So lots of people have been emailing or IM’ing me asking if I’m going to be at SES NY next week, and the answer is no. I could come up with any number of believable excuses, but the truth is I wasn’t invited back to speak. I don’t know what my evaluation numbers were from NY last year, but of the two sessions I presented at in San Jose I was rated 4.0 and 4.5 out of a possible 5. In addition my “Google is not the Government” speech was the most talked about session of the entire conference, and I got positive reviews from everyone who attended. I won’t lie, I like to speak, I like to inform and educate, and I like to entertain, but if SES wants to go in another direction, that’s their decision to make. However after reviewing the SES agenda today I have to say I’m pretty disappointed in that new direction.
Take a look at the agenda for day #2 between 3:15 and 4:30
Notice something … each and every one of those 5 sessions is a sponsored session where an advertiser paid money to get on that panel and speak. The worst part is because SES NY stacked the deck, you as a conference goer can’t avoid them. In the tradition of Henry Ford “You can go to any session you want as long as it’s from a paid advertiser”.
For those of you who missed it here’s what that means, SES NY is willing to bypass highly rated speakers who aren’t afraid to pull punches, on controversial subjects that affect our industry. Instead they want to force conference attendees to sit through paid meatball sundae sales pitches. < sarcasm > I can hardly contain my enthusiasm < / sarcasm> .
Sorry SES in my book you’re no longer leading the industry, in fact you’ve taken a giant step towards becoming irrelevant.
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