SMX Wrap Up and After Thoughts
March 3rd, 2008 by Michael Gray in conferenceIf you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Read my top posts or learn more about Michael Gray. Want more frequent updates follow me on Twitter. Thanks for visiting!
Last week I was at the SMX West Search Marketing Conference, and I thought I’d share a few thoughts about the conference.
Rule #1 always choose the closer airport. I’m a spoiled baby, and when I fly for more than 3 hours I need to be entertained, the only way I can guarantee that is on JetBlue. However the flights to SJC were more expensive and at worse times than the flights to SFC. While I saved a little money going to SFC, in the end the difference was not worth it, lesson learned. If you follow me on twitter you shared the experience/frustration. However I did get to have lunch with Greg, Barbara, and Caesar.
My favorite sessions were the keynote by Danny Sullivan (coverage on Bruce Clay, and SER) and the Day 2 Keynote by Louis Monier (coverage via Bruce Clay and SEL). Danny nailed it, really out of the park one of the best keynote’s I’ve ever been to, and I’ve sat through quite a few. And Louis Monier was much more interesting than I expected. No really, like he was interesting enough to make me close and shutdown my laptop and stop trying to do other stuff, and pay attention. However the double edge sword of that was I realized my own presentations suck. For me the most exciting and interesting presentations are the “big idea” ones that make me think about things and scribble, jott, or email myself something later. As a presenter you’re given 10-15 minutes to do your “thing” and more often than not I don’t think we accomplish that. Compare that with a TED talk where the presenter has 17 minutes. It’s not the extra 2-7 minutes that makes the difference, it’s the thinking big and pitching small that does. If it’s possible to emotionally move an audience or make something as dry as world health funny and interesting, it can be done for search. So off to rethink my presenting skills.
I sat in on a few other sessions, enjoyed what I saw of blended search & images, and local & blended search, although I had to duck out for a client call (GRRR). The biggest unanswered question, hey Flickr what’s with the nofollow?
Here’s another bit of advice when you are choosing a session, always - always - always pick the more interesting speaker. On my session on blogging and SEO with Aaron and Andy I even thought about a few things I hadn’t before.
The best part of the conference, the networking. While the hotel was in the middle of San Jose and within sight of the Yahooplex (I’m so running with that) it really was in the middle of nowhere. OK there was an In-n-Out burger (which I had for the the first time, really) but it required a car to get there. When you go to places Like Vegas or New York after the conference is over people just scatter and spread out all over the place. Having everyone “locked” into one spot made for some better conversations. I even chatted with Andrew Sutherland at the bar (he wasn’t drinking and was with his Mom, so relax).
Like Rebecca I was a bit disappointed by Generation Google. It wasn’t that it sucked or anything, but I really want to hear from teens/young adults who haven’t been “tainted” by the world of internet marketing. Even my own kids are tainted, if you ask them what does your Daddy do for work they answer “He works on the computer and hates Google”. I want to see real people like those in this Guy Kawasaki presentation answer those questions.
The Question people ask is, after all these years do you still get value out of going to conferences, and the answer is yes. The networking is key, somehow I had emailed back and forth but never actually met Elisabeth Osmeloski until last week. I chat with Rae via email/chat/im/twitter every day, but putting us in the same room interacting with each other for a few days, and we’re working on plan for world domination. I pick up little tips, tricks, and things to try or look at. Conferences are inspiring, in a re-invigorating, I can do more kind of way. You may not need to go to every one, but if you aren’t going to any, then you aren’t learning, growing and challenging yourself.
Sphere It
March 3rd, 2008 at 11:57 am
Great recap Michael. I’d echo the sentiments on Danny’s Keynote, too. I had a lot of trouble understanding Louis Monier, despite being awed by his accomplishments in the industry. I met him in the hotel elevator, but didn’t know who he was at the time. Wishing I took better advantage of that opportunity.
In N Out Burger was decent — wish we had something like that on the East Coast, though, it wouldn’t be the healthiest of options!
March 4th, 2008 at 4:24 am
“He works on the computer and hates Google”
LOL… that one cracked me up.
March 4th, 2008 at 6:31 am
Hey - I was at the conference but I didn’t hang out at the bar (and I didn’t come with my mom!
). Perhaps you confused me with another panelist?
March 4th, 2008 at 8:42 am
Aww crap yes must be someone else, let this serve as a lesson what happens when adults drink