The Conference Publishers
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Saturday, August 1st, 2009When we discuss our services with prospective clients, we don’t upsell. Not ever.
For some time, I felt this was a matter of basic principle, that the practice of trying to bundle a second sale on top of a first one was simply abominable. I still think it’s wrong for our kind of service. But a [...]
A Quiet Sense of Duty
Saturday, July 18th, 2009Late last month, I received a surprising email that will shape the lion’s share of the volunteer time I devote to our industry over the next two years.
I wouldn’t normally be quite this excited about an opportunity to pack dozens of extra hours into a schedule that is already overloaded. But this isn’t just any [...]
Keeping Readers Off the Unsubscribe Button
Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009At The Conference Publishers, we receive a surprisingly small number of unsubscribe requests for our company newsletter.
We know a lot of people read our newsletter, but it’s hard to get good comparative data—we don’t know how well we’re doing compared to all the other companies vying for people’s attention online. (If anyone knows where [...]
Comings, Goings, and a Long Overdue Introduction
Thursday, May 21st, 2009 We have a couple of staff changes to report at The Conference Publishers, as well as a long overdue introduction for someone who’s an unsung but integral part of our team.
At the end of this month, Project Manager Kate McAteer begins her maternity leave. She’s expecting her first child at the end of June. [...]
The Green Meetings Portal Goes Live
Thursday, April 16th, 2009The Green Meetings Portal went live earlier this week.
Earlier this year, we announced that The Conference Publishers was joining with the Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC) to launch the world’s first conference content portal. I’m tremendously pleased and proud to announce that the promise is now, finally, a reality.
The Portal begins life with coverage of [...]
What Are You Waiting For?
Thursday, April 9th, 2009In 1968, while most of his classmates were playing ball or watching Gilligan’s Island or sleeping, one 13-year-old boy was programming his heart out on a powerful (for its day) mainframe computer. It was a unique and improbable opportunity and he took full advantage of it. Reflecting on the experience today, Bill Gates says, “I [...]
A Couple of Million Jobs at Stake
Wednesday, March 11th, 2009BREAKING NEWS:
On March 10, The Huffington Post published my blog item on the meetings industry crisis and the Kerry bill now before the U.S. Congress.
The central argument, drawing on data from MPI Foundation Canada’s study of the economic impact of meetings and events, was that the attack on meetings in the U.S. could touch a [...]
Linking on the links in Atlanta
Friday, February 20th, 2009On a lighter note, I managed to play a round of golf when I was in Atlanta last week. I went down a day early to try to arrange some meetings with prospective clients for the firm. That didn’t work out, so I had time to play golf. (Okay, so maybe I didn’t try all [...]
Fond farewell
Thursday, January 29th, 2009The Conference Publishers is the best place I’ve ever worked. That’s exactly why I’m moving on.
This office has stiff competition when it comes to treating its employees well. As a former employee of a company that won the Globe & Mail “Best Small & Medium Sized Employer in Canada” award, I’m fortunate to know what’s [...]
Changing The World
Wednesday, November 26th, 2008Last summer, Hugh Lee, President of Fusion Productions of Rochester, New York told a seminar at MPI’s World Education Congress, “a conference can get you excited about change, but it won’t make change happen.”
If a conference won’t make change happen, what will? How do we initiate change? And how do we make sure that the [...]