The Phoenix Forum and the Importance of Conferences
Next week I am heading to Arizona for The Phoenix Forum, a networking and educational business event for the Adult Industry. Though I was hoping to speak at the event, I will have to settle for simply attending (well, that’s what happens when you ask too late). It should be a great opportunity to have some in-depth discussions on business trends and social media.
I really enjoy going to conferences. They are an excellent way to network, make some great business connections, make new friends, learn about up-and-coming trends in the industry and get your face in front of people. As a social media strategist, I spend most of my time behind a computer screen, so being able to get my face in front of people really helps! Plus, I love opportunities to talk to people about what they are doing and have some off-the-cuff social media discussions.
This weekend is Adultcon. I wish I were able to go to this conference as well. One of the challenges is deciding which conferences you are going to attend – they can be expensive, time-consuming and energy-consuming. It is not possible to attend all of them, unless you are a professional conference-goer. Most of us still have to work when we are not conferencing (and even when we are), so balancing the work and travel can be challenging.
How to Evaluate a Conference
- How important is it? Some conferences are really big and significant to the industry. These should be priority.
- Is it important to you? Some conferences might be really important to fans and stars, but not to businesses. Make sure you know why you are going; attend the conferences that meet your needs.
- How much time and money can you can invest? Like I said, conferencing is expensive. We would all love it if someone were paying all our expenses, but that is not usually the case. Take a look at how much time you can afford to be away from your daily life, because when you are conferencing you are not doing your regular business. Then take a look at how much you can afford to spend. The costs add up quickly: registration, travel, hotel, car rental, food, entertainment: what seemed like a nice $300 trip just cost you $2000.
- Are the business connections important? Sometimes you choose to go to a conference not because of the content it is offering, but because of what its attendees are offering. Take a look at who is going and if there are people important to your business or brand then you might want to make an appearance. Conferences are about networking, so make sure the networking is valuable.
I decided that The Phoenix Forum is crucial for me, mainly for the networking. I already have some important meetings set up and am looking forward to the new connections I will make.
While I am there I will also take advantage of what the conference is offering. Some of the seminars I am thinking of attending are:
- Frenemies- Learning from your competition or arch-rivals
- Technology and Monetization: A 2 Way Street
- Listening to the consumer Are your price models effective? Learning from consumer spending habits.
- Head in the Cloud- integrating cloud computing
- Dot XXX How is .XXX affecting your business?
I am also planning on going to the YNot Grand Prix. This will be my first Grand Prix, so I am pretty excited. Remember, networking is as much about being social as it is about talking business. So make sure you go to social events, but don’t burn yourself out. Ultimately you are there for your business, brand or personal promotion. Don’t let the parties get in the way of your goals.
I’ll head out to Phoenix on Wednesday and will dive into networking and conferencing first thing on Thursday. I already have some great meetings on my schedule, but am looking forward to those that will come up spontaneously . If you’ll be at the forum next week and would like to meet, make sure you email or tweet me.
I will be blogging about the conference and will be live tweeting the entire time. Hopefully, I’ll have some great information to share. I will keep you posted!
The fabulous Ruby Violence is the Feature Friday Photo. Ruby and I met through Twitter when I tweeted about her being on the cover of the new DVD, Girlfiends #9. An avid tweeter, @rubyviolence is a great person to tweet with, quick to respond and a good conversationalist. Her website has a lot of content, from videos to pictures, and a great blog that gives you tantalizing previews of her site. Ruby’s blog not only previews sexy vids and pics, but she shares insights about her photo and video shoots. Her philosophy is “Violently Sexy”, which says that women can be beautiful and sexy without being ‘sluts’ or ‘whores’; they can be sweet and pure and still be strong. This ethos is captured in her photos and her demeanor.
Go to her website: www.rubyviolence.com
Talk to her on Twitter: @rubyviolence