February IPVM Conference Florida?

JH
John Honovich
Oct 14, 2014
IPVM

We are putting together an IPVM conference for this February (2015) in Florida.

What are your thoughts on date and location?

We are considering second or third week of February - week of Feb 9th or week of Feb 16th. This is around Valentine's Day and spring recesses to accommodate anyone who wants to make a mini vacation around it.

Orlando is our proposed location, given its many flight options, local attractions, etc.

In terms of content and size, we are thinking about a smaller, more intimate event where we go in-depth on business and technology topics. We'll get into more details on topics later, first wanted to see if dates and location are acceptable.

What do you think?

VOTE - POLL

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UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
Oct 14, 2014

My opinon would be to hold it in conjuction with an exising conference ( ISC west). There seems to be so many different conferences, training, workshops, and job sites during the year requiring travel to add another one seems unnecessary.

If the goal is to just have a small gathering( not sure what number counts as small in this reference) than a seperate date would help attain that goal.

I do like the idea and hope it can become an annual event.

JH
John Honovich
Oct 14, 2014
IPVM

Small = ~50 attendees

From doing past conferences, the closer one gets to 100, the harder it is to physically hear others and to communicate directly.

Also, given that there will be 5 of us from IPVM there, we want it to be small enough that we can personally interact with everyone.

The challenge we found in holding it alongside existing events is that (1) people are busy jumping from thing to thing on those events and (2) we need to cover those events so we are busy as well.

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Ross Vander Klok
Oct 16, 2014
IPVMU Certified

I agree John, but what about having it a day or two after ISC? If it is too busy this first time trying it, you know next time have a stand alone event. I think I can get the budget to fly somewhere if it is killing two birds with one stone. At least that is the way it works at my company!

JH
John Honovich
Oct 16, 2014
IPVM

ISC West is a three day event (next year - Wed / Thursday / Friday), so it's hard to fit anything else in around it.

Again, our main responsibility is to cover such events, so we would need to not cover ISC to hold an event at the same time.

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Ross Vander Klok
Oct 16, 2014
IPVMU Certified

Ahhh OK. I was thinking ISC was Mon-Wed

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #2
Oct 14, 2014
I'm very interested in attending. Suggest we consider the coast. Samibel and Captiva islands are gorgeous. I'd love to avoid Orlando if possible. Tampa and Fort Myers are decent airports. Thoughts?
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JH
John Honovich
Oct 14, 2014
IPVM

"Samibel and Captiva islands are gorgeous."

Heh, how about Hawaii? ;)

The main thing with islands is that they take longer and are harder to get to, so that is my concern.

I like Tampa but my perception is that overall more people would want Orlando. I could go either way.

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Luis Carmona
Oct 14, 2014
Geutebruck USA • IPVMU Certified

Orlando is a has been. I vote Tampa! We need the money. Our football team sucks.

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KL
Keefe Lovgren
Oct 14, 2014
IPVMU Certified

north dakota is nice in february...

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JH
John Honovich
Oct 14, 2014
IPVM

That settles it, we are having it at Keefe's house! :)

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #2
Oct 14, 2014
What about Ft Lauderdsle or Miami -- easy in and out. Beach and resoanably inexpensive.
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John Bazyk
Oct 14, 2014
Command Corporation • IPVMU Certified

I like the idea of a conference, if baby #2 wasnt due in March I would be there for sure. I am still young so meeting up with veterans in a non-competitve envoirment is very appeaing.

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MC
Margarita Castillo
Oct 14, 2014

Albuquerque is perfect in February! :D

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Luis Carmona
Oct 14, 2014
Geutebruck USA • IPVMU Certified

If not Tampa then Orlando is second choice.

(1)
UI
Undisclosed Integrator #3
Oct 14, 2014

I am planning on taking a mini vacation to Islamorada, FL on the weekend of the 14th so I would vote for something in the Ft. Lauderdale/Miami area.

JH
John Honovich
Oct 14, 2014
IPVM

I added a poll, Please vote:

PK
Peter Knezevich
Oct 14, 2014

Very interested in attending. I live in Miami. Orlando would be good.

JG
John Grocke
Oct 14, 2014

Orlando. I like sleeping in my own bed. :)

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Chris Lanier
Oct 14, 2014

Dear John & Gang- FL definitely the safest weather choice and I would want to attend wherever you hold this event. As for better national representation, possibly a venue close to DFW Airport? Center of country permits one leg flights for most, plenty of hotel space a shuttle ride away, etc.

Thanks for soliciting comments. Keep us posted!

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John Bazyk
Oct 14, 2014
Command Corporation • IPVMU Certified

I'm not to sure about DFW, if you go there you may need some protection.

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Chris Lanier
Oct 14, 2014

Ahh, yes- IPVM logo'ed and issued, courtesy economy haz mat suits. An attendee bonus!

JG
John Grocke
Oct 16, 2014

In February in Florida it could be 80 and sunny or 40 and rainy, all on the same day. The joke here that time of year is: "If you don't like the weather, wait a few hours it will change.".

GW
George Whittaker
Oct 21, 2014

...in Florida it could be 80 and sunny or 40 and rainy...

in Celsius that is...

TG
Tedor Gligorich
Oct 14, 2014

If everything else falls at your wayside, I can only offer up Belgrade.  Sistar can stay with aunt, (her i dont nevr mind),and then have extra 2 rooms / 5 beds with a few pleasantrys thrown around.  Look, how our plane is standing by at the ready, set to go off!

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Michael Anderson
Oct 15, 2014

I like the dates, but not Orlando. If it is closer to holiday's and recesses it might be that flights/hotel/etc... may be more expensive/difficult. IMHO.

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JH
Jerome Humery
Oct 16, 2014

I find that smaller more intimate settings make for better conference settings. Orlando is one big cliche and the last place I want to visit.

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Dave Fowler
Oct 16, 2014
IPVMU Certified

Don't know how many of IPVM members may also attend the annual TechSec Solutions conference but they are holding their conference Feb 3-4 in Delray Beach, FL (25 miles north of Ft Lauderdale) so you may want to consider hosting your conference at least a couple of weeks or more after this one http://www.techsecsol.com/index.php

I like the idea of a IPVM conference and I prefer the beach locales the best like Ft Lauderdale or Tampa. Another possibility you may want to consider in Florida is Jacksonville and it's many wonderful, smaller resort facilities such as you can find on Amelia Island or in St Augustine -- just a thought!

JH
John Honovich
Oct 16, 2014
IPVM

Thanks for the feedback. The beach aspect we'll take into consideration.

I am not concerned about TechSec. Quite frankly, most of the people who go there, I don't want to come to an IPVM event, because TechSec is filled with people who care more about marketing and puffery than honest discourse.

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UE
Undisclosed End User #4
Oct 16, 2014

really?? anyone been to these things more than once knows the puffery is rarely as good as it looked in the brochure. case in point: last event i was at the coffee ran cold, the bagels had no holes and you could make bank shots off the wall with the scones...(with practice)

AW
Andrew Widmayer
Oct 16, 2014

Daytona Beach has the conference rooms and hotels, but later in the year for good beach weather. City has Bike Week in February as well, so look at the calendar. Daytona is costal, half way down the peninsula, has it's own airport. Hilton on the Beach, other hotel choices as well and next year, a Hard Rock Hotel

JG
John Grocke
Oct 16, 2014

Daytona Bike Week 2015 is March 6th-15th.

I like Daytona, it's 20 minutes from my house.

OK
Olaf Kreutz
Oct 16, 2014

I would actually prefer Hawaii, John!!!

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #5
Oct 16, 2014

Very interested for 2 persons from Jmaica if conference is in Fort Lauderdale or Miami

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Robert Baxter
Oct 20, 2014

My thoughts are inline with integrator A.

What is critical - what is the education content. I am very disappointed with the education content of most conferences I attend. It seems the networking is the only benefit.

The location should be secondary. Frankly, Hawaii is perfect -good luck getting me off the beach!

Back to the education. Case study presentations would be interesting. Breaking the audience in small groups working on a problem to propose a design to discover best practices would be interesting.

Suggest that education topics be a good discussion topic.

Back to Integrator A comments - my year is full and piggy backing another conference (ISC WEST) either a day earlier or later would be an easy decision.

UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #6
Oct 20, 2014

I gotta go with Ft. Lauderdale. It's a direct cross country flight from LAX for two different cheap airlines. Plus it's a cool place to relax with better price points for hotels now that it's lost the whole "Spring Break" bullshit.

BP
Brad Pyles
Oct 20, 2014

Your past member meeting were great, I would attend either way.

MR
Mike Reding
Oct 20, 2014

I understand your reasons for not having concurrently with another event however I would still vote for the days prior to ISC West......even skip a day between your conference and the ISC event. It is just hard to budget time and money for another event. ISC and ASIS already kills the week so just take your piece of it in front.

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JH
John Honovich
Oct 20, 2014
IPVM

Mike, we have had day long meeting / events during ASIS / ISC and they are challenging to do, as explained above.

I certainly see the financial / logistical upsides, but I am weighed more by the downsides of trying to pack it into an already busy period.

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Luis Carmona
Oct 20, 2014
Geutebruck USA • IPVMU Certified

One of the drawbacks I think trying to "attach" the conference to either ISC West or ASIS are the pre- and post- events usually around ISC and ASIS. Trainings, keynotes, meetings golf, etc. Also, a lot of people don't stay the last day or show up late. So there is either a "dead day" or days if you plan the conference before or after anything that might happen at the ISC/ASIS shows, or you might have conflicts of you plan the conference directly after or before the floor shows only and not the pre and post events.

JH
John Honovich
Oct 20, 2014
IPVM

The feedback has been great. Thanks!

Realistically, there's no way to make it work for everyone, especially since we are dealing with traveling and taking time away from the office.

For this one, as I mentioned above, we are going to keep it small (~50). We'll then see how to evolve it in the future.

Thanks again.

AD
Andrew DeMattos
Oct 20, 2014
IPVMU Certified
What would the potential costs be for attending event?
JH
John Honovich
Oct 22, 2014
IPVM

Andrew,

Here's the rough plan for the event and pricing:

4 day conference divided into 2 parts: 2 days Business, 2 days Technology.

The technology days center around hands on experimentation with new products (cameras, VMS, analytics, etc.) from the IPVM lab, where we explain and show improvements, issues, advanced options, etc.

The business days focus on competitive strategy issues, like what manufacturers are gaining or losing ground, what are the key differentiators for different segments, what are the best ways to market / position one's company, etc.

All days include all meals - breakfast, lunch and dinner.

People can choose to come to either of the 2 day parts or the full 4 days.

Pricing is planned at $1599 for 4 days, $999 for 2 days (tech or business)

Let me know if you have feedback.

John

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