The BusyEvent Blog

In a “need it now” world, it’s always good to be reminded of the time it takes to produce something truly great.  It’s not necessarily about patience, although that can help.  Instead, I like to think producing something great is about vision and the ability to see beyond the moment-by-moment struggles to realize that vision.

When I think about our company and the amazing things we’ve been able to do in such a very short time, plus the clients that rely on our tools to do their work, I’m reminded of the nights and early mornings and the weekends that our team has put in to make things that just work.

So, after a really energizing meeting this morning with someone that is building something really cool and plays by the same ‘it just takes time’ rules as us, I’m reminded of the dictum: Overnight Success Takes A Long Time and the blog post by Paul Buccheist.

For Immediate Release

St. Louis, MO | January 20, 2009:  BusyEvent^TM, a leading provider of event management software and integrated on-site hardware systems announced today that it has been selected to join the Microsoft Bizspark program.  Designed to accelerate the success of companies that have already shown great promise, Bizspark^TM will provide BusyEvent with access to resources, software, mentoring, business opportunities and support through an ecosystem of Network Partners.

“We have already seen that being Microsoft-centric removes a significant sales-barrier for our company,” said CEO David Schenberg.  “Being admitted to Bizspark deepens our commitment to the Microsoft tools that we have utilized to develop our event management Core Platform.  Our acceptance into the Bizspark program gives us the ability to quickly access the time-tested software and cutting-edge thinking that is unique to Microsoft and we like to think BusyEvent, as well”.

With a leadership team that has more than 40 years of event management and software development experience, BusyEvent clients such as Domino’s Pizza, Ritz-Carlton, INCOMM, Maritz, Darden Restaurants, the Holocaust Museum and Learning Center and others rely on the solid and predictable performance of the BusyEvent platform and modules, all built using Microsoft tools.

About Microsoft’s Bizspark Program:  Microsoft® BizSpark^TM is a global program designed to help accelerate the success of early stage startups by providing key resources when they need it the most:
- Software. Receive fast and easy access to current full-featured Microsoft development tools, platform technologies, and production licenses of server products for immediate use in developing and bringing to market innovative and interoperable solutions.
- Support. Get connected to Network Partners around the world – incubators, investors, advisors, government agencies and hosts – that are equally involved and vested in software-fueled innovation and entrepreneurship who will provide a wide range of support resources.
- Visibility. Achieve global visibility to an audience of potential investors, clients and partners.  As a Microsoft BizSpark member, companies tap into a rich, vibrant ecosystem of peers, partners and support resources around the globe, helping them grow and succeed.  Microsoft BizSpark is the quickest way to get a Startup fired up.  For more information, visit: http://www.microsoftstartupzone.com/BizSpark

About BusyEvent:  BusyEvent^TM is a leading provider of event management software and integrated on-site hardware systems working to solve the needs of any business that manages meetings and events; from the frequent-and-small to the underserved large tradeshows.  BusyEvent’s Software as a Service (SaaS) Core Platform is used to customize, communicate, manage, report and move people from invited to registered to paid to attendee and then survey and follow up along the way.  Unlike other products that use a pay per head model, BusyEvent offers an entire suite of tools for one flat fee.  For more information, visit: http://www.BusyEvent.com or follow on Twitter: @BusyEvent

We’ve been following a fascinating conversation started by Eventvue founder Rob Johnson, about the future (or lack thereof) of the tradeshow and events industry.

Rob’s basic premise is that while 2009 will be a challenging year for the events and tradeshow industry, ‘the fix’ has been a long time coming and the kinds of tools that his company and BusyEvent produces, will form the nucleus of Events 2.0.

His blog post (Tradeshows May Be Dying, But Permission and Community Will Save Them) is good reading from someone we’ve enjoyed getting to know over the past 18 months.  In reply, our thoughts about the tradeshow and events industry, and our role in fostering its health, are below.

—————-

Rob:

We love the premise of your article . . . it’s the reason we started BusyEvent and why our clients continue to work with us.  Tradeshows and Conferences are in fact NOT dead, but as you say, they indeed need to be fixed.

Because of tools like Eventvue, and we like to think that BusyEvent is also part of this change, attendees want more direct contact on a personal level with the rest of the event.  But it doesn’t stop with attendees, vendors & exhibitors want closer relationships with possible customers, sponsors want to target their efforts to make maximum use of their marketing spend, event managers need to know what works and what doesn’t to plan a better event next time and everyone needs to get more for their effort than simply a ‘stack of business cards’ and a really cool “pen, lighter, mint dispenser with a glow in the dark logo”.  As you say, the current model is a relic.

That’s why we’ve penned our Jerry Maguire document “Tradeshows, Where Good Leads Go To Die”.  That, and a number of other supporting thoughts and documents forms the central premise around which Events 2.0 must be formed;  community matters but relationships are the foundation (much like the one we started with you and Josh more than a year ago).

So, at our core we believe in essentially the same things however, much like TV didn’t kill Hollywood and MTV didn’t kill radio and the internet didn’t kill bricks-and-mortar, 2009 won’t kill big shows nor should we want it to.  Profit is good and viability is essential and as long as people get what they came for, everyone has the opportunity to leave happy and ROI’d.  Big shows, big expensive and expansive shows play a very important role in the events industry.  One of our clients hosts an event for 5,000 people each year.  It’s their most important gathering and there’s no way the zeitgeist and community energy could be generated by 10 regional events.  On the other side, another client of ours uses our tools to manage 75,000 attendees at 5,000 events each year.  Small focused events are critical as well but they’re not the be-all-to-end-all.  What’s common to both of these clients is their desire to foster and build relationships and that’s why they’re successful.

Again, going back to the core, what’s important is that no matter how many people attend the event, can they all ‘participate’ in the event, getting real ‘value’ from the event and come away from the event wanting more – the next day, or next year?  The goal of every event should be to assure that relationships are made and fostered.  Using tools like Eventvue can help that, because eventually people go home to their lives and families and the rest of their world gets in the way of the 3-day experience.

Events should be inspirational and help people focus on what’s important and up-and-coming and passé so that they can continue to learn and grow and yes, enjoy!  And, as John put it, contribute and give back.

The subtle shift between yesterday’s event industry and tomorrow’s will occur at the booth level; at the level of the person where it really matters.  Where Eventvue focuses on the before-and-after, BusyEvent focuses on the ‘during’ where all of the talking becomes action.  It’s not enough to want to meet, events have to facilitate the meeting.  It’s not enough to be interested, events need to foster the connection.  It’s not enough to raise your hand, someone has to be listening and for too long, events just weren’t, didn’t and haven’t.  That’s all changing and it has been for several years but the downturn is going to significantly accelerate all of that and for those of our companies that are positioned for the scale (either through growth or attrition), we can form the nucleus of Events 2.0 but we have to remember not to be too big for our own shoes.

So much of what Michael said, above, should be at the core of all of our beliefs; meetings, conversing, engaging, contributing, living.  Virtual isn’t real even if it’s in real-time.  Deals, the exchange of ideas and relationships are made between people who actually know each other.  That’s what events can do and that’s what they should be – a community, a town square, the place to meet and exchange and foster each other.

Whether we’re building software or creating events, or investing in companies that do any of that, the human connection is the critical ‘last foot gap’ that will have to be closed in order for events to continue to succeed.

BusyEvent Express, our DIY offering for Event Managers who are comfortable with Microsoft Office-like tools.  With BusyEvent Express, Event Management is now available in EASY!

From event creation and ticketing, automatic communications, surveying and event a web portal, BusyEvent Express is the answer to frequent meetings.

Who would like to try FREE event management software – busyeventxp.com

We’ve been listening to our friends in the industry and everyone is trying to cut costs while still running their important meetings and events. BusyEvent has responded with an Express version of our Professional event management software. And during the public beta you can use it for free. In exchange, we’d appreciate your honest feedback good or bad and what you think the value of the tools are once we end the beta period this Spring.

If you participate in small weekly or monthly networking events, manage an annual event that sells tickets or even put together conferences and need to easily invite, register, manage and survey lots of people, then visit www.busyeventxp.com and take it for a spin.

We promise it will be worth far more than it costs!

I see smart people.

And they’re owners of our company.

http://jjeffryes.blogspot.com/2009/01/excess-shiny-dilutes-your-message.html

Start-up companies in St. Louis’ vibrant innovation sector need talented individuals with skills in marketing, sales, technology, finance, operations, business development, and more. The founders and CEOs of many such IT and science-related firms will be at The Start-Up Connection seeking the right people to join their teams.

These positions are not for everyone. In most cases, compensation will be non-traditional, and may not include immediate full-time salary with benefits. But the rewards can be great for individuals who yearn to be a part of a creative entrepreneurial environment — without the hassles of starting a business of their own.

Might that be you?

Come prepared to describe your skills and interests succinctly and convincingly, and bring copies of your resume. Suggested dress is business casual.

There is no charge to attend The Start-Up Connection, but pre-registration is required.  Figure out if you are a “Seeker” or a “Cruiser” and then select the number of free tickets you want, click Register Now and get ready to get connected.  EACH person attending must register and have a ticket for check-in.

For more information, or if you are a company interested in participating in the Start-Up Connection, please contact Blair Forlaw at 314.444.1149 or StartupConnection@BusyEvent.com

Or, to register NOW for the event on January 21st, go to: http://www.busyeventxp.com/startupconnection

BusyEvent Express . . . A FREE Event Management System in exchange for your valuable feedback.

What is BusyEvent Express? All the tools you need to run an event:

• Invitations
• Registrations
• Automated Email communications
• Ticketing and Payment
• Surveying and Reporting
• An event web portal and more

Event Management, Now Available in EASY . . . for one flat fee (and FREE during the public beta).

What kind of events can I run with BusyEvent Express? . . . Any kind of event where you want to invite, register, ticket, collect money and communicate with groups of people . . .

• Networking events, association gatherings, conferences, training sessions
• Ticketed events like plays, performances and concerts
• Fundraising events, virtual web conferences and more.

From 10 to 1,000 or more attendees . . . run your event with BusyEvent Express!

What’s wrong with what I’m already doing? . . . BusyEvent Express will help you to:

• Stop juggling emails, spreadsheets, phone calls, multiple web tools and lists
• Get everything you need organized and in one place
• Automate communications to ensure personal and timely messages to each attendee, vendor and sponsor

Try BusyEvent Express for FREE and experience better event management | Event Management . . . Now available in EASY!

http://www.BusyEventXP.com

Two hours of general tech talk and a whole lot of BusyEvent and Event Management discussions.

Part 1: http://www.busyevent.com/interviews/2009_01_06_part1.wma

Part 2: http://www.busyevent.com/interviews/2009_01_06_part2.wma

Hairy Audacious Goals (HAGS for short), what were you thinking?  Oh, you were thinking BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal)?  Well, that’s part of our long range plan, but HAGS are shorter term, week-by-week/month-by-moth/quarter-by-quarter, SMART focused goals.  And that’s what we’ve been working on the past 45 days or so; where do we want to go this coming year and how are we going to measure the ‘getting’ there and the ‘been there done that’.

David has a great saying; “you manage what you measure” and he’s so right.  So, because this past quarter also coincided with the end of a year and completed our fiscal year, it’s time to get out the HAGS and share them with everyone using our concentric-ring construct (ideation with the leadership team, buy-in from the advisors group and internal stakeholders, refinement with the staff, approval from the ownership group and board and then finally, sharing with our friends, family and clients).

The cool thing about HAGS is that they are really momentum driven in some ways (what are we working on, where do we want to take all of that) and can also offer the opportunity to have a fresh perspective on those things in the idea Jar.  What’s especially rewarding about the HAGS process, especially when we complete a fiscal, is the rush of energy, activity and excitement that gets created and then finally reveals itself in the dawn of a new year.

Plus, in creating where we’re going, we get a chance to SWOT and take a look at where we’ve been, what was a success, what is still not done and what we want to do in 2009, with everyone’s buy-in; our HAGS!

So, while BHAGS look like “A computer on every desk and in every home – Microsoft”, for 2009, our HAGS look like this; and you can hold us to it.

1. Dance, Dance Revolution . . . using Event Bookmarking – a form of Social Bookmarking in the live environment.
2. Completely transform the on-site experience for our clients and their events.
3. Measurably and signficantly reduce the work load of each client from their “before I had BusyEvent” experience.
4. Horizontal growth within each client.
5. Strategic hires in three groups.
6. Conclude the round of funding.
7. Complete identified strategic partnerships.
8. MOVE to bigger offices with WINDOWS (the software and the glass kind)
9. Realize and leverage a pair of serendipitous events
10. Do something, build something, win something that everyone agrees “just can’t be”.  We call it “ANGe”, the Audacity Of Nose To The Grindstone.
11. 250|10000 / 6|150000 / 4|20000 /  < – - – Secret metrics we’ll share with you as they become realized.

Ready, Steady . . . GO, (or is it aim, fire, ready).  Learning the lessons from our dot-com past and the current economic challenges, everyone on our team recognizes that event planners and meeting professionals are always looking for new ways to trim their budgets, run more efficient events, and deliver a better experience.

We’ve just created one (actually 3) . . . now, let’s HAG!

BusyEvent turns raw data into information.  That’s why I find the image below so fascinating.

It’s a one month picture of the topics that appeared on our Twitter account and by size, represents those topics of most frequency and therefore, importance.

Making sense of the myriad amounts of data that come out of an event; which people are the influencers, which vendors are getting the most from their investment, which physical spaces are the most valuable, when is a room/session about to be oversubscribed and what to do about it . . . it’s what we’re doing with Event Bookmarking.

So, enjoy and imagine what you’d do with this type of ‘picture information’ rather than lists of data and perhaps we should talk.