MIVA Conference 2005 feedback wanted

[Jimmy Cooper]

Hello All,

We are in the planning stages for this year's MIVA Small Business Conference and I wanted to make sure I got all the feedback people wanted to pass on from last year. We had forms available, but I didn't get as much as I was hoping for.

So, if you went last year and would like to contribute feedback to help shape this year's event (Aug. 29-Sept.1, BTW), then please post here or send me a PM.

Thanks.

[wcw]

The only feedback I have is the same I have had for the past two years. You need to move it a bit further toward the end of September or early October. While memory may be short in California, Hurricane Katrina hit the US gulf coast on August 29. The peak of the hurricane season which effects many of your participants is at the beginning of September. The tropics are usually quite lit up by late August and stay that way til the end of September.

[sebenza]

Maybe more marketing. The conference is invaluable and I would like to see as many attendees as possible.

Include special offers from Partners for attendees... entice more to attend.

[Pamela Hazelton]

The only feedback I have is the same I have had for the past two years. You need to move it a bit further toward the end of September or early October. While memory may be short in California, Hurricane Katrina hit the US gulf coast on August 29. The peak of the hurricane season which effects many of your participants is at the beginning of September. The tropics are usually quite lit up by late August and stay that way til the end of September.

Ditto. I believe Bill and I both were delayed and I couldn't fly home for two days for the past two conferences.

[Pamela Hazelton]

Coffee! Round the clock! We want coffee all the time. :)

Oh, and water, too.

[Vic - WolfPaw Computers]

I'm just glad you changed venues. I didnt like the way we were treated by the Hotel staff and how they dealt with the reservation screw up they made.

I do however, like the new format for the conference with the 'tracks'. Made much more sense. I was better able to schedule my staff to attend the seminars that made sense for their expertise.

[Jimmy Cooper]

What kind of sessions would you guys like to see this year? Any new focuses?

For the tracks, we currently have 4: Merchants, Web Hosts, Designers, Developers. Do you think those are the right ones? Or would you like to see them done differently? Could some be combined? Should Merchants have 2 levels?

I love the feedback. Keep it coming. I want to make this year's Conference even better than last! And not to toot my own horn, but last year was pretty darn good... :)

[wcw]

Where did the venue change too? Is there a 2006 conference page up?

[ILoveHostasaurus]

A lot of our customers found the cost of the conference to be prohibitive. I know it costs a lot to put on, but maybe there's a way to decrease the expense. Instead of a bonfire for example, see if a local bar wants to sponsor it instead, then MIVA spends nothing, the bar has to provide the food if they want the deal and they get a bunch of people that come in and buy drinks.

[Vic - WolfPaw Computers]

I'd agree. And I was very disappointed when I found the dinner cruise was an additional expense.

I would rather see what wound up happening last year - a light dinner and drinks - than a formal 3 course dinner, and it being included in the conference price.

I think the networking during that segment is absolutely invaluable. Kind of like a the cocktail mixer - on water :)

[Pamela Hazelton]

I don't think it's so much the price of the conference as it is everything else - Hotels are expensive, as are airlines. When you also figure in DSL (some charge for it), taxis or car rental, additional food, etc. it gets quite pricey.

Jimmy, you thought about working with an airline? Many events do that to offer up some discounts.

Of course, it also boils down to tools. I think the conference offers a LOT for the money, actually. Many who don't go due to cost fail to realize the wealth of info you'll receive, and that's primarily because these are small merchants.

However, the StoneEdge conferences also carry fees, and I've never heard a merchant at one of those complain about pricing. I think it's because they realize how much the information is actually worth.

It's hard to convince someone on a small business budget that spending $1,000+ getting to and attending a conference is going to bring them back more money in the long run. Thus, the marketing aspect is the way to hook them in.

I've had many clients attend the conference primarily to meet with me - they also attended sessions, and not one complained about the price when they realized what they learned.

[Bruce - PhosphorMedia]

Mariott Marina i think...Jimmy just mentioned it in a post...don't think there is enough info yet to post a page.

[Bruce - PhosphorMedia]

What kind of sessions would you guys like to see this year? Any new focuses?

For the tracks, we currently have 4: Merchants, Web Hosts, Designers, Developers. Do you think those are the right ones? Or would you like to see them done differently? Could some be combined? Should Merchants have 2 levels?

I love the feedback. Keep it coming. I want to make this year's Conference even better than last! And not to toot my own horn, but last year was pretty darn good... :)

I think fractioning it off too much will make it too difficult to decide which ones to attend....the biggest complaint, and I'm not sure there is a way around this, is the juggling of times for some venues...

Perhaps Miva could have "pre-signups" for tracks or seminairs, that might give you a better idea of the interest for each session. (pre signups can be garenteed a "Seat" as some sessions are SRO.

Not sure store owners would be interested, but more info on just RUNNING an online business...the boring but necessary tools you need to build a business beyond the spare bedroom and pajamas...

[Bruce - PhosphorMedia]

Perhaps adding a virtual component for the folks who CAN'T be there for one way or another could benefit all...I would image there could be a small cost for the virtual conference which would allow them to at least "attend" the sessions....

As for the "non-session" events... I agree that the best ones are simple: few snacks, cocktails and plenty of room to mingle is all we need.

[leslienord]

I'd vote for pushing it back a bit too. I liked the abbreviated version of the cruise better than the sit down version. I'm assuming this year's conference will be in San Diego again? The track format was good.

LOL - maybe for entertainment we can go bowling ;) I was a sponsor for a local AIGA fundraiser - the format was to have you bowl part of a game on one pair of lanes then move and bowl with someone you did not know - great way to mix and meet. I figure only Vic and I would like to bowl though.