Every since I have been involved in the SEO world, there has been so much talk about going to Search Engine Strategies and Pub Con type events. I figured if I stuck in the game long enough, I might have a chance to attend one of these fancy meetings and get to network with others in my same area of expertise. It is tough to find others in this world that doesn’t mind talking to a semi-noob in their same profession.
I asked the boss man about possibly attending Pub Con this December as it is being held in Vegas of all places again. “Save your pennies” was the reply I received. Save my pennies…
Since we are such a small company, I figured the response would be as much. But in all honesty, that’s what I’m going to have to do if I want to get out there and meet up with SEO gurus. So my jar is ready and I have collected 51 cents so far.
I spoke to my lovely fiance about going, and his reply was “Well can’t you just read and learn all about it online?” Well yeah, but no. Attending an event would get me in the crowd and networking. I’d have a chance to sit down with Matt Cutt’s himself, my all time favorite Greg Boser is going to speak, Craig Newmark from Craigslist.org, Barry Schwartz, Jim Boykin, and Rand Fishkin! The list of great speakers goes on and on. Some people just don’t get it.
I might be able to take a few days off and fund a plane ticket/hotel room, but the cost to get into the event is by all means crazy if you ask me. It will cost me more than a thousand dollars to sit in a classroom with hundreds of others and learn from the pros. The pros deserve their payout of teaching at the conference, but I just wish the cost was do-able for starters like me.
The whole experience seems amazing, and somewhat addicting. I know if I go to one, I’ll want to go to more in the future. It’s such a small price to pay to hang out with the cool kids. So I’ll continue to save my pennies in hopes that one day I will be a cool kid too.
3 Comments
I asked the boss man about possibly attending Pub Con this December as it is being held in Vegas of all places again. “Save your pennies” was the reply I received. Save my pennies…
Since we are such a small company, I figured the response would be as much. But in all honesty, that’s what I’m going to have to do if I want to get out there and meet up with SEO gurus. So my jar is ready and I have collected 51 cents so far.
I spoke to my lovely fiance about going, and his reply was “Well can’t you just read and learn all about it online?” Well yeah, but no. Attending an event would get me in the crowd and networking. I’d have a chance to sit down with Matt Cutt’s himself, my all time favorite Greg Boser is going to speak, Craig Newmark from Craigslist.org, Barry Schwartz, Jim Boykin, and Rand Fishkin! The list of great speakers goes on and on. Some people just don’t get it.
I might be able to take a few days off and fund a plane ticket/hotel room, but the cost to get into the event is by all means crazy if you ask me. It will cost me more than a thousand dollars to sit in a classroom with hundreds of others and learn from the pros. The pros deserve their payout of teaching at the conference, but I just wish the cost was do-able for starters like me.
The whole experience seems amazing, and somewhat addicting. I know if I go to one, I’ll want to go to more in the future. It’s such a small price to pay to hang out with the cool kids. So I’ll continue to save my pennies in hopes that one day I will be a cool kid too.
3 Comments
Comments
Being able to attend the seminars is an experience everyone in the industry should experience at least once and more then that if you want to make a decent name for yourself. More often then not it is who you know and who knows you that counts. You may not be able to sit down with Matt Cutts or a few others but you can catch them at the many ’networking events’ and sit in with a group of people. Good luck with your piggy er penny bank and hope to see you at the next conference or two when your boss comes around to his senses.
>the next conference or two when your boss comes around to his senses. Ouch.
Pubcon consistently delivers the most value per dollar of most SEM conferences and I’ve been to/blogged/spoken at more than a few the past 10 years. What you might work on is making a more compelling business case for your attendance. Search no further than any major blog search engine for "top five or ten reasons" posts for attending certain SEM conferences and you should be able to package the info appropriate to your boss’s hot buttons. Search marketers should be good in the arts of persuasion and sales, so use those skills to sell the boss. Do a basic cost justification by valuing the increased knowledge, marketing content, competitive intelligence and contacts you’ll gain. Make it easy for your boss to say yes. This assumes of course, your boss is a reasonable and logical person. :) On another note, I am the boss at my company and I bring 1-4 people with me to every conference and work to find ways to bring more every time.