Sy Sims, Socrates, Pandora, and the Peabody Ducks: Why You Will Benefit from the Red Diamond Congress 2011

Most of us receive dozens if not hundreds of emails each day. Just how many will reference Sy Syms (clothing store), Socrates, and Pandora (free internet radio service) all in the same one? Well, this one will. Read on.

I would like to introduce you to and encourage you to consider attending TSEA's Red Diamond Congress 2011 in Orlando at the beginning of August. This will be a truly different and ground-breaking event. First a little history.

Traditionally, there have always been two major annual events associated with the trade show and events industry. The Exhibitor Show is held in March in Las Vegas which is put on by Exhibitor Magazine. It features a traditional trade show along with education and networking events. TS² (the trade show about trade shows) has been held in July or August and would move from city to city each year. TS² was originally owned and produced by TSEA. Like Exhibitor, TS² featured a traditional trade show along with education sessions and networking events including a gala for the TSEA Foundation. Another purpose for the event was also to host the annual meeting of the association. TS² was the only industry event that was run by a non-profit, industry association. Several years ago, TSEA sold TS²  to a private show organizer. TSEA remained a major sponsor of the event and TS²  continued to be a conduit for its CME education program and annual meeting.

This year, the show organizer decided to not produce TS². This left TSEA without a dedicated annual event to host education and an annual meeting. Rewind to April of 2010. TSEA held their Red Diamond Congress 2010 in Orlando. The Congress brought together industry stakeholders. The sessions focused on advocacy with discussions on topics like housing practices, attendance audits, and labor issues. 

Without TS², TSEA announced Red Diamond Congress 2011 once again in Orlando, July 31-August 3 at the ultra-luxurious, AAA, Four Diamond Peabody Hotel. The RDC 2011 will focus on education, innovation, and networking events. Attendees will be trade show professionals, both active (trade show and event planners and marketing specialists) and allied (industry supplier) members. The event is sponsored by allied members and it will not feature a traditional trade show. Visit the site and browse the description of the event. The cost includes all meals and functions and the Peabody is booking rooms at $109 a night. Not a bad deal considering you get the see the famous Peabody Ducks.

Sy Syms

I grew up in Chicago and there was and still is a clothing chain named Syms. The owner was Sy Syms and they specialized in selling brand name clothing at discount prices. They never advertised the brand names in their radio ads, but there would always be Sy Syms saying "An educated consumer is our best customer." They still use that line today. We think that way at my company. The more we can help educate our customers, the better they will be at what they are doing. TSEA feels the same way. Their education is top notch, targeted towards what you need to know to take your career to the next level and is taught by experts who really know what they are talking about. Most, if not all of us associated with the trade show and event industries never really knew anything about it until we were thrown into it. College level marketing and business programs never or only lightly touched on them as sales tools. When I think back to my advertising curriculum while getting my journalism degree back in the stone age, trade shows were mentioned in the back of the book in one sentence. I think it read something like, "... oh, and there are these things called trade shows."

TSEA and events like the Red Diamond Congress are perfect for the newbie or the seasoned professional who is looking to pick up a few new ideas or share what they know. 

The best education doesn't always come from sitting in a classroom though. That's where Socrates comes in.  

Socrates

Long before Greece was in financial turmoil, some guy named Socrates was hanging out on the Parthenon's front steps with his friends and colleagues. This is a bit of revisionist history to make my point, but really no one is around who knew Socrates, so let's just run with it. The Socratic Method is a dialectical method, involving discussion in which the defense of one point of view is pitted against the defense of another. So by discussing and considering alternative points of view, truths can be discovered. To me, this is really the strength and philosophy of events like the Red Diamond Congress. By having group and one-on-one conversations and discussions with peers on both sides of the fence, we can better work to discover real solutions. Books and Tweets and Go To Meetings are great, but there is nothing like face-to-face to accelerate that process. Red Diamond provides that.   

Pandora

Last year, my teenage son changed my world when he loaded an app on my iPhone called Pandora. He scolded me for only using the apps that the phone came with. I told him that was not so. I always use the flashlight app to help read menus in restaurants. Pandora actually reads the songs you have loaded on your device and creates your own internet radio station by searching out and playing only the type of music you, supposedly like. Cool. No more downloads or searching for song titles and artists I have long forgotten.

Now it is all there for me. TSEA and the Red Diamond are kind of like the Pandora app. Through committees and surveys,  our members have called for certain educational tools, like webinars and events like Red Diamond. There are critical advocacy issues that need to be addressed.  As marketing professionals, you are also required to also think strategically and make sure your implementation is spot on. And here it is --- three different tracks with sessions facilitated by seasoned professionals and qualified educators. There are networking and opportunities for group and one-on-one discussions. There is nothing to download or search aimlessly for. Like Pandora, it is all there for you.

Please take the time to look at the Red Diamond site and investigate if this is right for you. I will tell you that while I am on the board of directors of TSEA, our participation and involvement as an organization has only helped in how we service you-the customer and bring our products and services to market. After being involved in the first Red Diamond Congress and another face-to-face event earlier this year, I can only try and relay to you the value of this kind of format. We support it and, in turn, hopefully support you in doing your job better and more effectively. If you have any questions, contact TSEA. You don't have to be a member, but by signing up, you will become one and will start to experience the benefits of TSEA membership.

About the Author

Steven Moskal is President of Prairie Display/Chicago and a member of the TSEA Board of Directors