Jacqueline McNally wrote:
"I still have lots of long threads in my mail box from volunteers
returning from DLS, saying that they didn't have "this" and
didn't have "that" - none of which they prepared to take with
them prior to the event."
That statement really irritates me. I and several other people
tried very hard to find out before the DLS what might be provided
by or available from the official OOo marketing project for the
booth, or whether any money was available to cover the cost of
some of the needed items -- and getting no response whatsoever
from anyone at OOo, not even to say "you'll have to do it
yourself". By the time I had figured out (from the total lack of
response) that absolutely nothing was going to be available
unless we provided it ourselves, it was too late for me or anyone
to organise several things (like a banner) that we could have
done had we known that it was up to us (the volunteers attending
the event) to provide everything.
Now that I know this, the next time I volunteer to coordinate or
work at a booth, I'll see that we have everything we need. And I
(and others) will find ways to fund the things we need for the
booth. I could have done this for DLS this year, had I known it
was necessary for me to do so.
Jacqueline also said,
"I don't think simply turning up is effective. When an
organisation takes a booth at a conference, it is not that one
event that is marketing. There is the lead up press releases and
direct marketing to their clients to invite them to the booth."
I agree, and I'm sure many others besides me are quite capable of
doing these things. I've received the distinct impression,
however, that the official Marketing team does not look kindly on
ad-hoc PR and direct marketing. I hope I'm wrong about that, but
it sure seems that way. As Ian Lynch said, "just give some
encouragement to those that have already volunteered and let them
take care of it. Delegation is allowed."
Jean
