Re: Vendors flaking out
Re: Vendors flaking out
- Subject: Re: Vendors flaking out
- From: Janice Kempf <email@hidden>
- Date: Sat, 24 Aug 2002 16:52:02 -0700
>
I have to say I have had the same thing happen to our group.
Annoying ..... isn't it? It's like throwing a huge dinner party, or
birthday party, and the guest of honor decides not to show. It's *not*
something we as MUG leaders, take lightly. There is a tremendous amount of
energy, stress, planning, publicizing, & arm-twisting involved when you know
you have a guest speaker. Right? We want to show them how great our MUG is
... only to have it become a huge emotional letdown.
>
At the time I thought it was because it had been arranged on short notice. You
people are not instilling any great confidence in me towards theses vendors.
If you have a large membership, and can pretty much guarantee that you will
have at least 100 people attend, most vendors will not flake out on you. It
seems to me that unless you happen to be a *major* MUG, or that is in the
right media marketplace, or has a HUGE membership that cannot be ignored,
it's a crap shoot. Have a backup plan just in case : )
>
The MUG Centers calendar). Am I not to take these people at their word? We are
>
getting ready to make a big promotional push in our community about these
Maybe we should start a "Vendor: Shame On You, We Won't Support You
Anymore!" list, like the vendors do to MUG's that don't get their reviews
turned in. <lol>
We are their customers and their most vocal supporters. With today's
economy, corporate investigations, the state of the stock market, and
particularly tech. stocks & dot coms, I feel that rather than the MUG's
having to beg vendors, or walk around on tiptoes for fear of offending and
being blacklisted, they should be seriously courting the MUG's and all User
Groups.
>
companies coming. We are making a point to let people know that some of our
>
presentations will be cross-platform also.
vendors love cross-platform meetings - they are there to sell, and if they
can get all platforms at one shot, the better.
>
Not only will that not win
>
over any new converts but it will also damage our credibility as a group.
If you go to a concert and the headliner is a "no-show", do you get mad at
TicketMasters? No, you get mad at the performer and vow never to buy their
CD's again <lol>
I have never felt that this unfortunate behavior reflected on the
credibility of our MUG, but rather on the integrity and credibility of the
vendor. User Groups are made up of people - potential customers - who have
been blown off and disappointed. Surely vendors must realize that this is
the lingering impression these "people/potential customers" go home with and
share with their friends & family.
MUG members have other computer friends, that talk to other computer
friends, etc., and so on .... Word of mouth (esp. when compounded by e-mail,
discussion lists & forums), is very powerful!
As I recently read: "The industry has forgotten the adage that it should
"leave the dance with the date that brung 'em."
>
Can I get some thoughts on this?
These are my thoughts and opinions - YMMV : ) Thanks for asking, Sid.
Janice
>
Sid Pevear
>
President
>
Macintosh Chico User Group
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