WebmasterWorld Conference coming up

Why would I benefit from attending?

[shortbus1662]

From reading other posts in other forums on here, it sounds like it's:

A) going t0 be packed
B) going to cost 800 bucks just to show up
C) an opportunity to meet some of you people
D) chance to hear from the people who control
what we worry about the most, our rankings

It also seems that there will be question/answer sessions with the people from google. However, it seems as though there are questions that "aren't to be asked". What's that all about?

And lastly, if paying 800 bucks gives me the chance to talk one on one for 60 seconds to one of these guys, allowing me a better chance of getting re indexed, then I'm all for it.

Of course, I'm sure I'll be told I won't be able to do that while I'm there, so...

What's the point of this conference other than meeting other webmasters and having a good time? (not that there's anything wrong with that!)

thanks.

[ogletree]

Where do you get $800. As a supporter if you sign up right now it is only $450. If you are shy and don't like to talk to complete strangers this place is not for you. You have to introduce yourself to people. Spend time now sending stickys to people you want to meet and see if you can make plans to meet them. I have done this and have had it done to me. Last conference I had several people contact me before the conference and some people went out of their way to find me. I have made so many great friends here at WebmasterWorld. Spend time in the Hotel bar. Walk up to groups and introduce yourself. It really does work. Most WebmasterWorld members are very friendly and will let you hang out. Shoot you can just sit near a group and listen in. If you don't know how to network get a book on it. I just walked up to groups of people and said hi. A lot of people have egos here and love to talk about themselves and what they do. ASK. The most used line at pubcon is "What kind of sites do you have?" or something like that.

[Chicago]

classic, ogletree.

shortbus1662, my short answer is you go because this is your career and this is the place to benefit your career.

[Easy_Coder]

I'm going to learn... whatever I can and meet some people that are in the same industry I am in.

I suspect that you came up with $800 by adding in the hotel + airfare and such? That's still not bad. I've paid a lot more for developer conferences that too lasted 1 week.

[shortbus1662]

450, that sounds a lot better!

I saw 800 in the first post I read about it.

You make a pretty good argument about why I should come!

I'll have to see if the wife goes for it first, she's the "REAL" boss...

Sounds like a good time though. How many members from here will be there do you think?

[Chicago]

>>How many members from here will be there do you think?

about 13-14.

okay, hundreds... all the names, faces, everything...

kick-start your next strategy, find your next partner, learn and teach... you do it because your life is about SEM and this is a significant constituency that can further your professional and personal ambitions.

the first is always the hardest. the second and beyond - well, you'll see.

[synergy]

I attended the Pubcon in Orlando last year and I:

1) Spoke 1 on 1 with Matt Cutts of Google about mini-networks and what I can do to make my site more SE friendly.

2) Met and became friends with dozens of WW members.

3) Sat down (not once, not twice, but three times) with respected SEO guru Mike Grehan who enlightened me on several important topics including link maps and topic analysis.

4) Scored a nice one-way link from a related site.

5) Drank free beer at the Pub.

6) Learned a good lesson from Martinibuster as to why 3 martinis are 1 too many :)

This question gets asked every year. My answer.. try it once and see for yourself if it's worth the money or not. Everyone is different and if nothing else, the expenses are tax deductible.

[shortbus1662]

there's free beer?

[PhraSEOlogy]

Free Beer?

Only if you sit next to a nice person who will buy them for you...

[incrediBILL]

Learned a good lesson from Martinibuster as to why 3 martinis are 1 too many :)

It's a shame I can't make this trip as I could surely set some PubCon records with either the beer or the martini as drinking as 3 is just a warm up!

I'm waiting to book for Vegas :)

Only if you sit next to a nice person who will buy them for you...

Or sit next to a drunk person that has lost track of the number of beers on his tab! Had this happen to a couple of buddies of mine at an industry convention and they woke up to find they had spent $250 on a bar tab. Priceless.

[seth_wilde]

The pubcon on Friday is open tab... and there are almost always parties thrown by SE's or SEO firms on the side that are open tab as well..

The networking is priceless, and no matter what level of expertise you have, your sure to pick up some tips either through the sessions or over a pint.

[whoisgregg]

You can ask anyone any questions you want but it is possible to step on toes. Usernames here magically turn into real people at Pubcon, some of them have feelings. :)

[europeforvisitors]

Usernames here magically turn into real people at Pubcon, some of them have feelings. :)

How does that work? Do people go around with name tags thet read "hogcaller" or "SEOfella," or do aliases magically turn into real names (not just real people)?

[bunltd]

Well, it doesn't happen magically, but I found lots of people wrote their alias/nick on their badge... So you're always squinting at badges to see "who" it is you're talking to. :)

shortbus1662: It's worth it.

Looking forward to NOLA.

LisaB

[ScottM]

You go because you need to.

(Hehe...I go because I need to...)

[tedster]

I go for all the above reasons, and for the pure rush of being with so many people who can understand what I'm talking about. The feeling that I may be sane after all gives me quite a buzz ;)

I usually end up with laryngitis by the end, simply because there is so much to talk about and finally some other people who CAN talk about it with me.

[shrimp]

I can relate, in my little physical world, i am the only one even remotely tuned in to this stuff. My friends think I am either a weird-o genius (I'm not even close), or obsessed (maybe), wasting my life (?), or really boring.
So alone I just read and read and read....and even at local biz get togethers like chamber of commerce parties, the computer people I talk to only know server maintanence or how to remove spyware or whatever...and I am the only person I know who got a Google mood radio. And no one I know understands why I was so thrilled.

[shrimp]

And, that is why I am going to N.O.

[zgb999]

If you got an invitation to the Googleplex to talk with some Google engineers would you pay $450 for it?

For me this alone would be worth the price...

I am glad I booked the conference.

[Hawkgirl]

One of the things I love about the conference is meeting people from WebmasterWorld in person. Putting faces and real-life personalities with names and posts here at WebmasterWorld makes it more fun for me to be here, and encourages me to participate more on the forums.

[toprank]

In the past year I've been fortunate to be able to attend two "other" SEO/SEM conferences and also the last WebmasterWorld conference in Vegas.

For me, the WebmasterWorld conference was better and proved to be a great mixture of "gotta have" info and priceless networking.

If you pay attention and also mingle, you'll have a great time and walk away with at least a few tips that could pay off in spades.

This is an unpaid endorsement! ;)

[lawman]

My wife has been to countless lawyer conferences with me. She's been to two Pubcons. According to her, webmasters/seo people are much friendlier than lawyers. Too bad we have to miss this one. :(

[JerryOdom]

I'll buy you guys beer all afternoon at the 3 for 1 they have on Bourbon if the conversation is right.

Free Beer?
Only if you sit next to a nice person who will buy them for you...