5 replies to this topic

[webmama]

This conference appears to be targeting the San Diego area and businesses. I am conference chair but did not have anything to do with the sessions - except to suggest a few speakers (Dana Todd, Nacho Hernandez). Is this more appealing to businesses (especially small businesses) than attending SES or Ad-Tech? Is the price right? Does having SEMPO involved in this make it any more or less appealing?
Kiosk.com SEM Conference [http://www.kioskcom....archeng_ov.php]
[delinked as per our guidelines]

Quote from website: How can you optimize your website to make it more search engine friendly? How do you plan to increase site traffic, new customer acquisition and sales? The answer to these questions and many more can be found at "Best Practices for Marketing & Optimizing Your Search Engine Processes." This forum will take place June 14 - 16 in La Jolla, California and will serve as a strategic networking platform for those who plan to stand out from the masses in the search industry.

Edited by Jill, 08 March 2004 - 08:39 PM.

[Bernard]

Doesn't "Best Practices" imply standards? I thought SEMPO was staying away from that. Has something changed?

[Jill]

I don't think the people in this forum are generally ones who could judge whether SEMPO being involved is a good/bad or indifferent thing because we all have our own opinions on SEMPO already.

The bigger question would be does the general public, or the people who might attend that conference see it as a plus/minus.

Quite frankly, I don't think the general public who might attend something like this knows much (if anything) about SEMPO at this time.

I've got ideas on ways to increase SEMPOs overall visibility. At least I did a few weeks ago, will have to dredge them up from my old memory banks!

Jill

[Scottie]

Quite frankly, I don't think the general public who might attend something like this knows much (if anything) about SEMPO at this time.

I'm with Jill on that- I think it benefits SEMPO at this point to start being visible at good conferences, even the small ones. SEMPO needs to build visibility (and credibility) before they can help bestow that same visibility and credibility to new conferences.

[mcanerin]

Frankly, I'd probably consider joining SEMPO the first time a prospective client asks me about it, and probably not before, unless I suddenly came into a bunch of money and had paid off bills, etc.

In short, I think SEMPO would be best served by promoting itself to the public rather than to SEO's. That's what Microsoft did with the whole MCSE system - promoted it in business magazines and so forth, rather than just telling the techies - who often don't have tons of extra cash, and when they do it goes to toys and upgrades, not memberships.

So yes - they should show up to smaller conferences, including non-seo ones. Create a client demand and the SEO's will follow the clients.

My 2 cents, and since I'm not a member they no doubt don't even mean anything, but i can't help it

Ian

[webmama]

Scottie - couldn't agree with you more that SEMPO should be represented at other conferences. There are a few coming up that SEMPO is represented as a speaker and the conferences DON'T target SEO/SEMs companies or consultants. Their targets are advertising agencies and marketing managers (ha - just who SEMPO wants to talk to).

1. Internet Marketing Conference - I am representing SEMPO and giving a 'state of the industry' address (my first)
2. Ad-Tech where I will moderating a session on branding and SEM (where all the money is!)
3. Kelsey Group Local Search Conference

I will be using material developed by SEMPO and SEMPO members in these talks.

This is part of the mission of SEMPO - to get out there and be visible with people other than other SEM companies and consultants. It is starting to happen. It wouldn't be happening without the number of members and preceived ground swell of the organization.