What I Learned from Planning LessConf3010
written by Allan on May 25, 2010
Everything is long tail.
- Last year I met Willie Jackson, who lives and works in Atlanta.
- Willie Jackson introduced me to Celia Dyer of TechDrawl.com
- Celia attended LessConf '09 in Jacksonville Florida.
- Celia Dyer said she knew of a great venue in Atlanta, so she put me in touch with Bill Cutts.
- Bill Cutts allowed us to use their amazing venue.
- LessConf3010 was in Atlanta because of my friendship with Willie Jackson and the relationships he created Celia and then Celia with Bill.
Serendipity is absolutely real, luck is not.
You never know who you're going to meet so treat everyone the same. My Grandfather met my Grandmother when he was selling vacuums door-to-door.
Relationships are more powerful than banner ads.
Your friends will promote you more than any banner ad will. Make friends, be friendly, be genuine.
Being silly is an excepted form of marketing
A conference isn't about the conference
People come to LessConf to meet, learn, talk, social and get inspired. Having great speakers sells tickets and people want to hear great talks but it's the hallway conversations that stick with them and get them to come back.
Great speakers sell first time conference goers.
This second time conference was different but interesting to see the change. It was almost like a high school reunion, attendees were seeing each other again from the 2009 conference. I think once you attend lessconf you'll come back to hang out with your friends again. Great speakers sell first time conference goers the environment and relationships will bring you back.
Don't drink too much at the first night's party.
I will never drink again...
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Allan loves his family more than breathing. He lives in Panama City, Florida & grew up washing cars at his family's car washes. Oh and Allan hasn't worn underwear since 2004.
13 Comments
When’s the next LessConf? :)
Sounds like another killer LessConf, Allan. Hated I couldn’t be there, but don’t plan to make that mistake again.
See you in 2011. By then, I’m sure you’ll have thrown in the towel on "I will never drink again . . . "
Glad I could help on that last point. :)
Lessconf was the most valuable conference I have ever attended, for all of the reasons you posted above. Thanks for the great time.
Chris
Amen to that last point. And all of them. But really that last point. :)
Seriously though, I told Steve before I left that you guys do something extraordinary: you’ve taken an already valuable conference format (boutique, single track, small audience), run it through your “no bullshit” filter, and then wrapped it in some of the most incredible people I’ve ever met: your friends.
Keep that up. It’s amazing.
And I owe you guys (and the attendees) a real presentation. Don’t think I won’t make good on that.
“My Grandfather met my Grandmother when he was selling vacuums door-to-door.”
There’s a great “knock knock” joke in there with a punch line involving sucking ;-)
Allan, yes our friend Willie (then at Accenture) told Jen Bonnett and me about how awesome you, Steve and LessConf 2009 would be. On his recommendation, Jen and I signed up among the first 100. I asked to sit at your table which was crazy fun (especially when you had our table to burst into laughter at Steve periodically and he didn’t know why!)
Jen and I jumped in her convertible and road-tripped it down to beautiful Jacksonville. I thought we were on our way to a Ruby on Rails developers conference and wondered what the heck I’d been smokin’ when I signed up.
When we arrived, the hotel seemed to be having a hookers convention the same weekend which was most interesting. The next day, we were blown away with the quality of speakers you and Steve had assembled. Each one was keynote worthy if not conference worthy. The content and the general irreverence and humor of you and Steve made it our new favorite conference. Jen said it was the best one-day conference she’d been to in 25 years.
Thank you for bringing it to Atlanta here in 3010. Wherever you hold it next year, I’ll be there.
This is the killerest wrap-up post ever. Didn’t know it worked out like that, but I’m thrilled to hear it. LessConf is like the golden child of tech conferences—nothing but home runs.
You guys deserve the success. Cheers and see you again very soon.
I heard about Less Conference last year as the first one was about to happen…about the same time I was researching LessAccounting for clients and enjoying Allan Branch’s twitter conversations…there are just some things you just gotta ask to do….(we won’t mention the groveling)
and Allan graciously said yes.
Amazing group of folks you gathered and it was my privilege to be a aprt.
Great blog post, but when’s the book coming out? ;)
LessConf was seriously amazing, Allan. Sorry I didn’t get a chance to thank you more in person.
It was my birthday weekend, sorry i missed out, i was stalking #lessconf. Sounds like it was double awesome as last year in Jax.
Congrats on making it all happen. Nice post, funny how these things seem to work itself out.
I love you, friend.
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