My 2009 ERA D2C Experience – Blog, Twitter, Social Media and All

(Jennifer Crawford of HSN, Sullivan Productions, and QVC England was our host for the corporate promotion. Yes, she accidentally bumps into Anthony Sullivan as he’s filming “PitchMen!”)

Throughout all the chaos of having my flight changed from the company jet to Northwest Airlines – with a layover in Minneapolis – so the team could make room to pick up pitchmen Anthony Sullivan and friends in Colorado Springs, it hadn’t registered that I was going to be in Las Vegas for a few days – with room, board, and adventures paid. Through McCarron Airport, the airline gate slot machines, and the long walk to baggage claim, I was still not thinkin’ about it. Down the escalator and to the limo driver – Stephen – who was holding up my name on a sign, nothing triggered a giddiness within me. The limo ride down the strip, checking in, droppin’ off the luggage, and then meeting the sales team at Caesar’s, at no time did I get overwhelmed by the fact I was in Las Vegas.

“How did Finn find us so easily?” asked my new-new-new boss, Mitch.

It’s Because Las Vegas Feels Like Home to Me

I guess I worked along the riverboats too long, but the lights, the sounds, the energy, it’s like coming home.

I’m not a gambler. I hope to get back into playing tournament-style poker, but I expect to see what I see when I get there much like I expect the fireplace to be my view when I walk through the front door of my mother’s house.

Most people get excited when they go to Vegas. I tend to relax. It made it easier to work.

It worked out well too because while all the melee of the Paris Hotel convention floor was going on around me, I was able to stay focused. I was running multiple Twitter accounts.

2017 Update: Actually, it was Twitter 5 accounts I was logged into so I could syndicate tweets every time we liveblogged a new inventor who just finished auditioning for Season Two of “Pitchmen” and wanted to stop over and talk to Crawford about it.

If I recall, they were the following Twitter accounts:

• Mine
• The company’s
• Our As Seen on TV brand’s
• The company’s SEO account
• The boss

Now that I think about it, I think I was syndicating with Crawford’s account, too.

Mine we running through Hootsuite. Most everyone else’s was in Tweetdeck. I think the Brand and the company were in Seesmic (RIP Seesmic). They were running through two laptops, which was a bit of a pain but the two screens allowed me to track 10 keyword conversations at the same time via the three platforms. Most of the conversations were hashtag-related to the ERA D2C, Pitchmen, Billy Mays, As Seen on TV, and Anthony Sullivan.

No wonder the days flew by.

And not just broadcasting, but monitoring and engaging in discussions that focused around the topics. I was also displaying my very amateur photography skills with the camera while running the the still video camera, monitoring the broadcast streams and cataloging clips on UStream, liveblogging. and running the company booth by ways of directing traffic and engaging with clients who were looking for our busy Account Executives.

Our social media marketing efforts captured the attention of Billy Mays, III.

“Nobody else is doing this here,” he shouted in my ear. Billy 3, like his father, is actually soft-spoken so it wasn’t too loud.

I also had a great time getting to know the crews of both Discovery Channel’s “PitchMen!” and CBS Radio’s “The Big Biz Show.” Both productions were flittered with good peoples.

I’m told I did very well. I don’t know if I would have done as well at my first trade show were it not in Las Vegas. So to that silver city, I say, “thank you.”

I also thank my company, the Big Biz Show crew, the PitchMen crew, and to all the people I met while in Las Vegas.

I hope the time comes around where I get to do that again.