So, how many epeople here who go to the conventions actually attend the seminars when they go?

If you do/have, why do you go, do you still go, and do you feel it is worth it?

If you don't, why don't you and what might change your opinion and make you go?

I try to go to the ones that I think will interest me.

Yeah, I go to the ones that I think will interest Peaches.

:nyanya:

Ok.. so what kind of seminars interest you?

I attend a couple
there were some great ones last year at CyberNet Expo

The problem is so many of these seminars tend to be the same people saying the same thing all of the time......I would like to seem "fresher" speakers at some of these seminars and maybe even a couple who don't agree with the others...

The main ones I attend are the legal seminars, processing seminars and things that I feel will impact me and my business, which, honestly, aren't many.

Yeah.. it seems the legal and processing seminars would be the most popular. Never can get too much good information in those areas.

I offered LAJ...the services of Oprano for this year. Lets see if he takes us up on em. Mike AI almost killed some dickhead in the auidence that was singing he praises of spyware.

I like the seminars geared towards amateurs, since it's a slightly different market or method of marketing for us. And of course I hit the legal seminars whenever I can. SEGuru did an AWESOME seminar at the Vancouver Access show a few years back. Sure, he pushed his software, but the information was indispensible.

I have been asked on various seminars...never done one.

I personally wouldn't go to them.

Not cause I think I know it all , but because lets be frank , if I was on one for mailing or SE optimisation , I would tell you all the stuff that is really basic.

I sent IMHO one of the best ACTUAL SE gurus ( this claim is based on free traffic received from engines) to a show by Dokk ( he said "not bad , genuinely trying to be helpful but you will not be competitive and it may get you banned) and a seminar by SEGuru. ( he said "ahahahahahahahahaha")

Now I'm not being a shit here but lets get real...

Things like processing , and lefal may be a reasonable thing , but surely anyone worth there salt has already protected themse;ves as well as they can.

But as far as spam and SE Optimisation , why would anyone , offer to give real good advice?

I mean if the guy was that good:

a.) He'd be too busy making a fortune for himself (this same logic applies to anyone offering "Let us optimise Your websites)
b.) He sure as hell does not want to teach people to compete with him

100% CORRECT
unless you are an idiot youre not going to shout from the rooftops this is how i do this blah blah otherwise everyone will do it and the se's will change their shit around and the industry would change again with everyone doing it

personally if anyone asked me to do a seminar on se or anything similar i wouldnt because im still trying to make the doh myself

Viola!!!

From a genuine SE Expert.

Someone whose opinion I value because the small nuggets he has given me work very well. He has earned my respect. And I've seen the number of linkbacks ;-))

He can tell you how to optmize your radio stream for max SE ranking!
"Without a modicum of error"

Ahahahahahaha

thanks for that nick - means fuck all to me though ;) hahah

ahahahahahahahaha

fuckwit.

Quite honestly ive been to one convention = vegas last year - i will be in amsterdam this year because of work commitments and then vegas again in january - i had planned to go to the seminars but sat through two and got bored as fuck .. so i hit up the floor and got a lot of business done - met some very cool people and hope to do more of it next time

ill probably avoid the bigger parties this time out though as i thought they were a bit of a waste honestly

i very rarely went. they were always about content, or billing, etc. stuff i had no interest in. depends on the show. some of the shows have good seminars, but theres only so much that is new under the sun.

As some of you have proven, though perhaps not intentionally :awinky: , attending seminars can also give you an insight into the people speaking at them. No, you might not need the information that's given at a processing seminar, but if you heard the owner of a processing company totally talking out of the ass and not having a clue as to the basics, you'd know to stay away from that processing company.

Good replies all. Of course no one is gonna give away the house in any seminar but take search engines for example. Some people just don't have a lot of knowledge and the older info that might get put out here can help their business. Personally I see the seminars as more useful for newer webmasters or for people to expand into areas they haven't ventured into much before.

i very rarely went. they were always about content, or billing, etc. stuff i had no interest in. depends on the show. some of the shows have good seminars, but theres only so much that is new under the sun. [/b][/quote]
Those of us with long memories (and the few remaining brain cells) will remember you being asked to come up on the panel at NJ


As for going to seminars, it has to be something captivating or have certain speakers

Those of us with long memories (and the few remaining brain cells) will remember you being asked to come up on the panel at NJ


As for going to seminars, it has to be something captivating or have certain speakers [/b][/quote]
hah yeah, true. call me out, i always have SOMETHING to say;)


i meant of recent memory. the seminars i am sure are good, just never applied to me. Everyone goes to the seminars at the first couple of shows;)

a good panel will get people to go.

I have attended SOOOOOO many seminars over the years, it's not even funny. From those that we put on with the AWEs, to the ones that I attended and covered for Klixxx and various webmaster resoruces... I've been to a LOT.

That being said, I have to agree with the general consensus here.... seminars are great for NEWBIES, specific NICHE info (those amateur ones Far-L put on were fantastic... I heard nothing but POSITIVE responses from those in attendance), LEGAL (I've heard JD shout his hellfire and brimstone 100x all across the country, and still see them pack 'em in the seminar halls every damned time) and of course PROCESSING. Those are the biggies.

Others that have been sleeper surprisers were a couple of Affiliate Program sessions where reps revealed a little more than perhaps their bosses wanted them to about the programs (lol), the gay panel @ Phoenix 2 years ago (MUCH was revealed for the first time) and nearly ALL of the seminars from that first Atlanta AWE... damn, that was a good show - great crowd, great speakers, great city... it DOES make a difference!

I still attend and have recently finally started speaking... IMHO it's still worth it to participate in one way or another for MOST of the planned panels. But it does depend heavily on the subject matter, who is speaking and who did the planning.

:awinky: