**UPDATE** Danny dropped by and made a couple of great comments on yesterday’s post about SES that I wanted to address. In hindsight, we could have been a lot clearer about where we stand on Search Engine Strategies. Our intent with this post wasn’t to roast SES. It’s still the “Super Bowl” of search to [...]
**UPDATE**
Danny dropped by and made a couple of great comments on yesterday’s post about SES that I wanted to address.
In hindsight, we could have been a lot clearer about where we stand on Search Engine Strategies. Our intent with this post wasn’t to roast SES. It’s still the “Super Bowl” of search to us – there’s not another conference that even comes close to the level of content, or search industry presence, and we make it a point to attend every U.S. show.
The point that I was trying to make (and poorly, I might add) is that the explosive growth of search has resulted in really explosive growth in the number of SES attendees that are part of the industry – namely other SEMs, SEOs, engine reps and all of the other technologies and service firms that make up the search community. According to the SES website, the NY show had 60 exhibitors in 2004. The 2005 show had 108. That’s almost double the amount of companies, each of whom is likely sending more than one or two representatives to man their booths, and meet and greet attendees. There are definitely new people at every show, but how many of them are buy side and how many are sell side? In my own experience it’s skewed rather generously to the latter – of course, your mileage may vary.
And that doesn’t even factor in the investment community, which has taken an increasing amount of interest in in our “little” industry – especially since Google’s IPO.
Danny made a really valid point – Reprise hasn’t exhibited at SES in the past. That’s true. (Although we have sponsored it – I know it’s not the same thing). And it’s always easy to think that the grass is browner on the other side of the fence. However, I’ve been involved with the show since 2000, first as an exhibitor and attendee during my tenure at Ask Jeeves, and more recently with the speaking side of the house. In my personal experience, and through conversations with other exhibitors, SES seems to be more heavily populated with competitors and partners than with prospective clients that are looking to do business. Again, that’s just my point of view.
That’s not to say that we haven’t met clients through SES – in fact, it’s the opposite. We always seem to come home with a few really strong business leads, even despite the fact that we haven’t exhibited. However, when we look back at the new contacts we’ve made after each show, a much larger percentage are new contacts at the engines, tools providers, potential partners and other search companies – all valuable and crucial to our business in their own way.
SearchViews aims to represent the collective experience and perspective of Reprise Media – something that our Editor usually does a great job with. In this case, due to a number of factors, the post ended up being primarily my perspective. Peter and Josh have made it abundantly clear that they don’t agree with most of the points I’ve made. We’ve agreed to disagree.
-Anthony Iaffaldano
Director of Marketing
Reprise Media
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Are search events such as SES a waste of time? That’s the issue being discussed over on Threadwatch, in a thread titled The Problem with Search Conferences.
With most Reprise Media execs having attended nearly every SES since 2001, we can certainly weigh in with our opinion.
Our issue lies not with the content of the presentations, but rather with the audience itself. It seems that you see the same core group of people at every event. This group is composed of people from the SEO/SEM industry, investors, and the search engines themselves.
The SES audience has grown over the years, and that’s certainly a good thing. However, it appears as if that growth comes from the addition of more and more faces to the above-mentioned groups, rather than new business prospects.
Like many companies, one of the primary reasons we come to SES is to explore sales opportunities, which is why this can be a little frustrating. For all the travel and sponsorship expense, is what we’re getting in return a case of the choir preaching to the choir?
Still, when it comes to search events, SES is still the best show around. Of course the content is going to seem repetitive if you’ve been at it for 4 years, but if you’re new there’s no other place to get the same kind of perspectives and information.
Take a look back at our SES New York coverage starting here.
The adage goes: a question is only as good as the answer it elicits. SES is the perfect illustration, where the most active audience participants seem to be affiliate marketers from small sectors, asking each panel highly specific questions, partial to their particular local clients. And they ask about campaign details, not engine, syndication or technology issues.
I disagree. There are a huge number who do SEM internally, in house for their companies. We have many more than in the past. I’ve talked with tons of them.
If you were at the evening forum in New York, it was really noticeable when I did a hands-up. Indeed, I had to — because some of the SEM firm topics that were being raised weren’t getting full answers from the audience because there were so many in house people.
Many who do in house also outsource some of the work, so the sales prospects are there. And given that the exhibit floor keeps expanding, it’s a fair assumption that those exhibiting are finding prospects.
Ultimately, it may be that the sales prospects Reprise is seeking are going out to the expo hall. That’s appropriate — that’s what the hall is for. The editorial sessions are designed to teach people who want to educate and do SEM themselves.
If Reprise isn’t in the hall (you weren’t in NY — I don’t think you’ve ever been), then you may be missing the leads. Remember, the New York show had about 1,700 people who came to the editorial sessions. Another 2,000 or more sign-up just to do the expo. Those aren’t people likely to be wanted to do SEM for themselves. They are far more likely to be looking for help.