I just got off a couple big speaking engagements, I have a few more coming up fast, and I have client work that will fall by the wayside if I take this upcoming weekend to go ‘network’ with thousands of my social media colleagues.

Will I miss the barbecue? Will I miss the booze? Will I miss the conversations?

Most certainly.

If you talk to anyone, this event is worthy of your attendance if you do anything in marketing, technology, social media or content. It’s got a target audience that any brand would be thrilled to reach. And it’s one non-stop, energy-packed party.

But, if you chill your heart for a moment and take a look at the event with a green eyeshade on, you might see it differently. As I said in my post earlier this year, I wasn’t going to go if I wasn’t being paid to be there. It didn’t make financial sense then and it still doesn’t. Here’s the nuts and bolts for those of you that still scream, “but the booze is mostly free, the parties are all open and you can get food on the cheap! How can it be expensive?”

Let’s start with the hotel.

$2121.75 for a room at the Hilton Austin from 3/11 to 3/16

$489 for a roundtrip flight on JetBlue – the #nerdbird – if you booked by January 1. The flight no longer has space and similar flights are now upwards of $1400 for that same trip.

$500 for entertaining, meals, incidentals and so forth. This includes the meals you’re going to have to eat. The after-party drinking that takes place. The parties that don’t really give free booze. And the Starbucks you’re going to need each morning.

$2000 for the work I would leave on the table by being absent for six days – my clients often require me to work onsite, so if I’m not around I don’t get paid.

$1250 for the speaking gig I would have to abandon because I’d be out of town. My rate averages between $500 and $2500 for a training session, so it’s fair to price that as possible lost revenue.

So, if you take a pencil to these numbers, you can easily see – even if I estimate low – that I would be spending around $6000 to go south this weekend and party like it’s 2011. That validates my earlier post about not going if I’m not getting paid to be there. And it mirrors to some degree what some other folks have said about not attending this year either.

I still wish I were going. I’m gonna miss it horribly. But for me, there really are 6000 reasons not to go this year.

© Jeff Cutler for Jeff Cutler - columns, essays and opinions, 2011. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: #sxsw, Austin, BBQ, convention, Jeff Cutler, mike langford, networking, nomx3, revenue, robert scoble, strout, training

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Food is near and dear to my heart. I’ve been through times and situations where I wasn’t allowed to eat solid food for six weeks and times when I was on a liquid diet for months. But I’ve also been feted at the most luxurious restaurants on earth and have dined on food that still makes me sigh orgasmically.

With that preface in mind, the meal I had last week in Las Vegas was top-notch and as memorable as any other on record. Here’s the situation…

I was in Las Vegas on business and my friend Kevin Palmer sent me a message. It implied that Kevin had set me up with either the folks at Caesar’s or Aria Hotel and they were going to take care of me. Being a skeptical human, I wasn’t sure whether I should believe Kevin and thought nothing of his note until I got a Twitter update from @arialv.

It said that Aria would like to speak with me privately about having a meal at one of the signature, on-site restaurants….Jean Georges Steakhouse.

Aria and I traded a few emails and it was decided. I would dine at Jean Georges with a friend and I would be the guest of Aria Hotel.

WHAT?! That’s right. As guest of the hotel I could order anything I wanted and my only obligation was to enjoy myself. Well, I did that all right.

With Kristina and Reggie and Taron waiting on us (I took my friend Derek Wilmot to dinner as an objective observer), we experienced all five, six or seven stars Jean Georges had to offer. We started with wine.

Beginning with wine at the table (see photos above of handwritten note from Reggie for what we had), we chose the tasting menu and set ourselves up for a treat. Here’s that menu…

© Jeff Cutler for Jeff Cutler - columns, essays and opinions, 2011. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: aria hotel, CES, food, Jeff Cutler, Las Vegas, nomx3, review

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Want the W’s? Here you go…

Who – Jeff and NomX3 looking for a catering company to assist us with an on-site office lunch taping.

What – I dropped the ball and waited far too long to contact our catering sponsor. When I finally called, they were in a time crunch and were short staffed. So I needed to find a restaurant that offers a variety of food options and could handle the short-notice of catering for an office crowd.

When – Today, just minutes ago. Seriously. I tweeted my problem at 9:30, I had an answer by 10. Boloco also does catering if you weren’t aware. Seriously! And they do it with style.

So, the hero in this play of Jeff’s planning mishap is Boloco. Really. The burrito chain has been open and supportive in the past and I asked if they might have the bandwidth to assist our show with some food for a small office. They didn’t blink. In 15 minutes we had hashed out a menu and plan for today that got me out of a bind and further cemented my belief that there is a right way to run a business. Look at Boloco and that’s the right way.

Now, I’m running around the house trying to collect the cats and get out the door. But my major concern for today was the food for NomX3 at Kel & Partners in Southie and that’s taken care of.

Do you have a favorite favor story? Either where you helped someone or they helped you? Please share it. In today’s world of SocMed connected people and organizations, it’s much more likely that people you’ve only met online have reached out to help you out of a bind.

© Jeff Cutler for Jeff Cutler - columns, essays and opinions, 2010. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: boloco, food, lunch, nomx3, social media

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At a late morning meeting recently with a fellow entrepreneur, as we were wrapping up I mentioned my next meeting had been postponed and asked if he had time to grab a bite to eat and he responded how lucky I was to “afford the luxury of lunch.”

His comment made me realize that life and business are really about choices.  Maybe it is because I grew up in a food town or have a family whose reunions and vacations revolve around meals but to me the most important meetings on my calendar involve the people I want to break bread with.

Meeting over a meal allows you to get to know your client, prospect or colleague both professionally and personally.  I guess I should admit that I am not a big capabilities presentation or PowerPoint person so having a conversation over a meal really plays to my strengths.  It can be awkward to take notes over linguini so having a good memory for details and follow up is critical.  A few friendly tips that might also be helpful:

• Choose a restaurant where you can have a conversation without screaming over the noise

• Order food that is not too complicated or messy to eat while chatting

• Turn off your cell phone and PDAs, there is nothing that sends a signal that your time and presence matter more than giving someone your undivided attention at all times

• Don’t just talk shop, ask about their interests, hobbies, travels.  Getting to know what makes people tick will help you be a better strategist, coach, boss, colleague, consultant and friend.

Bottom line is that I do not see lunch as a luxury.  The body needs nourishment several times over the course of a day so you really do need to stop and eat every now and then.  Meals used to be a pleasure, something you enjoyed not a quick distraction while on the go or in your car to relive a splitting headache.  So, do you have time to grab a bite?

© Jeff Cutler for Jeff Cutler - columns, essays and opinions, 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: lunch, mavens and moguls, nomx3

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I play a little poker and I’m pretty mediocre. I wouldn’t lose a bunch of money, but for a while I was slightly addicted. Not in a bad way…like my Internet addiction (doing email on a rainy Sunday when I could be having breakfast and putting photos of it up on NomX3 or WWJCE)…but I’d play frequently and lose about 52% of the time.

You might look at that figure and think I really stink, but if my math is correct, that means I’m losing about 2% of the time and doing OK the rest of the time. Not horrible at all.

I only got to be that good through the support of a friend of mine. He urged me to watch other players, read books on the game, and to analyze my own strategy.

Chris’ message today is one of support. Of how Andy helped out another player at the table. A big-time poker pro giving someone a little benefit just because he could.

It’s a lesson that if we have the tools at our disposal to help someone – regardless of whether we’ve gotten along in the past or whether our policies/beliefs align – what does it hurt to help out?

To me, this means putting in a good word for someone if you can. Introducing them to smarter people (that’s how we all improve). Going to their events and getting others to go. Making whatever community you’re a part of more cohesive instead of divisive.

Maybe I’m still groggy this morning and it’s making me sentimental.

Or maybe the rain is allowing me to see with clarity that if we don’t do unto others and share our support, friendships and relationships will wash away.

How are you helping support the people in your community?

Keep reading!

© Jeff Cutler for Jeff Cutler - columns, essays and opinions, 2009. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Boston, Chris Brogan, Las Vegas, nomx3, poker, sitboaf, Tweetups, WWJCE

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