Community and Conversation

I’m back at work after yesterday’s Internet Summit 09, and I wanted to give some “big ups” to the organizers of the event.  I think this was a great event for the Raleigh-Durham area, and I hope that it becomes an annual fixture in our growing social media/internet scene.  I do have a few thoughts about the event itself and improvements for next year that I’d like to share:

Things that went well:

• The venue was fantastic. The new Raleigh Civic and Convention Center is a beautiful building, and it had plenty of space for (most of) the sessions, adequate vendor and demo space, yet had enough “intimate” areas for attendees to network or duck out and get a couple of emails done during the event.
• The price was right. The event was very professionally run, and while I didn’t get a chance to experience some typical conference staples (didn’t go on the wifi, and got there too late for lunch), everything that I experienced was very well thought out, and at only $245 for early bird registration, I was pleasantly surprised they were able to do so much for so little.  I imagine with increased demands for the Raleigh Civic and Convention Center, the price may go up…c’est la vie.
• Great networking opportunities. The pre-event reception was stocked with a bar, decent food, music, and standing tables for great networking.  It gave @gregoryng, @jasonpeck, @waynesutton and me a chance to meet and brew up some crazy scheme for SXSW (More on that later).  Also, the 20-30 minutes between sessions gave people plenty of time to meet with the vendors, talk with other attendees or catch up on work.

Things that could be improved for next year:

• Power, Power, POWER! At a conference full of internet professionals, the lack of available power outlets and snacks/drinks was a glaring oversight.  People are tweeting their thumbs off on their laptops and (insert smartphone here, but most likely an iPhone…let’s be honest), and battery technology still isn’t what it needs to be.   Find some powerstrips and get that set up for next year.  Attention vendors: a laptop/iPhone charging station would be an AWESOME sponsorship opportunity next year….
• More sustenance: While one can argue that all internet professionals need is a Red Bull in the morning and a charged laptop, we too must eat and drink to survive.  Lunches QUICKLY ran out and we were left with the “Grilled Vegetables boxed lunch #fail”.  Also, bottled water finally made it’s appearance at about 4:30PM, after I overheard more than a few grumblings about its absence.  I understand that it would raise prices, but as most attendees have their admission paid by their employer, I say spring for the extra $25 to get some more snacks and beverages out there.
• Better room planning: Some of the most popular sessions (read: those that had the most actionable info, read below) were held in the much-too-small Room 402, as opposed to the large ballrooms.  Hopefully organizers for the event took a quick look in each room and will adjust the sessions/locations for next year.

And, my number one complaint/area of improvement for all conferences that I’ve attended recently:

• ACTIONABLE INFORMATION! In the latter half of 2009, if you don’t know what Twitter/Facebook/web analytics/email marketing are at a basic level, there are more than enough blog posts, social media gurus and other (more) reputable sources out there to learn about these technologies.  I want to walk out of a conference with a swag mini-notebook FILLED with ideas, sketches, best practices, new experts to follow and a renewed excitement about the state of our industry.  While there were some bright moments during the Internet Summit, I still found myself “singing along” with most of the panelists and their “visions” about what 2010 will bring.  I understand that I work in this industry, and all attendees may not have the same level of experience with the online world, but I think it is better to err on the side of information and idea overload, rather than oversimplifying things.

All in all, I’m glad I went, I met some AWESOME people and I think this is a big step forward for social media and internet marketing in the Triangle.  If you agree, or even better if you disagree, please leave your comments below.