Convention Insider (Conventions.net)

Tradition – Webster’s tells us it is:

1 a : an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior (as a religious practice or a social custom) b : a belief or story or a body of beliefs or stories relating to the past that are commonly accepted as historical though not verifiable 2 : the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction 3 : cultural continuity in social attitudes, customs, and institutions.  It’s something we all look forward to and can count on.

This is exactly how you want people to look at your next trade show or convention.  You want people to count on it year after year so that they make their reservation early and make them every year.  Yours needs to be the first thing they tell their peers that they should attend.  These three tips should make it a convention that is a tradition every year.

• Location – The location of your event is crucial to it being a tradition.  If you have an event every year at a different location it cannot become the go to event everyone looks forward to attending.  I love to hear “I will see you this year in Vegas?” That means they are already thinking of your event and when they give the location where they will see you next it means they are locked in to attending.
• Timing – Having your event every year at the same time makes it a tradition that everyone will remember. I go every year to SXSW in Austin, Texas in the Spring.  I know it is in the Spring because they call it “Spring Break For Geeks”.  I also know that every year they have it in Austin and I can count on making arrangements a year in advance.  I know I will be doing that event in the springtime.
• Program – Having the same type of program year after year allows you to make it a tradition for your speakers and exhibitors and your sponsors.  They love things that they can plan on and love it even more when you make it easy for them to stay in a groove so they can see what works best for them.  Stay with a program of breakout sessions and other typical actions of your event.

These tips will allow your event to become a tradition in your industry.  Becoming a tradition is crucial to making your event a success both financially and in the eyes of attendees, exhibitors and sponsors.  In a sense that makes it cyclical which is also somewhat of a tradition.

[photo via acameronhuff]

The beautiful Austin Convention Center is a busy place, and there’s a good reason for that.

The Austin Convention Center is a busy place because it has such awesome facilities for any kind of convention, conference, trade show, corporate retreat, reunion, reception, along with plenty of handy parking, more-than-enough electrical outlets, reliable internet access, and, and, and, well, what else could anyone need for a meetup?

In fact, RIGHT NOW, the Austin Convention Center is hosting the huge and diverse South by Southwest Conference (SXSW) and is being featured on Twitter, etc, possibly more than any other keyword this weekend.           

Just understanding the complexity of this particular conference will help you understand the diversity of the Austin Convention Center; it is quite capable of handling thousands of techies, musicians, bands, bloggers, podcasters, speakers, and hands-on “stuff” of every conceivable kind, without batting an eyelash.  I’ve heard, too, that “things” are going quite smoothly in Austin, which is also an excellent advertisement for the conference center.

If you are interested in having your next conference/convention/retreat/trade show, etc, in a beautiful city with an enviable climate, in a venue that will turn itself inside out to accommodate your any and every need, you might want to consider the Austin Convention Center.

Here’s how to contact the Austin Convention Center:

Austin Convention Center Department

Mark Tester, Director
Monica Hammond, Assistant Director – Convention Center Operations
Darin Upchurch, Assistant Director – Finance / Palmer Events Center
Paul Barnes, Assistant Director – Sales, Marketing and Event Services
Michele Gizelbach, Chief Financial Manager
Lisa Kidder, Director of Sales
Alycia Sparkman, Event and Exhibitor Services Manager
Joe Gonzalez, IT Services Manager
Terri McBride, Public Information Specialist / Media Relations
Van Jobe, Manager – Guest Services and Purchasing

Palmer Events Center

Darin Upchurch, Assistant Director
Rusty Nabors, Sales and Events Manager

Employment Opportunities

Physical Address

Austin Convention Center
500 East Cesar Chavez Street
Austin, TX 78701
Ph: 512.404.4000
FAX: 512.404.4416

Palmer Events Center
900 Barton Springs
Austin, TX 78704
Ph: 512.404.4500
FAX: 512.404.4422
www.palmereventscenter.com

Mailing Address Austin Convention Center, Palmer Events Center
P.O. Box 1088
Austin, TX 78767