Caribbean Ideas hosted the Caribbean Digital Expo at The Hyatt Trinidad on November 22, 2011 – the first conference of its kind in the Caribbean. I had the opportunity to attend thanks to the public relations company I freelance with, Benchmark Communications Limited. They provide PR services for bpTT, a gold sponsor at the event…so *ahem* I was there to ‘work’.
CDX sign outside the conference hall. Image courtesy Nadia Rampersad (@MizNadia)
We heard speakers like Jennifer Kattula, Head of Agency Marketing at Facebook and Sean Killen, Regional Director, Caribbean for RIM/Blackberry.
It was a pretty well organised event, and although a lot of the content was nothing new to me, it was still worth attending. Here’s what I learnt.
1. I Like Conferences
This was my first real conference experience and overall, it was pretty cool…once I found the place. (I was a Hyatt virgin and there were no signs around the place pointing to where CDX was going to be held. Even the concierge I asked sent me in the wrong building!)
I liked being at a conference that was about something I was interested in. It was good to meet people who I only knew from a Twitter handle and avatar. I felt like a real business person.
2. There Are Real Business Opportunities At Conferences
Even if you’re not a presenter, sponsor or exhibitor at a conference, there are still real business opportunities at conferences. Speak to people genuinely, ask questions or make informed comments during Q&A sessions. Seek out other people who asked questions or even eavesdrop on other conversations. Start a conversation with them and let them know you can help.
People will find you and ask for your business card. Oh, and make sure you have them with you at a conference. I left mine at home and had only three in my wallet. But, of the three people I gave my card to, at least one of them will turn into an opportunity that will more than cover the ticket price…had I paid 
3. Go Big Or Go Home
If you want to win contracts with the big brands/businesses, you have to go big. You must do big things to get noticed (like host the first ever conference on digital business in the Caribbean). If you don’t, as we say in Trinidad: salt!
4. If You Have A Good Idea, Execute It
Chike of Caribbean Ideas said to me that he got the idea for the conference while watching a live stream of an event and thought “Why not?” This was a great idea and they executed it pretty well.
Here’s what Caribbean Ideas managed to get out of this:
- a nice profit on an event
- his business in front of some of Trinidad & Tobago’s biggest brands: exactly his target market
- a new brand and business (Caribbean Digital Expo) to call their own and to make even more money from next time
So if you’ve got a great idea of your own, take inspiration from Chike and execute it well. You will be rewarded handsomely.
5. It’s Important To Have A Personal Brand
You go to a conference and you just know who some people are. You’ve seen them online, in the paper or on the television. They’re the ones everyone wants to speak with. You know what they do and what they’re affiliated with. They’re people like Karel McIntosh, Caroline Taylor and Danielle Jones.
You too can have a personal brand and it’s important for your business or employer that you have one. A personal brand means money in your pocket.
6. ‘Online’ People Are Real People Just Like You
The people you interact with online on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn Groups and forums are – for the most part – real people, just like you. If you spot them, say hi. You’ll never know what will happen if you don’t. (Even the people with the big ‘personal brands’.)
Maybe a business opportunity or a real friend. Or you’ll realise they’re just as big a douche in person as they are online. Who knows?
Twitter people: from left, me, @sanman_ish, Karel of @outlishmagazine and @maxnavie of Trinidad Guardian. Image courtesy Benchmark Communications Limited.
7. There’s Space In The Market For People Like Me
From some of the questions that were asked and the presentations, I realised that there is space in the market for the little guy. Let the big agencies handle Facebook Pages and Blackberry apps for the big, consumer-facing brands.
I’ll continue to market my services and become known as the go-to guy for real internet marketing for small and medium-sized businesses. These are businesses that need to generate real business leads; not Facebook fans. That’s my target market.
These businesses need help with websites and content that gets them looking like experts in their fields (and building personal brands). They need help with effective advertising so that they don’t waste small marketing budgets on things like half-page brand advertising in the newspaper. Instead, they’ll spend it on direct marketing ads that integrate with their website to collect visitor leads. Integration was a key theme of conference.
Conclusion
In the end, Caribbean Digital Expo was worth attending. I met some people and handed out a few business cards that might come through for me.
Congrats to Chike and the team at Caribbean Ideas for a job well done. Maybe in a couple years they’ll invite me to speak about Search Marketing.
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