NONE: ONLINE-ADS>> Wrap-Up - e-Biz Solutions - 11/13/98
ONLINE-ADS>> Wrap-Up - e-Biz Solutions - 11/13/98
richard_at_tenagra.com
Fri, 13 Nov 1998 11:51:46 -0600 (CST)
Below is a special mailing to The Online Advertising
Discussion List about the e-Biz Solutions conference,
written by Andy Bourland, publisher of The ClickZ
Network. You will receive these reports in addition to your
normal Online Ads posts/digests.
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e-Biz Solutions: Wrap-Up
by Andy Bourland
Publisher
ClickZ Network
http://www.clickz.com/
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I was going to write that the e-Biz conference is about two
or three iterations away from truly becoming a must-attend
e-commerce event. But really, the comment is not so much
about the conference itself...it's about e-commerce in
general.
Currently, there is a core of some of some 60 to 70 percent
of internet users who have yet to buy online. But statistics
suggest that the longer a person is on the 'net, the more
likely he or she is to buy online. And once people begin to
buy, they buy more. Their old concerns are no longer an
issue. So we have every indication that online commerce will
continue to grow, if not skyrocket, over the next few years.
For now, we have some e-business heroes to look to: Dell,
Cisco, Amazon, CDnow and others. But e-commerce isn't yet
mainstream. So of course, that would be reflected in the
conferences focused on this issue.
Let's look at the e-Biz conference.
The guys at Interactive Marketing Inc.
(IMI)(http://www.4interactivemarketing.com) are becoming old
hands at the conference game, running three major events a
year with Camp Interactive (for online marketers), the
Variety Summit (for online entertainment), and for the first
time this November, e-Biz Solutions for online commerce.
For the record, IMI does it right. Decent content, lots of
opportunity for networking, great sponsorship showcasing...all
in top-notch resort settings.
This year's e-Biz was a first attempt by IMI to apply the
successful Camp Interactive model to the e-commerce arena.
The result, e-Biz is still a work in development.
In some cases, you got the sense that there was some
confusion among the panelists that they were not, in fact,
at the ad/marketing focused Camp Interactive. Some of the
audience, too, seemed to be trying hard to recreate the Camp
Interactive magic. (And I'd put myself in that, er...camp.)
Some of the strengths of Camp Interactive did translate
easily to e-Biz. Both rely on about the only approach to
panel discussions that works. The number of panelists is
limited to three, as opposed to the five to seven member
snoozathons other conferences have. Each panelist gives his
or her 10 to 12 minute presentations from behind a podium,
rather than seated at a table behind a laptop or shifting
uncomfortably in a chair. Public speaking, in my humble
opinion, is like singing: It is best done standing up.
Two moderators, in particular, stand out in my mind for how
well they handled their panels: Greg Wester of Organic
Online (http://www.organic.com/)and Michael Tchong of
ICONOCAST(http://www.iconocast.com/). Greg's demeanor was
understated and professional. He tossed the issues into
play, briefly summarized the key points each panelist made,
and asked some excellent follow-up questions.
Michael Tchong had a very different approach, never once
stepping on the stage as he laid out the issues in his
restless, breezy, and thoroughly likeable fashion before
introducing his panelists. He skipped the bios - which no
one listens to anyway - and helped save what might have
turned into a snoozer panel presentation by asking a series
of insightful questions that brought out the best in each
speaker.
Sans the talk-show format - where a moderator like Tchong or
Chuck Martin (at _at_d:tech last month) actively quizzes the
guest experts - the format worked for the headlining panel
presentations.
One more comment about content: e-Biz also could have had a
stronger keynoter, especially in this exploding industry.
This week, it was Josh Grotstein of CitiBank
(http://www.citibank.com/). Not a bad speaker, certainly,
but not a keynoter. In my view, a keynoter kicks off an
event, infusing the crowd with some energy and laying out
some big themes, big ideas, trends, directions.... He sets the
plate for the rest of the conference.
Josh was informative, but he's a finance guy and his slides
and his presentation looked it. Riddled with too much text
and a confusing layout, I had a hard time following what the
big ideas were he was trying to put into play. That, and the
fact that he must have used the phrase du jour "at the end
of the day" at LEAST 10 times during the presentation, left
me wondering exactly what his point was....
Finally, a word about the schmooze events. Golf, Jeep tours,
casino night, Western barbeques, cigar and cognac
parties...IMI's events are very much about offering attendees
plenty of opportunity for some serious schmoozing.
One suggestion: I'd guess more than half the attendees were
women. How about some schmoozing activities that cater more
to women? Perhaps an afternoon at the spa? Business is done
just as well in the sauna as on the golf course...and that
is true for BOTH sexes.
So what's the bottom line?
I know what e-Biz can become under the guidance of IMI. I
think there is some room for improvement, so I'm not going
to give them an easy A this time. Instead: B to B- for
content, A- for networking.
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