Reflections on Boston

April 22nd, 2006

I returned from Boston yesterday afternoon, after attending PubCon Boston. As a presenter, this conference was a bit different for me, and I learned some different things. I typically try to sit in on as many of the sessions as I can, picking up tidbits of info here and there. This time, I spent the first day preparing, and the second day recovering, so my session attendance was minimal. Each opportunity presents different chances for learning. Some of what I brought home this time:

  • You shouldn’t schedule conferences the day following Easter.
  • Driving to Boston from NY is a lot easier than flying.
  • The smoking floor(s) of the conference hotel are a hotbed for late night networking.
  • People appreciate it when you give handouts of the notes from your presentation.
  • PowerPoint is a crutch, and should be avoided when possible.
  • Matt Cutts is a very approachable guy.
  • By-invitation-only parties are a bad idea. They are divisive, and make a lot of people feel second-class.
  • With his hair let loose from it’s ponytail, Martinibuster and I could easily pass for cousins.
  • Politics and business don’t mix - and you should NEVER discuss politics in your room at 3 AM with bloggers who are on the opposite end of the spectrum. (more on this in a later post)
  • The Morton’s in NY is superior to it’s Boston counterpart.
  • Smaller conferences allow for more face time with each attendee.
  • People don’t take kindly to Bluetooth spam.

    • Additionally, I met a lot of interesting people, most of whom operate blogs. I added a bunch of new feeds to my reader, so I look forward to seeing what all these people have to say. In the days to come, I will be uploading the contents of my presentation for anybody that wasn’t able to attend my session. It turned out to be a very cool session, with Matt Cutts and Jeremy Zawodny hopping up on the panel at the end to participate in some Q&A.

    I am definitely happy to be home - these conferences are tough on the body and mind. It’s nice to sleep in my own bed, wake up to the sound of my kids playing, and spend time with the family. I’m looking forward to being off the conference junket for a few months - next stop, SES San Jose in August.

    3 Responses to “Reflections on Boston”

    1. Chrissie Says:
      April 25th, 2006 at 12:26 am

      It was great meeting you Greg, one of the highlights of the conference in fact ;) I look forward to seeing you again in Vegas!

    2. greg Says:
      April 25th, 2006 at 12:38 am

      the pleasure was all mine. vegas should be a blast. bigger and louder than boston, for sure. make sure to bring your drinking shoes.

    3. Hawaii SEO Says:
      April 25th, 2006 at 5:50 pm

      Hi Greg,

      I completely agree with you comment on invite-only parties. If I spend a zillion dollars with your company every year and I didn’t get an invite I might feel annoyed to say the least. I would also feel awkward leaving my friends behind or whatever.

      One thing you left off the list is drinking too much. I like to drink, but I sometimes view business oriented cocktail parties, etc, as a calculated device to get you to say or do something stupid. I usually get something watered. If Matt Cutts was a drinker… You can guarantee that people would be trying to get him drunk for selfish reasons.

      I’ll see you in San Jose.

      Aloha,
      Dave.

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