Biz Thread about Adult Online Tradeshows - Whats your opinion on this?
 

First of all, if you are just gonna post to make it look all hot to who you work for please refrain from saying you do 100's of deals at shows. This is a serious thread and I'd like honest answers. I personally do not have to say things that RageCash wants to hear, so I'd like to have straight answers from everyone. Mucho Aprreciado!!!! :)


Now, we have a show coming up, one that I feel is very good for business. All are not persea business shows as much as they are bonding and relationship building shows.

Now, I'm all about promoting our "brand" and I do that well, but I don't normally walk up to people like a cold calling car salesman and change their mood and conversation to something other than they were talking about trying to get them to push traffic. I believe that there is a definite affinity for creating new friendships that turn into great business partnerships over time.

I'm testing my theory that no one really does many deals at shows anymore. In 2000, and back in those days alot more deals were done at shows. I think that most of it is about "branding" and if thats the case, I am gonna chill on shows for a while. We've done very well branding RageCash. Tell me your personal experiences please.

I do believe that there is a method to actually doing good business at shows, but it's not as easy as everyone may think. It takes work and determination and lots of followup after the show.

As of late my tactic has been to get cards, make a new friend, and followup on opportunities when i return. There is no higher value in business or in your personal life than to create a friend. Friends for life make great business partners.

I've seen tons of new people in the biz that go to the shows and try the kamikaze approach on people already well off and set in their ways in the biz get shot down within 5 secs of trying to initiate the whole "what can we do together?" thing.

What do you think about shows nowadays?

All about parties? Who can throw around the most money proving who the bigger "brand" is?

or

Plethora of biz deals just waiting to be done?

I think you really have to push people, and you really have to have something special to offer that you wont offer anyone else, or people aren't intersted in getting into conversations on the whole "send me some traffic" thing.

Are shows today mostly about "branding" your program name?

Tell me about your experiences!

This is all opinion and open for discussion. This is my opinion and perspective.

I plan on attending Internext for the first time in Vegas 07 :thumbsup

Dood, I do m4d deals at shows, like you wouldn't believe.

Like in the 16 figgers and shit.

You don't know about me and my crew, we'd talk the pants off a def bitch.

:1orglaugh





But in all seriosness, I'd say from what I've been researching, it's a mix of all 3... but Phoenix is my first show, so i wouldn't really know from experience.

Either way, you all now know how cool I am, and that's all I ever wanted.

you're picking a good one to start out at. phoenix is one of the shows that i actually think you can pull some real biz deals off of and I will be there to do just that. lemme know on that thing that we talked about, i'd be glad to help you with that. :thumbsup

A couple of really good deals (like the one we have with you Eric) and a few days with no screaming kids at home. That's the best I can hope for

But I TOLD YOU we needed MORE lube :Oh crap


I'm looking forward to meeting you there man, and I *really* appreciate it man. Will need it :) :thumbsup

I'm new to adult, so I really like the topic of this thread!

Coming from mainstream, you always go into a show "thinking" you're going to do mad deals, but in the end it's more relationship building. Like you said, making friends and in turn doing business with friends turns out to be much more beneficial (for everyone involved) in the long run.

Sometimes though, there are shows where you just have to be there, because it's more noticeable if your missing. So while you don't accomplish anything tangible at that particular show, you need to be there because more damage is done to you, your brand, your image if you MIA.

:2 cents:

Air3k


I have been to a couple of shows in my time.

I think that branding plays a huge part in the shows, some shows are just plain vaction people. However, I do believe that business gets done at the trade shows.

The trade shows allow a face to be put with names and also you have the opportunity to speak with all your potential business clients in one place. It bridges the worldwide gap. Being face to face with someone and getting them to commit a deal is much more powerful than to do it online or even over the phone.
For the newbies, it's a great place to meet all the company owners and employees. Relationships are number one in this buisness. Time and time again, I have been told by clients the only reason they are working with me or tried something I am pushing, is because they know and trust me.
I have one word of advice. When you go to shows , be prepared. Know the people you want to talk with and the people you want to close a deal with. Make a list of what you are going to do daily and stick to it. If you go to a show and think oh yeah i will talk to EVERYONE, you will not get a thing done!


:2 cents:

Good question A1R3K. The Phoenix Forum will be my third show in six months. I met you at my first show in L.A. in front of the Sheraton just hanging out. It was great to put the face with the board name and unlike some, you are very much in person like you are on the boards. REAL. :thumbsup

There's an old saying something like this. Make a sale, get a commision...Make a friend, do business for life. That's about as simple as it gets. The conventions are great opportunities to solidify the friendships you are trying to develop on the boards.

The only gripe I have is that when someone says they are going to do business or try your product or program out.... Just do it or just say No Thanks or Not right now. I respect someone that can say NO!

I always make a list of who I want to meet and talk to and make this my first priority after arriving. Pace the partying and you'll get more out of the show.:pimp

Some shows are better than others for deals actually coming to fruitation, but I go for the branding.

I would love to do a show in the future. But as im new too this biz and from the uk i dont know if i could justify the cost in doing it.

I am just an affiliate

Do you think it would be worth it

haha. i agree. icq me. :) :pimp :pimp

Some of the best content of the year comes outta shows...

http://fubarwebmasters.com/current/sd05/pb/z16714.jpg





2hp

Save your money and the years on your life that you will lose stressing on organizing an event. Event planning and conventions are hard hard work. Its alot more than a couple phone calls. It can easily put you in danger of a heart attack. We are already averaging a show a month minimum. Attend some bigger ones first and then see how you feel about doing one. :2 cents:

i still think there are one too many shows , it would be better with less shows that way i think there would be more people coming to them

Every show I attend I have somewhat different goals. Sometimes it's selling advertising, sometimes it's buying. I'm looking forward to being on the buying end going in to Phoenix as you can get better deals 1 on 1 and find those hidden sources of surfer traffic and get information on sites not posted online or revealed to just anyone in the faceless web environment. It also helps reinforce ongoing relationships with advertisers - touch base on their latest needs, and talk to people about how your own company has grown in the tween times.

There are too many, but when you dont spread yourself out too thin and aren't idealistic - you can make the show times profitable. Like anything - they are what you make of it. However attending more than 3 shows a year tends to interrupt my in-house workflow too much, so I choose to be selective what I attend.

well said. :thumbsup

I've gotta say its all three. Some parts of the day or night I just want to get shit faced and have fun, sometimes out of no where you'll be talking to someone new and BAM ... you start making deals.

I think there are many deals to be done at shows and plenty of good times too.

yep you've seen just a few as well. :)

very good insight and focus points. :thumbsup

thanks buddy.

I'd like to go for the booze and girls only.

:)

My friend i think you may be sadly dissappointed if you go there for the women. unless you are a real G, and know how to keep things gravely secret.

Webmaster shows are the last place you wanna go if you are going for the girls.

:)

I would suggest south beach during the winter music conference should it be ladies that you seek. :2 cents: :pimp :pimp

you would also know. you been kin to me since day one in busty world.

420 PB

I over did it in 2005 on trips n shit . It was worth it but i am burnt out

being self contained I cant justify the cost of going for my wife and I. I prefer when Im in a town where fellow gfyers are I try to set up a get together so I can get to know them with alot less noise. Like we are going to dayton to shoot at the end of the month and we are going to meet new breed :)

yeah man, i enjoy the small intimate get togethers and party nights as well. here in tampa we have treasurebucks, dirty d, rogerv, steve from eroticy, extreme, rage, um who else, sometimes xxxjay, there are a bunch of us that try to do things here as well.

shit one of my best trades is with roger v. one of the most even trades i've ever seen made.

good point :thumbsup

Some shows are certainly better than others. I do a few a year and usually do a few deals but it is more about building relationships. I would never do a booth though.

Z

We always make money on shows, plus we keep up key relationships with buyers and site owners.

It's a cost of doing business and it's alot of fun! :)

DH

anyone can throw cash around and brand - sure it reaches alot of people but how many actually do biz because of it?

meeting people pays off long term, in my opinion, because the potential for long term biz is better due to knowing who youre doing biz with and the relationship being built over time.

to me, taking the time to meet people and build business relationships as well as a friendships is where its at.

and you can apply this to the board. its people corresponding on a personal and laid back level as well as business.

and casualness makes it even more condusive for biz. . costa rica, phoenix, cancun, jamaica even hollywood ect are the top gatherings and are the most laid back for the obvious reasons.

i mean who wants to wear a suit and be indoors when you can be free ballin - or in some cases a speedo - poolside or at the beach? :1orglaugh

i think also there is somthing to be said for being a traffic mecca of sorts. e veryone is always going to want to talk to you guys. having the traffic to dish out to people is somewhat different. the traffic i've got is about 100% dedicated to trades on exits and so forth. i wouldn't find it hard to believe tht you guys accomplish alot at shows. :thumbsup

People always need a place to send the traffic.

Like I said in your other thread, you have to do what works for you. We have done everything from huge events, such as last year's Cristal for All with JBM and the upcoming Saguaro Soiree in Phoenix, to smaller more financially contained events, to just showing up with cheap tshirts on our backs.

We base our show promotion on what we are doing with our business. Right now, we are expanding our business into a different breed of webmasters that might be unusual to our model; hence, we are throwing a huge event.

I just want you to answer the question Cory. This is not about any one individual program. If I can ask you to read the question, that is politely what I am asking.

I am ok with you plugging your upcoming events in this thread as I like WEG and I am Rand's friend for life. I just want to get a straight answer out of you. In this post you've basically described how everyone approaches shows. "Do whats right for you."

We can all list all the events that we've each ever done and try to explain and justify our ROI's. I want to know peoples unslanted, honest opinions, and I'm not sure that I can get that on a public message board.

Without sounding like a cocksucker, that is what I am getting at here.

The shows environments have changed over the years, I've been going to them and benefitted from every single show in some fashion or another since 99, just like you.


:) :) :) :) :) :pimp :pimp :pimp

I just want straight honest answers. Put the marketing and promotional guy aside for a second and answer as if you have no benefit to posting in your respected, intelligent persona. If this request comes off the wrong way, or I have once again misinterpreted someone's intended "post attitude", then feel free to tell me.

since "european content producer" seemed to be some kind of insult and several people obviously got fucked over in the past, visiting shows has become extremely important for us. not necessarily for closing deals (although that happens too), but simply for showing face and building trust. this way we want to demonstrate that we are not some scam company that collects money for a bunch of deals and then disappears - we are in this game for the long run.

But there is more:
for example I enjoy having some face to the person i talk to on ICQ or mail. when you know how someone talks, reacts etc, you'll comprehend much better the underlying tone in the writing of the person. a very important thing to me - cause a lot of misunderstanding result from not having the possibility to express emotions in mails or ICQ properly.

and at the end of course i enjoy to get away from my desk for a few days, meet people, make friends, drink, party etc. who doesn't?

:)

next time I have to go to tampa to shoot, I should give a heads up and we can all get together :)

i don't feel that european shooters have anything to re-build or build trust for. everyone i have ever dealt with from the european section of the globe has been awesome.

and, yes tony when you guys get down to tampa, we'd love to hang out. hopefully, jace and tabitha can come back down with you guys again. :)

Then read my post again. I am saying depending on what your program is doing, there are multiple ways to approach a show. You talk about fences, can you please define what you mean? If we are doing A, then we approach show under given A attitude.

I don't need your threads as a stage to any promotion. I am also quite sure my answer was intelligent.

You know what Airek? I think I will just leave this thread alone. I have to say this is likely the first time on GFY that someone felt my responses weren't intelligent. I have always liked you, however twice you have called me out on this as not making sense.

We do deals at shows. We approach every show based on what we are doing with our products. I really can't explain that any differently.