker-Author (Social Media & IT)
Best Answers in: Using LinkedIn (36), Computers and Software (6), Career Management (5), Enterprise Software (4), Business Insurance (3), Internet Marketing (3), Public Relations (3), Customer Service (2), Freelancing and Contracting (2), Mentoring (2), Government Policy (2), Staffing and Recruiting (2), Advertising (2), Ethics (2), Professional Networking (2), Education and Schools (1), Certification and Licenses (1), Job Search (1), Resume Writing (1), Economics (1), Government Contracts (1), Compensation and Benefits (1), Internationalization and Localization (1), Tax Law (1), Guerrilla Marketing (1), Business Development (1), Mobile Marketing (1), Customer Relationship Management (1), Search Marketing (1), Writing and Editing (1), Business Analytics (1), Organizational Development (1), Planning (1), Non-profit Fundraising (1), Philanthropy (1), Social Enterpreneurship (1), Project Management (1), Personal Debt Management (1), Wealth Management (1), Pricing (1), Small Business (1), Starting Up (1), Green Products (1), Databases (1), Information Storage (1)
James, you are right. But I also suspect that there is another element coming in to play this year. Rightly or wrongly some see time out of the office as an opportunity to be fired and hence are staying close to home right now. This may be more a psychological question more than anything else.
I am sure attendance is down - it is an unfortunate side-effect of the economy.
Links:
Dan D
Hacker / Linux Guru
Best Answers in: Computers and Software (3), Software Development (2), Web Development (2), Market Research and Definition (1), Databases (1), Using LinkedIn (1)
I second Paul Keating. I just attended NoSQL East. There was a nominal fee ($250 for 2 days), plus a handful of sponsors. NoSQL is a diverse field, so it was good to get a backgrounder from many different views. But the best part was the diverse cross-section of attendees (and the 2 open bar nights in which to meet them!).
This is the key to building better conferences: If your topic is bland then the hallway track is going to be boring.
Links:
allan K
Helps improve software development teams through training, coaching and interim management
Best Answers in: Planning (1), Computers and Software (1)
I have been involved with ACCU (www.accu.org) events for some time so I have some knowledge here above and beyond just attending them.
I think most IT folk know free events exist. If anything the problem they face is being overwhelmed by them. Whether free or paid for you have to look at the motivation of those organising the events.
Most free events are paid for directly or indirectly by someone with an agenda to push. Such events usually result in a very one sided view of the world. If you are already committed to a particular product you may get value from a vendor event, but if you are looking to make a decision you are going to be sold to.
Events which are organised by User and local groups can be better. For example I organise the ACCU London events. These are free, we keep them free by using venues which we can get for free and the resources of the ACCU (e.g. website).
At most conferences (even paid) there is a lot of sponsorship going on. Some of the speaking slots are actually bought. Again this is not always true and some are created by the community. In the UK we have ACCU confernence and XP Day which both community organised and excellent value for money. (But I'm biased).
I'm generally of the opinion that money is not the obstacle. Money is only the excuse. If someone wants to go enough they will find a way, e.g I know several people who pay for themselves to attend ACCU when their employers say No.
During 2008/9 I had expose to many conferences, some I spoke at, others I knew the organizers. Those which were community based were usually sold out, those which were not were usually down 30, 40% or more on the previous year.
So, if you want IT folk to take the next step: get them involved in a community.
