With the exception of some very uncharacteristic weather for Phoenix (rain!), which put a small damper on things for the first day of the show, the Phoenix Forum this year seemed to fly by without a hitch and was overall a very good event.With the exception of some very uncharacteristic weather for Phoenix (rain!), which put a small damper on things for the first day of the show, the Phoenix Forum this year seemed to fly by without a hitch and was overall a very good event. Unfortunately the vibe had somewhat less of that “community” feel this year when compared to last year’s show, but that was to be expected given that the landscape of our industry changes on a weekly basis, and more than ever times are desperate for many industry professionals. Yet as far as the vibe goes, it wouldn’t have mattered where the show was held, really; ‘troubled times’ is an industry trend that has been developing steadily for a few years now.

At any rate, the show was a lot of fun, very good for business, and lasted for the right amount of time. I personally came home with over one hundred business cards, and several of them solid business leads. Unfortunately I also came home with a sore throat and no voice left… too much fun and not enough sleep. But as I write this, I’m feeling much better now, and hopefully you are too… if you went. Nothing like feeling awful while trying to get caught up on work and life!

I would like to thank CCBill for all of their hard work in putting everything together and making it all flow so smoothly, and also a big “thanks” to all of the show’s sponsors for keeping much of the Phoenix Forum “free” for the attendees. CCBill did a fantastic job of organizing a structured schedule with all of the seminars, lunches, parties and sponsored activities. There was always something going on, but I never really found myself scrambling to get from one place to another while fearing that I would miss out on something. I would also like to throw some love towards Lightspeed Cash for once again buying out several suites and providing the final destination for many of us every night of the show… and for all the free booze and munchies that they provided. As well, major kudos go to Lightspeed for their first ever Lightspeed Olympics. Those guys think of everything.

With these medium-sized shows (and I estimate that around 800 were in attendance this year), it is quite easy to meet many of the attendees. But since there are so many people and so little time, I always feel it is best to maximize your face time with as many different and new people as possible in addition to hanging out with friends. After looking at various photos of the show I was surprised to see that there were people at this particular event that I didn’t see even once over the three days. But then again, if someone wants to be anti-social and only remain within their own group the whole time, that’s their business.

If I could change or improve a few things with this show I would add attendee bags and allow for more giveaways. Having the advertising table for sponsors was nice, but I personally enjoy getting some swag at these shows, and this year I barely came home with anything… although I’ve got enough t-shirts to clothe a third world nation. The nice thing with the Phoenix Forum is that you don’t have to lug everything around all day. Going to your room to drop something off at the La Posada Resort only takes a few minutes and isn’t a chore, like it is at some Vegas hotels.

I would also allow for more discussion group type activities during the day, since participation from the audience at some of the seminars could have been better. I spoke on the “State of the Industry” seminar and was hoping to be grilled with questions, and it didn’t really happen for me or any of the panelists.

In closing I would just like to add that it’s always fun to rage at these shows and have a little too much fun, but it is never cool doing so at someone else’s expense. We’re all professionals (or at least should be), and in my opinion it is crass to invite whomever you want to someone else’s sponsored party, and it is never acceptable to be rude to models. Don’t screw with the sponsors! Without sponsorship these events don’t happen! There were a few schmucks at the Lightspeed trampoline shoot who had no business being there, as well as several non Webmaster types roaming the grounds. I will say though that in all fairness, the Phoenix Forum this year was pretty well under control. Everyone did seem to have a really good time, and destructive behavior was kept to a minimum. Thank you for that.

Enjoy the FUBAR pictures!

http://www.fubarwebmasters.com/phoenix04/phoenix04.htm

And see you in San Diego at Cybernet Expo!

Jay “LAJ” Kopita is VP of Marketing & Communications and VP of Project Development for YNOT Network, LP. LAJ can be reached by email at jay@ynotmasters.com.