Freelance Pulse

SPOTLIGHT - FREELANCING TIPS

2009-10-14T14:00:00.000-07:00

This issue's focus will be on freelancing tips. While our business is down, this is the time to regroup, reinvent and market in new ways.

I recently went to an OC networking meeting to get some tips. I was pleasantly surprised how good it was. I didn't get the feeling that it was a bunch of unemployed people looking for work connections. Rather, it was a group of people looking to share their successes, failures and looking to gather information and arm themselves with new knowledge and contacts to grow their own businesses.

We must empower ourselves and not look to someone else to do it for us. Remember, we will emerge from this stronger and more professional with an expanded set of skills.

10 Ways To Make Your Freelance Business Fail

2009-10-14T13:58:00.000-07:00

While there are ample materials written for the freelancer who wants to succeed, there seems to bevirtually nothing written for the freelancer who wants his or her freelance business to fail.

If you’ve ever thought to yourself this business would be perfect if it weren’t for all of my clients, then this post is for you. We’ll give you a list of tactics that will drive those pesky clients away and quickly lead to your ultimate goal: freelancing failure.

Here are ten easy ways to fail at freelancing with hardly any effort:

Take deadlines as a loose suggestion. If you can meet a deadline, great. If not, well don’t sweat it. You’ve heard of the saying “fashionably late?” Well, when it comes to freelance failure that saying applies to projects too.
Take your time when replying to clients. Why reply today when you could reply tomorrow? Keeping them waiting is one of the best ways to fail. The longer the wait, the better your chances of scaring them away.
Don’t answer your phone either. There could be a client or potential client on the other end of that line. You have better things to do with your time than talk to a client. Let it ring! Best of all, don’t invest in an answering machine or any kind of voicemail system, that way you’ll never even have to get back to them.
Don’t deliver what the client wants. You’re probably smarter than your client and your taste is probably better than theirs too. When your desires conflict with the client’s wants, choose to do what you want to do. You’ll be happier, and they’ll get a better project.
Let your emotions out, all of them. If you’re mad at a client, let them know about it. There’s no sense in letting all that anger build up inside you where it could possibly spoil your day. Why not let it spoil your client’s day instead?
Run errands. If you work at home, you’re probably surrounded by household tasks that need doing. Why not take a break from work and do them? After all, your priorities are at least as important as the priorities of your clients, right?
Fast track your failure with video games. Video games are awesome if you’re trying to fail at freelancing. You can spend hours, even days, playing video games instead of working on your projects.
Get wrapped up in daytime television. You’ve probably heard people say that “there’s nothing on during the day.” Well, they’re wrong. Turn your television set on and you’ll quickly discover that there are programs that air during the day.
Take up a hobby. Be sure to choose one that has nothing at all to do with your freelancing business. Devote as much time as possible to your hobby –even time that you would normally reserve for client work.
You have a bed, use it. Don’t bother to get up in the morning. In fact, if you don’t feel like it, don’t get up at all. When you’re trying to fail your rest is much more important than your freelancing business.

All right, nobody really wants your freelance business to fail.

However, we freelancers sometimes behave as though we want our business to fail without realizing it. Recognizing and eliminating these failure-causing behaviors can actually help you find freelancing success.

Did you recognize yourself in any of these failure tips, even a little bit?

Seven Lies Freelancers Tell Themselves

2009-10-14T13:56:00.000-07:00

There’s no doubt that freelancing can be tough — freelancers face many obstacles. From finding clients, to meeting deadlines, to keeping skills and equipment current, all the way to being paid: freelancing just isn’t easy.

One of the biggest challenges that we freelancers face, however, is one of our own making. It’s the challenge of being totally honest with ourselves and accepting the reality of certain situations. Without overcoming this challenge, without learning to be totally honest with one’s self, it’s pretty tough to succeed.

Lie #1 — I don’t need to market my business

This lie is dangerous because it shortchanges your future ability to earn. Although you may have plenty of clients right now, that could change in an instant. All it takes to go from being to busy to needing clients is for one or two major clients to stop calling on you. Freelancers should be continuously marketing their services — even when they are too busy to take on new work.

Lie #2 — A high-dollar job is a good job

It’s important to always consider the scope of the work being requested with the amount of the offer. I’ve known of freelancers to commit weeks (and even months) of their time to a project that worked out to be less than minimum wage because they overlooked the scope of the work. A $1000 offer isn’t a good deal if the work takes hundreds of hours to complete.

Lie #3 — Clients don’t like being asked questions

Good client communication is crucial to running a successful business. Most clients understand this and are happy to answer questions if they are asked in an organized and respectful manner. If you can do so without compromising the project, try saving all of your questions to ask at one time. Asking questions shows that you want to get the project right, and is always good business practice.

Lie #4 — All that time spent reading blogs, it’s networking

So, you’ve been spending a lot of time reading a lot of blogs. Good for you! You can learn a lot from blogs. However, networking has two important elements: interaction and strategy. If you don’t ever interact with others and you don’t have a strategy, then you aren’t really networking. Actually, there’s another term for what you are doing. It’s called “websurfing.”

Lie #5 — There is such a thing as a free lunch

Everybody would like to get something for nothing, and freelancers aren’t much different from anyone else. In fact, you’ve probably already read many advertisements that promise to teach you a “money-making system” that requires little effort on your part to achieve great success. Don’t believe it for a minute! Successful freelancers are those who realize that they have to work hard to earn what they have.

Lie #6 — I’m an expert, I don’t need to update my skills

No matter how much experience you have, how many degrees you have, or how well known you have become — there is always something new to learn. Don’t rest on your past experiences. If you do nothing to improve your skills, you won’t stay where you are. Instead, you’ll actually find yourself falling behind. No matter how busy or successful you are, always make time for additional training.

Lie #7 — What works for [Big Name Freelancer] will work for me.

It’s easy to believe this lie. You hear, or read about how someone else achieved success and assume that the same steps that he or she took will work for you. While it is a great idea to learn from others’ successes, you shouldn’t expect to have an identical experience. Each of us exists in our own unique freelancing environment. What works for one, won’t necessarily work for all.

Don't Lowball your Clients!

2009-10-14T13:50:00.000-07:00

A start-up just contacted you — needing brand identity work, web design, marketing materials, whatever. As an experienced professional, you know your services aren’t cheap, and you may be too expensive for a start-up with a shoestring budget.

You want to know what the project’s budget is, but they can’t tell you. Start-ups and small companies often don’t have a set budget for projects like these. They are looking to you to provide a price quote, so they know what they can expect to pay.

Still, your gut is telling you this client can’t afford you. What do you do?

As an experienced freelancer, you know that ignoring sales leads, while sometimes tempting, is terrible business.

Instead, if you really want the client, you might provide a lowball estimate, hammer out some quick work at a low cost, collect your twenty dollars and call it a day. But this approach has several pitfalls.

Even a budget client can turn out to be high maintenance.
Too much for too little is a big problem no matter who you’re dealing with.
The client could eventually leave for a more expensive vendor.

Just Bid It

Instead of lowballing the project — risking an awkward client relationship and setting the wrong precedents — just provide them with a quote like you would any other client? After all, they came to you because they want your professional services and style, and you’re not bargain-basement material.

When creating the quote, make sure it’s balanced, fair, and somewhat realistic for a startup or small company — while also true to what your services actually cost. If you have a bad feeling then don’t spend too much time on the estimate, but still provide something in range of your own professional standards. They’re probably not expecting a glossy, ten-page proposal — but just sending a quick email might look like you’re blowing them off.

Often times, you’ll be glad you bid at your standard rates. Maybe you will get the contract, maybe you won’t. But if you do, it will be on your terms, and for a price you know you’re worth.

If it turns out your gut feeling was right, and they can’t afford you, you might still congratulate yourself — because you’ve made an investment on the future. They may choose someone cheaper, but deep down, they still want you. They may hang onto your business card, check up on your work, and even refer their colleagues your way. And many times, months or years later, they may come back — with a budget you can work with and plenty of respect.

SOCIAL MEDIA

2009-10-14T13:48:00.000-07:00

If you’ve ever wondered whether or not social media can help you as a freelancer, the simple answer is —absolutely. Being social on the web has many rewards; including connections, community, interaction, exposure, and trust. These five elements are critical for a business to survive, and with social media you can make sure you are building all of them.

Once you’re familiar with the idea of using social media for your business, here are 5 simple tips that can make a big difference to your success with social media.

1. Pick a Name and Stick With It

Before you even open an account on any social media platform, you’ll want to make sure you pick a name and picture that will stay consistent. This is one of the key things that many people don’t seem to realize. If you have the same “profile name” on multiple platforms, it makes it much easier for others to find and remember you. It also helps you create a better personal brand if you become popular on these networks. F

2. Don’t Put All Your Eggs In One Basket

Many freelancers dive into social media and end up putting all of their energy and effort into one social media platform. This is not a great approach. Although it is good to stick with platforms that are popular in your industry, it’s key to build a community and a brand in different platforms. Having a presence on different accounts gives you a chance to connect to more people and eventually will help you grow your freelancing business.

3. Choose and Execute

Although this point may sound contradictory to the one above, it’s really more of a complimentary approach. As I have mentioned above, you should have a presence on several different social media platforms — however, you should also be able to maintain that presence. There is no point in creating a profile on 50 different platforms if you can only use five platforms actively.

4. Active Doesn’t Mean Obsessive

In order to get the most out of social media you have to be active on the networks you’ve chosen. Being active, however, doesn’t mean you have to be obsessed. There is no point in updating a Facebook profile or Twitter account just for the sake of it. As they say in blogging — if you have nothing to say, it’s better to say nothing. Follow that rule on social media platforms as well.

5. It’s All About Interaction

Social media is all about interaction. If you want to be seen and want others to take interest in what you have to say or do, you have to be an active participant. Whether it’s Facebook, twitter or any other platforms that you utilize, participation and engagement is the key to succeeding in social media. Social Media is often seen as a free tool to help you when it comes to exposure and creating a name for yourself or your business, but you need to keep in mind that it costs both time and effort.

Social Media Basics

2009-10-14T13:40:00.000-07:00

The simple truth of the matter is that social media is a very powerful tool for freelancers. Some people have doubled, tripled, or even created their entire business using social media. But it isn’t all good news — social media has a number of downfalls as well. Here are a few tips to find the right social media websites for your freelancing business:

Look at what you are already using.
Look at what your clients and colleagues are using.
Look at what your industry trendsetters are using.

We freelancers are used to wearing many hats, however, and most of us can learn to be our own social media specialists and develop a presence without much outside help.

Here are some tips to get a maximum social media impact for a minimum social time investment:

Focus your presence on two or three social media sites.
Schedule time for social media interaction each day.
Don’t just promote yourself. Many business owners make the mistake of thinking that social media is all about them. Their social media participation seems almost like advertisements. Social media is actually about interaction. Think of what your target audience (clients and colleagues) would find helpful and share that type of information even if it doesn’t directly relate to your company.
Use the right tools. The tools you use to manage your different social media accounts can make a big difference in how easy it is, and how much time it takes. Check out this article for 35 social media tools that make life easier.

Social media - helping charities

2009-10-14T13:30:00.000-07:00

We’ve all seen how social media is good for business. It helps build a brand, drives traffic and awareness and builds out communities. But, what we’ve also seen is social media bringing together people to lend their time to important causes on a global level. By using the sites we LIVE on every day (don’t tell me you haven’t realized you’ve been spending about 30% of your day tweeting)–why not use all of these friends and followers to do something good?

While many people have ideas to start a charitable program or event, actually doing something isn’t as easy. There is planning, event scouting, logistics, food, drink—you name it, it’s tough. Typically, this process can take weeks or months to come together. But, with the help from online communities this process can become even easier, and the results can be nearly instantaneous.

Looking for motivation to start your own charity event using social media? We’ve put together a list of recent events that have used the success of past events and others to springboard their efforts.

Click on title for list of these great events

These events illustrate the power that a small group of individuals and their networks can have to instantly and effectively change the world for the better, whether it be on a worldwide scale or to benefit one single individual in need. Knowing your audience, targeting marketing, appealing to the greater good, great timing, and a clear call-to-response help, but personal networks, trust and transparency have started to usurp years of tried and true offline fundraising techniques – and with more immediate impact. The art of fundraising is changing, and social media, like with so many other things, is helping to change the rules.

THE STATE OF OUR INDUSTRY

2009-10-14T13:28:00.000-07:00

THE VALUE OF MEETINGS

Business Growth

Meetings and events are valuable tools for U.S. businesses. Meetings and events drive business growth by fostering collaboration, idea-sharing and generation, and employee retention. Incentive programs have been shown to be two to three times more effective than cash at motivating employee performance. In a recent survey, Fortune 1000 Chief Marketing Officers said that meetings and events provide the highest return on investment of any marketing channel. A new study shows that 87 percent of Americans who have attended an out-of-town meeting or convention for work say it is important to running a strong business.

Employee Development

Good managers encourage the professional growth of employees, and employers must make sound investments in key staff in order to retain top talent and secure the bottom line. Far from being a perk reserved for executives, meeting and performance incentive travel provides valuable development and networking opportunities for employees at all levels.

SUMMARY

Non-cash incentives are 2 to 3 times more effective at motivating employee performance, and companies spend less on incentive travel than on cash compensation to achieve exceptional productivity from employees.
Meetings and events are strategic tools that deepen employee relationships and contribute to the overall health of companies. A 5% increase in employee retention can generate a 25 to 85% increase in profitability.
Companies with satisfied employees generate better overall returns in the stock market, with firms on the list of “100 Best Companies to Work For” generating up to five times as much return as their competitors.

GREEN REPORT

2009-10-14T12:54:00.000-07:00

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF CLIMATE ACTION - OCT 24

On Oct. 24th, the International Day of Climate Action, people

from over 150 nations will come together in creative climate

actions to take a stand for 350 and a safe climate future. There

will be 1000s of creative on-the-ground actions everywhere from

the slopes of Mt. Everest to the underwater reefs of the Maldive

Islands to the streets of our biggest cities. All designed to

drive the 350 message into the human imagination -- and help our

leaders realize we need a real solution that pays attention to

the science.

It's the combination of in-the-flesh activism and online

organizing that will carry the day here. On Oct. 24, activists

will be uploading images of their events in real-time and we'll

be displaying them on 350.org and on the giant screens of Times

Square. By day's end, we'll have an unprecedented global gallery

of images and stories, enough to make both old media and new

ring out with this crucial number.

We need to make this viral movement go double viral (think Panda

sneezing) -- and so we need your help. In the last 18 months,

350 has moved from the pages of a scientific paper to the center

of a global movement. Now it's time to make that number...

count. We have a whole series of tools at http://350.org and

http://350.org/bloggers that you can use to spread the word, and

we're enormously grateful to you for doing so!

Onward,

Bill McKibben, co-founder, 350.org

Summer in Review

2009-09-23T21:02:00.000-07:00

OK... so I took a long summer vacation and I enjoyed it immensely. But the kids are back to school and so it's time to pick it back up!

As a lot of you know, there was a networking meeting at the beginning of summer. I'm sorry I didn't take photos but here's a brief recap:

About 20 people attended - some I'd never met before and were forwarded the blog from others
There were many that I go way back with and others I've just met in recent years - it was great to catch up!

Topics of discussion:

All of us have had a very slow year
No immediate recovery in sight
We all expected things to pick up in the fall but so far it's pretty quiet out there
We all agree that when things pick up, the business will be different
It will not be the business we know from the past
We must all look at the business with a fresh eye and flexibility
Many of has have started to reinvent ourselves and how we approach business opportunities (highlights to come in forthcoming issue!)

SPOTLIGHT

2009-09-23T21:00:00.000-07:00

SPOTLIGHT ON

PROPOSALS

When was the last time you received a well-written RFP?

This was a discussion recently posted on Linked In. For the entire post, click on the title.

I've worked on so many RFP's that were so poorly written, it was hard to tell what was being requested. How many of these cases sound familiar to you?

Discussion:

I hate to admit it but about 90% of the RFPs I see have little thought or process behind them. They don’t clearly communicate the scope of the project, the critical details and the objectives the client expects. It’s almost as if they’ve never done one before.
Then the client seems frustrated and irritated by questions from all the bidders in attempt to learn what they need to successfully respond to the RFP. In some cases the client provides far more details on how they want the document organized and formatted than the response and the estimates.

How many good RFPs do you receive?

What do you think would be the long-term impact of clients actually investing the time to develop well-conceived RFPs instead of doing cut & paste on the last confusing document they issued?

Some Responses:

I recently reviewed two RFPs. The company spent three months developing the RFP for a $500K IT project. They spent about two days on the RFP for a $1.5 million annual meeting.

The big objective was to give the sales force the same experience they enjoyed the last few years at 50% of the budget. They sent the RFP out to seven companies - plus the incumbent. Guess what, they were upset because the bidders didn't seem to understand the project. By the time I became involved the RFP schedule was weeks behind, bidders were getting upset and and top management was screaming.

I agree that one of the hallmarks of an inexperienced client is when you see 6+ bidders. Besides indicating that they don't know what they're doing, it shows a great disregard for suppliers who are expected to spend thousands of dollars in proposal costs with little chance or winning the job.

________________

This issue of RFP's seems to be plaguing us all lately...lots of time spent only to have our ideas taken and turned around to the one who will do it the cheapest. Sometimes you don't even hear back. One of the issues we disucssed was charging for proposals and if the bid is won then it can go towards the mgmt fee. But if everyone's not charging, then it's not likely to go over well.

We've gotten a few RFP's this past year that have been absurd. And we're asked to submit all of our ideas and take days/weeks of our time out of our schedule only to have these ideas taken, or as said by Richard Rowlands "to check out the market." The process has been very frustrating...wish we could figure out a way to reform it!

__________________

Very recently, we received a RFP from a prospect where we didn't have a prior relationship. The RFP came from a Gmail account of the prospect company, without a contact person's info and a less than one week turnaround that included creative concepts for a 2010 program.

Not sure what to think here...is it a real opportunity? Why such a quick turnaround? How many agencies received this RFP? Why isn't there a contact person? Do they really expect us to provide some free ideas to a Gmail account? We politely declined...

DO YOUR PROPOSALS STINK OR SELL?

2009-09-23T20:59:00.000-07:00

What makes the difference between a proposal that stinks and one that sells? Odds are you haven’t changed your approach to proposals in years or decades. It’s time to overhaul your proposal process and put it in-sync with how your clients buy.

HOW CLIENTS BUY
They know their requirements better than you do
They want to be able to compare each proposal point-by-point
Creative, logistics and budget are important but they are buying strategy, confidence, chemistry and a relationship
They want to feel that they “own” the solutions

TOSS OUT THE BOILERPLATE
Scope of the Project – what they need in their terms. This isn’t the objectives it is how the client described the project.
· Results– forget stating the objectives – clients buy results. Outline the specific results you will generate and the time period. If you can’t present specific results then you simply don’t understand the project or the requirements.
· Strategic Approach – the thinking you have used to develop specific solutions. In the end clients hire you to think for them so let them know you understand the situation and are approaching it strategically as well as tactically.
· The Solutions – based on the scope of the project and the strategy. You are demonstrating your thinking and ability to deliver specific results. This is more than an explanation of products, services or creative elements. Remember, the client is buying your ability to think and work with them to develop solutions.
· The Benefits of the Solutions – clearly defined benefits your solutions deliver. Make a commitment on what they gain. Don’t be vague – promise specific results. They are buying results.
· Time Line – demonstrate how you will organize the project and the deliverables. Put this from the client’s perspective.
· Working Budget – position these as beginning numbers. Acknowledge that they will change as you work together on the project. Every client looks at the budget first.
· The Benefits of Working With You – think of this as “street cred.” The goal is to build confidence, chemistry and a relationship. Avoid giving laundry list of clients and more than three case studies. What do they need to know to make the decision?
SEE MORE AT LINK INCLUDING THE SECRET STRATEGY

WHERE WE LEFT OFF

2009-09-23T20:58:00.000-07:00

MAINTAINING YOUR FREELANCE RATES

This section on my last posting sparked the most controversy to date. There was a lot of feedback from both sides. Below, I'd like to share a couple of quotes/comments which I'm keeping anonymous.

When I took this fulltime position, I have wanted nothing more than to gain the respect from the freelance community, earn favor and have them realize our company is a different place to work. Hopefully allowing us to recruit better talent and have the best of the best working for us. I have wanted the response about our company to be positive, people talk about what a great company it is to work. That is a huge task, because there is no way to make everyone happy, and many just want everything. I had freelancers working for us making an extreme amount, (more than I, and I have 4 departments under me) and yet they were leaving before their job was done, because they had a vacation scheduled and they could not get the event reconciled before they needed to leave. I realize that the majority of the freelancers work extremely hard, and put in exhaustive hours, and should be paid accordingly. I respect the community, and very passionate about it, and want to help be a solution.

Event company - management

I've been told "not asked" to take my 2nd pay cut yet I'm not given any guarantees that when the market picks up, that I'll be restored to my previous salary. It's very scary.

Event company - management

I was asked to work on a proposal on spec with the guarantee that I'd be given the job if awarded to this company. However, after spending 2 back breaking weeks (including weekends) on the proposal, the company decided not to submit. I have to wonder if they were paying us, would they have thought differently about submittlng. I won't do any more "free" work moving forward.

Freelance producer

I'm not willing to reduce my rate on proposals or sold business. However, I will work with the production company to get the job done in less days (not work a full week) as long as it's possible given the scope of work. I still give 110% on the days I work and try to remain flexible. On proposals, I've offered to kick back a large portion of the proposal fee I'm paid, once they are awarded the business and I get the work.

Freelance producer

My Top 5 Biggest Freelancing Mistakes

2009-09-23T20:57:00.000-07:00

It is often said we learn more from mistakes than successes. Sometimes it is nice to learn from another persons goofs rather than your own!

Every freelancer will have their own story to tell, here are mine. I hope you find them useful and maybe you will share your own in the comments.

Click the title for detail but here's the summary:

Underpricing
Over committing
Failing to sell
Always saying 'yes'
Not following up

SPOTLIGHT

2009-06-02T20:05:00.000-07:00

FREELANCE PAY RATES

I've had recent discussions with many of you regarding the state of our industry and how it's affected our business - especially our freelance rates. The companies I've interviewed are definitely cutting rates when they can. However, with all due respect to our clients, this is not a desirable scenario especially once the economy turns (and it will). As a close friend told me, " No one is reducing my mortgage, utilities or other bills so how can I be afford to reduce my rates?"

I decided to post a discussion on Linked In and was amazed at the volume and variety of replies I received. I am posting most here because they were so good. Sorry for the length. You can see the entire discussion on Linked In. One respondent posted a great video which I've posted here.

In summary the consensus as follows:

You get what you pay for - don't lower your rates
Look for cheaper ways to get things done - value added to your clients
Be creative and offer more value for your services
Be willing to work a flexible schedule (not 5 day week)

Mike Vennerstromm sums it up nicely in the end - enjoy! I look forward to your comments!

Maintaining your freelance pay scale
As a freelancer, I've always felt I need to work with, not against, my fellow freelancers when it comes to maintaining our fees and day rates. If we all keep our rates at an acceptable going rate and don't underbid each other, it will keep our rates at a steady increase over time as the cost of living increases. However, this philosophy is being seriously undermined during these tough economic times. With so many of us competing for the same few jobs, it is very tempting to offer rate discounts to our clients. I've found myself accepting flat and reduced rates for proposals and other types of business. I do this because I need the work and if I don't, someone else will. In some cases, I feel our clients are taking advantage of us by making "take it or leave it" deals because they can.

How do we avoid setting ourselves back years, yet remain competitive?

Meg Reeves
Producer - Events, PR, Media

Comments
Tony Castrigno
Creative Director and Senior Designer
Meg - only 'he who shall not be named" brings greater fear to the freelance community than "I have work for you but ...."
First of all take stock of what you are charging and what it takes to bring that service to the agency or production company. When you truly understand the value of what you offering and what the absolute bottom line is, you can offer your services and negotiate with conviction that your rate is not arbitrary or merely the "going rate" but the right rate.
Producers are getting just as squeezed as we are. Remind them that your experience can reduce risk and save them money. Work out a way to deliver your talent without simply billing on the clock. You can also offer efficiencies such as working remotely so you can avoid charging for a full day just to make an appearance in their offices.
...
Good Luck

Mike Bell
Drawing, Developing & Delivering: events, spaces and experiences - twitter: 'mikebelluckf'
Tony - right on every point - rates will get knocked back, but then we can build them up again when things get better - the way to do that is to keep developing, and improving, what you offer. The 'hallowed' rates for certain roles may need to be maintained, but I think, for the creative roles, new skills, broader techniques, and refined responses to client requests will only help improve your workflow and keep your rates reasonable.

Melissa Elliott
Executive Producer at Blackbox Communications Inc
It's a challenge we're all facing these days. And there are some clients out there that tend to take advantage of the current situation and negotiate hard. I suppose a gut-check is in order when this occurs to determine just how badly you want to maintain or develop that relationship.
Here's something that you can probably relate to... : http://bit.ly/H9zm6

You can follow me on Twitter: @MelyMello

Kiku Terasaki
Film & Television Producer
Dear Meg,

As someone whom you've repeatedly supported and recommended over many years, I can't say enough how I've appreciated your longtime insistence that we stick to our rate. If we've worked for a company before, I think it's fair and appropriate to them to ask for a certain amount of reduced rate, 'on-spec' work because there is already mutual good will. And rates are often negotiable depending on the job.

I don't see, though, how we can accept being treated as so easily interchangeable that the company can say 'we'll get someone else' and really mean it. Else, why did they call us in particular in the first place? I'd prefer to negotiate based on a real understanding of the scope of the project -- or pass.

Jonathan Bentley
Independent Broadcast Media Professional
Melissa good video, However Meg, I must say as a seasoned freelancer you get what ya pay for if some kid ( filmmaker) get's the job on craigslist let em have it, true pro's get the right rate no matter what. I rarely have to settle for anything less the market dictates rate and the market size if some freelancer lowballs clients he gets a bad reputation as a lowballer and gets blackballed pretty quick if his work proves otherwise. My clients know I'm worth the expense and take good care of me once a track record has been seen I will give a discount sometimes out of good faith. Yes there are economic hurdles but we as freelancers always stick together on rates for all purposes and have regular meetings to stay updated. When was the last time your plumber gave you a discount? You get what you pay for Hire a Pro! with that I'm not sounding arrogant but I haven't seen any downturn in rates yet only rates on the rise.

Elizabeth Marasco
Owner at Brady Events and Marketing

I seem to encounter "show me how you did it and we will do it ourselves the next time." Lately I have been experiencing the question, "where did you buy this product or service." I have started recanting with "why do you ask?"

BILL DEDES
FOUNDER & CEO, CUTTING EDGE PRODUCTIONS, INC.

I'm not a freelancer (I used to be) but I run A TV Studio & Live Events company, and I wouldn't (and don't) ask our loyal freelancers to cut their rates, but I do ask for some slack when it's not going to be a full-day...
However, I have run into enough ARROGANT freelancers (over the last 23-years) who would snub their nose at some situations, and are now BEGGING me for work-even SHOP WORK... Go Figure. I think that there needs to be a happy medium between maintaining rates, and being flexible on a case by case basis...
And Meg, It's nice to see that you're still humming along - it's been years since we've spoken.

Mark Ruvelson
Executive Producer
Regretfully, the cutting down of freelancer rates seems to be all the rage these days. Companies can get away with asking for it because as you said, if you say no, someone else will say yes. I'm not sure I agree with the comment that when the economy improves, we'll be able to build rates back up. I hope that's the case, but it may not be - it's always easier to be knocked down than to build back up. My survival strategies in the current environment: Flexibility- I've had to cut my rate and sometimes work on spec for a piece of the back end. If I would have said no, I would have missed the opportunity. Innovation: rather than waiting for the opportunities to come to me, I'm creating my own ideas and selling them to clients, and of course I'm writing myself into every budget! Nest egg: probably one of the best things going for me at the moment is that I'm not desperate. I've been able to tuck away a nest egg that allows me the opportunity to say no to a gig when it's really unattractive. Branding: I'm using free time to update my website, social networking presence, make phone calls to past clients, etc.
Thanks, Mark
follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/LightSpeedMgmt

Tony Castrigno
Creative Director and Senior Designer
Reading through the responses to your question I can't help but notice that Jonathan Bentley's note runs counter to the prevailing mood of the business.
Jonathan, I would love to have clients such as yours. Clearly they have not been forced to cut budgets, do more with less or look for cheaper ways to get things done. We recently did a project for a prodcuer whose client was the largest retailer in the world. The task - they wanted the same event they did last year, but done in an event space in NY rather than a hotel in the midwest for less than last year. Now I suppose they can just say "sorry can't be done" but what they did was say "yes". That I am afraid, is what is really going on... no one is looking for a low baller... they need help staying in business.

Mike Vennerstrom
Owner, Equinox Creative
Your last sentance was right on, Tony. Producing agancies, especially the small ones, are fighting the same economic battle the freelancers are. My business is down over 50% and I have staff and overhead expenses to pay. I have seldom asked freelancers for reduced rates, but right now I'm just trying to keep the doors open and avoid layoffs. I'm certainly not asking for discounts in order to increase my profitability.

There are no "bad guys" in this discussion. We're all in this together, artists, producers and management. We have to work together to insure everyone's survival until things pick up again.

THE STATE OF OUR INDUSTRY

2009-06-02T20:04:00.000-07:00

NBTA Survey: Perception vs. Reality of Meeting Travel Cuts
May 4, 2009 2:56 PM
Few companies canceled meetings in the first quarter simply because of perception issues, according to a recent survey by the National Business Travel Association.

BTA surveyed 119 corporate travel managers. In the four months before the March 2009 survey, here’s how their meetings fared. The majority said that the decreases were a result of the economy or of a combination of the economy and perception issues.

Meetings: 86% of respondents saw cuts.

Attendance at conferences: Attendance at conferences was down at about 82%.

Incentive travel: Close to half (47%), said they had seen decreases.

Parties and events for clients: 56% of respondents had seen cuts and only 13 percent had not.

Click title to see entire article

PINK SLIP FRIDAY

2009-06-02T20:02:00.000-07:00

Why do companies choose Fridays 9 times out of 10 to fire people? It's just not right. Let me enjoy a fun weekend of ignorance before you decide to dump me on Monday. Either way it sucks, but at least it's one less weekend ruined!

Dear Colleague:

P.R.E.E.N. (No skipping ahead to see what this stands for)

Fridays are tough during a recession. Nine out of ten times, it is the day that pink slips are delivered.

In 1990, during a previous recession, I was notified on a Friday that I had been downsized from my position as an event planner at a major corporation. Even though the weeks that followed were full of varied emotions, in hindsight, it was the best things that happened to my career. It was my wake up call.

The old adage of “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.” is never truer than when you have just been fired. If you really haven’t been fired but have been down-sized, right-sized, let go, or any other euphemism for being told that your presence won’t be necessary tomorrow, oh and by the way, you won’t be receiving any more pay checks either, it amounts to the same thing. Getting canned was once thought to be a major embarrassment and cause for shame; it just did not happen to good people. Well times have changed and currently there are over 8,500,000 capable, hard working people who have lost their jobs due to the economic downturn. You can be great at what you did and still be on the outside looking in. So, what do you do now?

First and foremost be adult, be professional and be careful not to burn any bridges with your employer. It could very well be that they agonized over letting you go and would love to bring you back at the first opportunity. If you carry on and let your boss and HR folks know what morons they are and how unfair they are being, you are not doing yourself any favors getting rehired. You are also hurting your chances to receive any favors from them with referrals to other employers.

If you really want to stay with your present organization see if you can explore any options short of termination. Will they consider shorter hours? Will they allow you to transfer to another department? Is there any work they would consider giving you rather than outsourcing to someone else? All of these and other options should be explored if possible.

If there really is nothing you can do to stay with your organization ensure that you receive all that legally is due to you. You may be able to receive a severance package which may include cash, health or other benefits, vacation compensation, job placement services, career training etc. Take advantage of any and all services to which you are entitled.

Next, take a deep breath and decide what it is really is that you want to do. Career counselors sometimes ask “If you could do anything in the world what would it be?” if the answer is the job that you were just let go from do all you can to get back to the same job or something very close to the same job with a similar organization. If the answer is to do something totally different, well now you have the uninterrupted opportunity to do what you really wanted to do anyway. Dawn Penfold, President of Meetingjobs, (actually me) always wanted to be the owner and operator of my own business. It took being let go by ITT to give me the impetus and jolt of panic to do exactly that. Here we are 19 years later and we are still living and breathing the dream of waking up each morning and knowing that any efforts I make today to improve my company and help my clients is time and effort well spent.

If you need to take a day or two, or even a week to get over the shock of being canned take the time you need. Do not take any more time than that as you are only falling further behind any other folks in the same situation as you. One of the first steps you should take, and this may be difficult for some of you, is to file for unemployment. Do not be embarrassed or guilty. You have been paying into the unemployment fund as for as long as you have been working for exactly this moment. The money is yours. No one is giving you anything so feel free to take it. With the advances on-line, you may not even have to go to the unemployment office and stand in line. Unless you will lose your house or be sent to a Charles Dickens debtors prison do not cash in your IRA’s or 401K. This money has been set aside for later on in life and you will lose at least 40% of your nest egg if you have to take it early.

Finally make sure you P.R.E.E.N.

Plan your next steps carefully. Identity your best future and do it.
Rest fully when you can. Sleep well to revitalize yourself.
Eat a healthy diet to give you the energy required to face each day
Exercise is important to stay fit and focused
Network like you never have before to give yourself the most potential avenues for success.

Good luck and here is to hoping that any interruption in your career is both short and relatively painless. Have a great weekend.

Best Regards,
Dawn Penfold, CMP
President

Motivating yourself

2009-06-02T17:10:00.000-07:00

Thriving in Tough Times
Keeping the Right Things Right in Front of Your Eyes

By Holly G. Green

It is easier to get the right things in front of you if you have taken the time to clarify your destination—where you want to be in a specific timeframe. So do it. Close your eyes and imagine what it will look like when you have gotten to where you want to go. Now write it down. Then consider what big steps you have to take to get there. Write down the big steps organized by time (the next three months, three to nine months, etc.) and use this list to determine how well you are making progress toward your ultimate goals.

"Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least." Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Especially as we continue through tough economic times, pause for a few seconds every day and ask yourself: "Of all the things you do today, what will have an impact a year from now? Have I let the things that matter less stop me from doing what matters most?"

Now, more than ever, it is critical to carve out time to focus on the right things. Tough times tend to divert our energies even more than good times. We begin considering more possibilities out of fear, but this is exactly the opposite of what will serve you well! Focus your energies. Make real progress on key activities or initiatives. Deepen your client relationships. Surround yourself visually with what is important. You'll be amazed at how much of the chatter requires none of your attention if you just leave it alone and focus.

Click title to see entire article

SURVEY RESULTS

2009-05-04T20:05:00.000-07:00

Would you be interested in a meeting where we can all meet face to face and network?

There wasn't a ton of response but it was an overwhelming "yes" for those who did respond. If anyone has ideas of where and when to meet, please respond below. Maybe sometime in June in the LA area. Provide comments below.

SPOTLIGHT

2009-05-04T20:00:00.000-07:00

FREELANCER'S UNION - UPDATE

Last posting featured this insurance company. I heard from a few people who are using it and I contact the company directly. The feedback has been very positive. See comments and additional info below:

FROM FREELANCER'S UNION:

In California we offer dental, life, and disability insurance as well as retirement. Because we are not able to offer health insurance outside of the state of New York, we do suggest Golden Rule through United Health Care. There is information about all of these plans including prices and summary of benefits pdfs on our website.

FOR RESIDENTS OF CALIFORNIA

United Health Care's Golden Rule Insurance Company
Sales: 877.468.0966
Billing and Customer Service: 800.657.8205

NOTE FROM MEG: I saw an ad on OCTD bus today for Freelancer's Union so I expect there will be more coverage available in CA.

From Elisa Kuhar in NYC:

Saw your note about the Freelancers' Union. I'm actually a member and have received my health insurance through them for the past few years. Overall, I've found that it's a good organization with online resources and monthly gatherings for its members. They also offer discounts for a variety of organizations and job postings. The health insurance application process is fairly straight forward and easy to complete. The rates are competitive, although there was an increase from 2008 to 2009 with some increases in the copays, etc. Freelancers' does offer a variety of health insurance and dental (and life/ disability) insurance so there's a wide range of options. I believe some of the insurance options are for those outside or NY as well. Freelancers' also recently started a 401k plan. I've been generally happy with the organization.

Freelancers Union is a nonprofit organization that represents the needs of America’s independent workforce though advocacy, information, and service.

Independent workers make up 30% of the nation’s workforce. We are freelancers, consultants, independent contractors, temps, part-timers, contingent employees, and the self-employed. Despite our contribution to America’s economy, we’re often left out of the social safety net. Most freelancers can’t access affordable insurance, are taxed more than traditional employees, and have limited access to protections such as unemployment insurance, retirement plans, and unpaid wage claims.

click on title to view website

Mayor details idea of freelancers’ benefits

2009-05-04T19:59:00.000-07:00

March 23, 2009 3:18 PM

Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants the U.S. to develop a federal unemployment fund for independent workers pinched by the economic downturn

CLICK ON TITLE FOR A COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT WHAT NYC IS DOING FOR FREELANCERS!

FREELANCER SPOTLIGHT

2009-05-04T19:57:00.000-07:00

I’ve featured several articles on change. Change can be good. Often, we come through a tough time in a better spot because we took a chance, reinvented ourselves, took the time we never had before to pursue a dream.

Last blog I featured my friend Joe who is doing his part to protect our environment. This week I highlight another friend who has taken his love of golf to pursue an idea…

Good luck to you Brian!

Brian Allman, freelance producer and filmmaker

SWEET SPOT GOLF

http://sweetspotgolf.net/

Yeah it always starts with an idea. The funny thing about an idea is that unless you act on it, it won't do you or anyone any good. So here we are. A new David amongst an Army of Goliaths. People ask us all the time. "Are you ready to take on the big boys?" Our answer is simple. "We do have some intelligence. We're not trying to beat the big guys, we're just offering something different. After all, not everyone wants to play with their daddy's clubs."

We were founded on the principles of live, work and play. Our passion isn’t just our game but rather the innate sense to create, innovate and design products to satisfy our customers. We strive to be left of center in bringing products to market that are not more of the same. We engineer and manufacture our product line for performance and design them to blur the line between SPORT and ART.

We strive to be good corporate citizens in finding ways to give back what we can in a fair and equitable manner. We believe in CAUSES and CURES and the smell of fresh dew on the fairways at dawn. We believe it’s okay to be different and will nurture the gaps in between. Our battle cry is our philosophy.

Go Ahead. Be Different.

Coming up soon for Mother’s Day

Win a Sweet Spot Golf Putter for yourself or your Mom for Mother's Day!

http://www.womentalksports.com/sweetspot

Mother's Day is not only about giving gifts -- it's about getting gifts, too. Are you a mom? Do you love to golf? Or - do you have a mom who's a golfer? Tell us why you or your mom deserves a new putter for Mother's Day and you could win one of two pink putters (retail value $149 each) courtesy of Sweet Spot Golf.

Every time someone buys a pink putter from Sweet Spot Golf we all give back together.

TECHNOLOGY NOTES

2009-05-04T19:55:00.000-07:00

My iPhone Just Found Me a Job!
Macworld.com has an intersting story about rmbrME releasing their newest app for the iPhone - beamME CV. A new application to beam your resume to other smart phones and computers. You finally could be getting some payback for your expensive toy!
rmbrME has released beamME CV 1.0, a new application for the iPhone. It normally costs $10, but the unemployed and beamME pro owners can get it for $7 instead.
BeamME CV is designed to people networking for jobs. It helps you distribute resumes, cover letters and electronic contact cards to prospective employers — no special software is needed to retrieve your package.

BUILDING YOUR FREELANCE BRAND

2009-05-04T19:50:00.000-07:00

8 Ways to Build your Freelance Brand in a Down Economy

Let’s face it, times are tight. Common sense would say that in these economic times freelance work is going to be even harder to come by. If you’re a freelancer, maybe you’ve experienced the effects of a tightening wallet and a less-than-full inbox.

There has been plenty of discussion recently about how to find work in the current economy - some points are valid, others aren’t. I’m not going to rehash what’s been said many times over, but rather I’d like to give a couple of quick tips related to your brand, and how to manage your brand strategy as a freelancer in these conditions.

Because you see, even in times like these, not only is it possible to build your brand, but it’s absolutely essential that you do. The last thing you want to do is stop your branding efforts when times get rough. Your efforts may change, but they shouldn’t wane. Because the economy will rebound, and the question asked of you at that point won’t be how you survived, but rather how you positioned yourself during the downturn?

2009-05-04T19:45:00.000-07:00

10 Quotes that can Change Your Mindset in Your Business

1. The greatest ignorance is to reject something you know nothing about.

2. What happens to you is not nearly as important as how you handle it.
3. Failure is an opportunity to begin again with insight.
4. How do you contact strangers? You don’t. You make them friends first.
5. When you give a presentation, keep your mind on what you can convey rather than on what you can get out of it.
6. Those who solve the problems make the biggest bucks.
7. What you are driving is not important. What is important is what is driving you.
8. Ninety five percent of acheiving anything is knowing what you want and paying the price to get it.
9. As long as your going to think anyway, think big.
10. The secret to success is to do the common things uncommonly well.

HARD TIMES NEWS

2009-05-04T19:40:00.000-07:00

THIS NEWSLETTER WAS STARTED BY A FREELANCER JUST LIKE US! CHECK IT OUT...
I want you to get mad! I don’t want you to protest. I don’t want you to riot. I don’t want you to write to your Congressman, because I wouldn’t know what to tell you to write. I don’t know what to do about the depression and the inflation and the Russians and the crime in the street.
All I know is that first, you’ve got to get mad.
You’ve gotta say, “I’m a human being, goddammit! My life has value!”
So, I want you to get up now. I want all of you to get up out of your chairs. I want you to get up right now and go to the window, open it, and stick your head out and yell,
“I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!!”
Actually, none of us should have to. One of the great tragedies of today is the army of extremely qualified people our there who have no job, and are therefore unable to contribute to society. That is why we have to rise up and say that we’re not going to take it anymore.
So…The Hard News Times. We do find ourselves in hard times. One of the goals of this newsletter is to change its name as soon as possible to the The Good News Times. Our goal is to provide you with news, job search tips, career counseling, help with stretching you food budget, advice on stress relief, and help with taking the talents you’ve developed over your career and packaging them in new and profitable ways.

THE STATE OF OUR INDUSTRY

2009-05-04T19:04:00.000-07:00

U.S. Travel Launches

National “Rally Day”

to Raise Industry Awareness

Apr 27, 2009 2:53 PM

On May 12, the U.S. Travel Association will stage the first-ever U.S. Travel Rally Day to promote travel and meetings in communities across the country. Convention and visitors bureaus, local governments, and business leaders are invited to take part by organizing a community rally. The nationwide event will take place during the 26th Annual National Travel and Tourism Week, which is intended to promote travel and tourism through locally sponsored events in various communities across the country.

PRINCIPLES OF CHANGE - How to Survive

2009-04-16T15:58:00.000-07:00

Change is inevitable. To survive in these times, you may have to reinvent yourself.

A little self help-ish which is not normally my thing but a couple of good take-aways.

As freelancers, we must adapt to change as a matter of survival. However, for many people, change is very frightening. What I found important in this article is that something good usually follows the toughest changes. This is a first in a series of nine by Ariane de Bonvoisin.

1st of Nine Principles

After interviewing people going through all types of change -- whether it be losing a job, divorce, a cancer diagnosis, becoming a new parent or starting a business -- I noticed that there were some very similar patterns, behaviors and attitudes among people who are good at change. Since change is the word of the year for all of us, it's my hope that this research will help you with whatever change you may be navigating.

I discovered nine principles I want to share. Each of my columns in the next few months will highlight one of them.

Principle 1: People who successfully navigate change have positive beliefs.

Your biggest need right now is to develop new beliefs about yourself, about the particular change you are facing now and about life in general. Nothing will have a bigger impact on the way you handle change. What you are saying to yourself, your inner dialogue, is your biggest enemy right now.

Responding to any of the changes you are going through right now first requires positive beliefs about change and life.

Three questions about change
I host a weekly video podcast called "Change Nation," where I talk to experts, authors and celebrities, and I always ask them the same three questions at the end to discover their paths through change.

First, what is the belief you go to in times of change? Answers I get include "This will pass," "Things work out in the end," "I will get through this," "I'm not alone," "I have faith." You, too, have an overarching belief that has gotten you through tough stuff in the past. What is it for you? Now is the time to find safety in that.

Second, finish the sentence: The best thing about change is ...

And finally, what is the best change you've ever made? Think back. What is extraordinary is that a big majority of my guests have said it was a hard change. Yes, their most beneficial changes were also their hardest: a divorce, getting through a loss, being laid off. The thousands who have gone through change successfully? They are all optimists. Something good followed their toughest changes.

Click on title to see entire article and view reader comments

Principle 2: People who successfully navigate change know that change always brings something positive into their lives.
Every change has a gift associated with it. While it’s natural to find change hard it’s important to remember that there are two sides to every coin and that something positive will always come. This is by far the most important belief to have during the first thirty days of change.
Principle 3: People who successfully navigate change know they are resilient, strong, and capable of getting through anything.
You are much stronger, much smarter, and much more intuitive than you have ever been told. You are more resilient and more powerful. Once you truly know and believe this, you will be able to get through any change- even the hardest one you can imagine.
- Principle 4: People who successfully navigate change know that every challenging emotion they feel is not going to stop them and will guide them to positive emotions that help them feel better.
  Negative emotions can stall us, making change harder, while the positive ones can help us move through a change in a simpler, quicker, and more conscious way.
- Principle 5: People who successfully navigate change know that the quicker they accept the change, the less pain and hardship they will feel.
  Let go of the idea of how life should be.
- Principle 6: People who successfully navigate change use empowering questions and words, think better thoughts, and express their feelings.
  At your most stuck point, if you can speak with different words, think a slightly better thought, and get in touch with how you are feeling, you can become unstuck in a matter of minutes.
- Principle 7: People who successfully navigate change know they are connected to something bigger than themselves.
  When everything around you is changing, look for the part of you that doesn’t change. The part that is calm, centered and always there.
- Principle 8: People who successfully navigate change are not alone; they surround themselves with people who can help, who have the right beliefs and skills. And they create an environment that supports their change.
  One of our biggest flaws as human beings is that we keep thinking we are alone. Whatever the situation, there is always, always someone who can help.
- Principle 9: People who successfully navigate change take action. They have a plan and know how to take care of themselves.
  Actions come in many forms. Some are big and obvious; some are so small you may think they are irrelevant. But any good action you take is a choice to move forward.

THE STATE OF OUR INDUSTRY

2009-04-16T15:56:00.000-07:00

IS THE AUTO INDUSTRY SHOWING SIGNS OF A RECOVERY?

February 19, 2009

As auto sales continue to track near historic lows the days of 16 million unit selling rates are but distant memories. Estimates of annual sales of 10 to 11 million units are the new thinking in a market (and economy) where flat is the new up. Compete measures auto shopping behavior across the internet and uses a subset of that (visits to third-party automotive sites) to develop its proprietary measure of in-market vehicle demand. Sales are a function of generating demand and converting that demand into purchases. Using this data we have seen what may be the very first signs of a recovery.

The chart to the right shows market-wide new vehicle demand and reveals an uptick from November’s all-time low. January 2009 demand of 2.56 million in-market shoppers was the highest in 11 months and down only 5% from January 2008 when new mid-size car launches drove industry demand higher. The y-o-y decline in January 2009 was the lowest in 11 months. But if this is the first sign of a demand recovery it is in its very early stages given that this was the lowest January demand level on record. In any case, a slowing of y-o-y declines may at least suggest we’re near the bottom.

But even with a recovery, don’t expect sales to return to the days of 16 million units anytime soon. Demand, currently running over 1 million shoppers below historic highs, needs to fully recover before sales can really take off. If demand holds stable at January 2009’s 2.5 million shoppers, the industry would have to convert nearly 45% of those shoppers into buyers each month to reach 13 million unit sales for the year, the same as 2008. That’s an ambitious target, one that would likely require a continued reliance on incentives to entice prospects. Industry conversion averaged closer to 39% in the 4th quarter of 2008. That translates into a 2009 market of fewer than 12 million units for the year using the current demand trend. In any scenario, even with a recovery, 2009 will remain a difficult year for automakers.

TECHNOLOGY NOTES

2009-04-16T15:50:00.000-07:00

TWITTER - WHAT'S ALL THE BUZZ ABOUT?

I Thought I'd do a segment on Twitter. Yes, I joined, I tweet, I follow. But seriously, I don't get why it's so hot. It can actually be quite annoying. However, I'm riveted to all the media on it and am anxious to see how it all plays out until the next "hot" technology comes along! In our biz - you must stay abreast of the latest technology or you'll be a dinosaur before you know it.

Why Small Business Owners Have to Use Twitter

2009-04-15T21:53:00.000-07:00

Maybe you have read this a thousand times, but I would like to encourage you once again.

You. Have. To. Use. Twitter. Period.

What is Twitter, anyway? In essence, Twitter is a social networking and micro-blogging site that allow you to connect and interact with fellow users easily - in real time and in 140 characters - basically answering this question: “What are you doing?”

Twitter is the fastest growing social networking site on the Net today (Goodbye Facebook!), with 1,382 per cent year-on-year growth, compared to Facebook’s “mere” 228 per cent year-on-year growth.

What does Twitter’s growth mean to small businesses?

Two things: More opportunities and a bigger market to target. Click title to read more.

TWITTER'S SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS

2009-04-15T21:50:00.000-07:00

Twitter.com continues to grow in popularity and importance in both the consumer and corporate worlds. No longer just a platform for friends to stay connected in real time, it has evolved into an important component of brand marketing. Unique visitors to Twitter increased 1,382 percent year-over-year, from 475,000 unique visitors in February 2008 to 7 million in February 2009, making it the fastest growing site in the Member Communities category for the month. Zimbio and Facebook followed, growing 240 percent and 228 percent, respectively.

Fastest Growing Member Community Destinations in February 2009

RANK	Site	Feb 08	Feb 09	% growth
1	Twitter.com	475,000	7,038,000	1382%
2	Zimbio	809,000	2,752,000	240%
3	Facebook	20,043,000	65,704,000	228%
4	Multiply	821,000	2,394,000	192%
5	Wikia	1,381,000	3,758,000	172%
source: Nielsen NetView, 2/09, U.S., Home and Work

You know the drill - click the title for entire article!

TWITTER MAKES FACEBOOK BLINK!

2009-04-15T21:47:00.000-07:00

Here's why Facebook is all aflutter over Twitter

click on title to see for yourself

GREEN REPORT

2009-04-15T21:45:00.001-07:00

FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE - 350 Blog Challenge

By displaying our badge, your blog will help us offset 122,500 lbs of CO2 -- that's like turning off 38,000 light bulbs for a day! With your support, we're putting more clean energy on the national energy grid, and together, we can help fight global warming, one blog at a time.

GREEN SUMMIT EXPO

2009-04-15T21:44:00.000-07:00

The 1^st Annual Global Renewable Energy Expo and Networking Summit is directed to begin to harness our most basic resources, creating dialogs, collecting ideas and getting people together to enable unique community initiatives. It has never been our intention to justify, criticize, or argue over any other organization’s right to exist, or historical place in environmental activism. This Summit conference was put together to urgently and effectively assemble people of like mind to review and discuss the issues and challenges that imperil our environmental future, and to create and enable practical solutions.

click title to view website

GREEN SPOTLIGHT

2009-04-15T21:42:00.000-07:00

Creative Greenius

My associate and friend, Joe Galliani, (creative director & environmentalist) posts a blog that you must check out if you have any interest in contributing to the beauty and preservation of our environment. His latest endeavor is learning to install solar panels in homes. With the proper training, guidance and direction homeowners can be taught to install their own systems. And with the help of many neighbors pooling talents and resources the task becomes far more doable.

A little about Joe...

I’ve spent my entire career inventing and delivering creative solutions that inspire and motivate people to action. Long before my career began, my love for unspoiled wilderness and wildlife drove me to the green side.

In 1997 I co-found The Parks Company, along with my business partner and friend, Mike Baggetta, one of the most talented fine artists and gifted graphic artists of our generation. Together we created America’s first and only national park catalog company raising money for the parks with every sale.

Today my passion to protect the beauty and power of nature drives me to help clients like Hewlett Packard who use their strength for the good of the many instead of the greed of the few.

More importantly it fuels my volunteer service for groups like the South Bay Cities Green Task Force and the South Bay Environmental Services Center here in my Southern California home.

And it calls me to employ my skills and talents to read, research, and dig, in order to understand the truth about the greatest challenge of our time - climate change. I am here to spread that stark and unflinching truth in my own unique style and offer some of the creative solutions we need to go the green way… before we are forced to simply go away.

MEETING INDUSTRY

2009-04-15T21:40:00.000-07:00

Don’t Blame the Business Trip

Ben Stein fron NY Times writes about the realities and impacts of business travel. Read an excerpt below

... The truth is that business meetings are usually not a waste of time, even if they are held in Las Vegas or at a resort with a golf course near a Southern California beach. They are not decadent, with rare exceptions. And at the business meetings I see, an incredibly heavy burden of work lies on the shoulders of those who attend. Of course, I wouldn’t want to see taxpayer money going to buy Piper-Heidsieck for executives of bailed-out companies. Then again, I never see anything even slightly like that at business meetings.

At the gatherings I attend, men and women fly coach, stay in immense, boxy hotels, start their meeting days at breakfast at 7 a.m. and work through the day until far later than seems reasonable to me. Then they do it again the next day and the day after that, finally enduring the torture of waiting at the airport, next to screaming children, in order to get home.

These meetings, while burdensome, are helpful to the businesses involved. They cannot be entirely replaced with teleconferencing or mass e-mailing. The personal touch, the sharing of facts and secrets face to face, are important. Could Congress really do its work if it held its sessions by teleconferencing? Could Congressional committee hearings work as well by conference call? Could the Supreme Court?

Technology is wonderful and indispensable. But for finding out the tricks of the trade, the way business runs in bad times and good, the latest developments in business and the economy, nothing can replace the spark of intelligence that travels from person to person at meetings. Moreover, it would be harsh in the extreme to kick the hospitality industry when it is down by frowning on business meetings, thereby making hotels lay off cooks and waiters and maids.

SPOTLIGHT

2009-03-31T13:12:00.000-07:00

This NPR interview really resonated with me. Please take one minute to read - it will brighten your day and hopefully refocus your priorities if needed!

It's a segment from the Patt Morrison show on NPR. It aired last week. Patt is interviewing Donovan Campbell, an author of Joker One: A Marine Platoons' Story of Courage, Leadership and Brotherhood

Campbell served three combat deployments—two in Iraq and one in Afghanistan; he was awarded the Combat Action Ribbon and a Bronze Star with Valor for his time in Iraq, and recently promoted to Captain. He is no longer active in the Marines.

A blogger asks the author what we can do to help the troops from home.

Here is a transcript from a portion of the interview....

Patt Morrison: 93KPCC is how you can talk to Donovan Campbell. He is the author of Joker One: a Marine platoon story of courage, leadership and brotherhood. You can also ask questions on the blog at KPCC.org.

Kirk has a blog point: "beyond trying, he says, to be responsible voters offering deep gratitude and trying to be well informed, what do you think citizens can do that would be meaningful to the troops?"

Donovan Campbell: You know what, I have a kind of strange perspective on this but I think what citizens can do that can be meaningful to the troops is to serve each other back here in America - especially now, when times are hard for so many people.

I think, if overseas (the troops), know that back home people are regularly pitching in at soup kitchens,

or they’re donating money to charity even though it pains them to do that,

if they’re helping teach their neighbor how to budget so that they can avoid foreclosure on their home, if they’re serving as mentors in underprivileged areas,

I think those things mean far more to us, far more to the troops, than does a simple care package filled with Kleenex.

And our nation, I think, is in a tough time but we have a unique opportunity to turn and help each other and serve each other in a way that perhaps we didn’t when we were more affluent.

Listen to entire interview at this link:

http://tinyurl.com/ck4ul7

Introducing Karchi Perlmann!

2009-03-31T13:09:00.000-07:00

My good friend, Director, Karchi Perlmann has been invited to screen his short film, Vascora (the Dinner) at the Newport Beach Film Festival. It is the official North American premiere.

Awarded Honorable Mention at Venice Film Festival

Awarded winner of the Best Short at the Cottbus Film Festival

The screening will take place on Sunday, April 26th at 8:15PM at the Edwards Islands 2

Cinemas (Inside the Fashion Island Mall). It is advisable to purchase

tickets to the event in advance to insure it doesn't sell out before

the actual date. The film is showing with 5 other short films in a

block and every filmmaker will invite as many of "their" people as

possible, so they can get a shoe in for the audience award. Such is

the festival culture... :)

The festival's website is: http://www.newportbeachfilmfest.com

Vacsora website: http://www.vacsorathemovie.com

THE STATE OF OUR INDUSTRY

2009-03-31T13:08:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed most of these articles but they’re too long to add to the blog so I picked my favorite (click on the "State of our Industry" title). I’ve included the link so that you can view all if you want - they are listed off to the right side of the article.

Readers Like
MOST POPULAR | MOST EMAILED
* The Top 10 Dumb Sales Questions During a Bad Economy
* 15 Personal Skills You Need on the Job
* The 13 Most Annoying People to Work With
* Eight Marketing Strategies to Gain Momentum in a Sluggish Economy
* Low-Cost Ways to Motivate Employees
* Death of a Sales Meeting: Time for a Change?
* Back to Basics: The Eight 'Follow or Else' Rules of Selling
* 10 Ridiculously Cheap Ways to Raise Morale
* Measuring Training Effectiveness
* Business Etiquette: Be Smart with Your Smart Phone

INDUSTRY TOP 5 COUNTDOWN

Concept Design shares their take on the Top 5 Industries doing shows in 2009

Technology
Pharma
Infrastructure
Media & Entertainment
Worship

http://www.conceptdesigninc.com/blasts/2009/february/

GREEN REPORT

2009-03-31T13:07:00.000-07:00

Is the Green revolution on hold?
In a time of shrinking budgets, are clients willing to shoulder the costs of going green? Last year, several shows went green with LED lighting, biodegradable disposables, and recyclable scenic elements. This year we have massive layoffs, cancelled events, and shrinking budgets.
My question to event producers: Is it more of a priority for your clients to cut costs or go green? If equipment suppliers are willing to purchase efficient equipment and green materials, will the end client be willing to share the costs, knowing they are behaving responsibly and helping the environment, OR, are budget restrictions a priority, and going green will have to wait for the economy to improve?
Any thoughts?

Green & Social Responsibility:

The Year that Was in Meetings

By Terri Hardin

There’s buzz in the industry about incorporating

social responsibility and green initiatives—

as well as co-locating (holding similar

meetings simultaneously in one

venue)—into events. But are these trends

driving meetings, or are we paying lip service

(and printing ink) to fads that aren’t significantly

impacting business?

MeetingNews heard from 502 corporate,

association, and independent

meeting planners,who weighed in

on these subjects. The result?

When asked, for example, if they

incorporated charity initiatives into this

year’s meeting programs, only 5 percent

of all responding planners said

they had done so for up to 100 percent

of their programming in 2008,

while 51 percent of all planners said

they had not done so—although the

number was lower (40%) for independent

planners. Only one-third of all

planners said they had incorporated

charity into their programs up to 24

percent of the time.

Of those incorporating charity

initiatives, the most popular initiatives implemented

were related to health and education

(both 43%). For the participants, health-related

charity initiatives created the most positive experiences.

Click "Green Report" title to view entire article

TECHNOLOGY NOTES

2009-03-31T13:06:00.000-07:00

I Doubted Twitter and Twitter Forgave Me

(part II of a series)

We regarded Twitter as a forum for teenage chat until we gave it a try and found that it drove a lot of traffic to our web sites. Audience acquisition is an obvious application for Twitter, as I wrote previously. A quick look around the web shows that a lot of event managers are using Twitter to connect with attendees and exhibitors prior to events and on site.

BusyEvent in their blog entry described a number of interesting ideas for integrating Twitter into the activities of a conference, including digital signage. One comment: they suggest setting up a twitter feed based on the name of the event. I would suggest that the event Twitter feed be delivered under the name of someone associated with the event—conference chair, editor, association executive. A person-to-person feed always grabs the user much more than a “brand” feed. Great Idea: get attendees to provide their Twitter name when they register, and make this information available to other registrants.

Among other things, this blog entry from MeetingsNet contains some good ideas on the use of Twitter as a way to get your audience involved in building conference content, and to battle attrition. Here’s where getting attendees to “follow” each other comes in handy—when they see the feeds coming from their colleagues onsite, they’re going to want to jump in the car. Last week I saw dozens of feeds coming from SXSW conference, and I wish I had been there.

Here's what our clients are saying...

2009-03-31T13:05:00.000-07:00

Staying Afloat in the Stupid Economy - A look at the Film/TV Industry

Matt Armstrong

February 17, 2009 Source: Studio Daily

With a recession that has no end in sight, companies in virtually every industry are hunkering down for hard times. The film and television industry is no different. We’ve already seen a number of companies go out of business, from large VFX houses like The Orphanage to smaller boutique editorial/design outfits like Version2. We spoke with a number of heads of companies about strategies they are implementing to weather the economic storm and found a few consistent themes. All are looking to improve workflow

efficiencies, some are diversifying their services to offer clients a more complete package and most have a hiring freeze. And while all of

the respondents we spoke with said they have no plans to cut their rates, their replies of “no” were followed with a conditional “but...”, so take that with a grain of salt.

Read below the strategies a variety of companies — from mid-level edit/design shops, to large, full-service post facilities, to those targeting new media outlets — are taking to make a profit in the current recession.

Meg's note: I've included a few here but there are tons on the website. Click the title to view entire article

Sean Henry, Calabash Animation

executive producer

animation production

What has the state of the economy meant to your business?

For us it may still be a little bit too early to tell. Business has remained strong for us as far as cereal commercials are concerned, but the

rest of the advertising industry seems to be tightening their belts and re-using or re-purposing old spots rather than investing in new

productions. One possible telltale sign of the struggling economy is that while we have seen a marked decrease in new business from

the agencies, we have also been seeing an unusually high number of job inquiries from more experienced animators and other artists.

What strategies have you had to take for the short term? Long term? In terms of personnel? Investment?

We are expanding in certain areas and showing more restraint in others — adding new animators, producers and new technology. On the one hand, we are generally trying to be as fiscally conservative as possible, but at the same time we have been investing into new

technology to create products that may be more relevant in this current economic climate. In the near term, we are refocusing our sales efforts to address an increased interest in Flash animation for the web, as well as other non-traditional media such as CG, which

provides an additional dimension of flexibility. For the mid term and long term, we are re-vamping our Shorts program to be able to release new material more often, and in a more strategically targeted way that will be more effective as a sales tool. We put a lot of emphasis on cross-training our full-time staff in all the various tools of the trade, and we rely heavily on a network of local (and not-solocal)

freelance talent. These strategies have allowed us to remain very flexible and effective.

Have you redirected your business to other areas that you were not focused on before?

We have greatly expanded our capabilities for Flash-style animation for the web and mobile platforms. Whether or not it is because of

the economy, many companies are looking away from traditional media and more toward the internet, which also lends itself to more

economical styles of animation. In addition to web animation, we have been receiving a lot of interest in 3D computer animation and we

are investing heavily into our CG department. Calabash has the advantage of being able to apply our many years of traditional experience

to these new media, whereas many Flash-only animation companies may have the technical skills but lack the artistry.

The danger for us is that with a higher volume of smaller projects, the overhead is greater and the profit margins are smaller.

Are you cutting your rates?

We are not cutting our rates per se, but we often find that we can offer cost-saving alternatives to clients without sacrificing too much of

the original concept.

How will you survive a prolonged recession?

We will do our best to stay flexible, keep our eyes open for new opportunities, adapt as necessary, and roll with the punches.

Ray Carballada, Shooters Post & Transfer/DIVE

president

post production facility

What has the state of the economy meant to your business?

We have seen things slow down a little in some areas from the crazy pace of the last few years. Shooters' diversification in advertising,

producing television programming and films has helped. We are also working with more clients who want to benefit from the resources

and talent of our diversification.

What strategies have you had to take for the short term? Long term? In terms of personnel? Investment?

Short-term we are holding off adding the staff we had budgeted for 2009 and using freelancers as needed. We are still investing in

technology and equipment. Long Term we feel very confident in Shooters’ business module. We expect that the industry we are in will

continue to mature. We don’t expect things return to the past as far as pricing, deadlines and workflows.

Have you redirected your business to other areas that you were not focused on before?

We redirected our business into developing television programming and starting a film division several years ago because we knew that

the ad business was changing. The reasons for diversifying then are serving us well now.

Are you cutting your rates?

We have a different, more efficient business model than most so we haven’t seen a lot of pressure on our pricing.

How will you survive a prolonged recession?

We are pursuing additional marketing opportunities and finessing our sales strategies to address the current economy. Ultimately, our

business strategy has served us well to compete and weather this current economic storm. We are also partnering with our clients to help

them survive as well as seizing the opportunities to create new relationships.

Camille Taylor

owner/EP

Crossroads

multimedia and content creation

What has the state of the economy meant to your business?

There is no business as usual. The percent of billing that we are down for 2008 has forced us to cut overhead, rethink and revamp all

expenditures, and continue to work on how we can bill more while keeping costs down. With no end in sight for this economic downturn,

everything we are doing is for the long term. We have joined forces with other companies and executive producers who have come to us

with directors thus further amortizing the basic costs of doing business. We have been acting as a service company for long format work

in television and in feature film as well as servicing foreign productions. Cutting rates further on regular jobs is not a long term survival

option, although making bulk contract deals with either agencies or clients for a guaranteed amount of work does allow us to offer

certain price breaks. We continue to work on TV promos, TV programming, music videos, feature film production, design, and editorial

as well. This diverse profile is certainly helpful. More than ever continuing to look at advertising globally is key to remaining healthy and

successful. As all aspects of the entertainment business tighten their belts and lose frills and perks, so must we. Every company needs to

walk the tightrope of maintaining repeat business and high client service standards while spending less money.

Dan LaCivita

senior VP/executive director

Firstborn Multimedia

digital creative agency with Web design, live action, graphics

What has the state of the economy meant to your business?

We felt the economy last year though it was our best year financially. We’re probably going to feel it a little more in the first quarter this

year, with clients being more judicious in where they are spending money. We’re getting a lot of opportunities that we normally would

not have gotten if the economy wasn’t bad.

We’re getting a lot of larger brands that are looking at how they are spending their money and coming to us. We are a 45-person shop

and are not a 300-person agency, but I think clients are realizing that you don’t need a team of 35 people to develop a great digital

strategy and execute it. So in some ways we’re getting a lot more opportunities that we may not have got if people weren’t looking at

their numbers very closely.

What strategies have you had to take for the short term? Personnel? Investment?

One of the things, and this was born out of necessity rather than the economy, is that the fact that we’re able to produce video, 3D

graphics and Web development. Before a client may go to an ad agency, the agency will hire a production house and director to come up

with a video campaign, a 3D house to do the graphics and a Web house to do the Flash work. We’re able to do all that, which really does

increase efficiency and thus brings done costs a lot. Every time you outsource to another vendor you are going to pay their markup. Not

only will it bring the budget lower, it’s also going to be a tighter deliverable. Our web team and our video team are working right next to

each other so we’re working on a whole campaign together rather than working on each separate piece.

Have you redirected your business?

In the last three years we’ve bolstered our live action, 3D motion graphics and our software engineering teams, so we'll not only be

building great looking front-end Web experiences but also creating real software applications.

Ironically we’re hiring more people, we’ve signed a lease for another 6,000 square feet and we’re not cutting our rates. We’ve been

fortunate to be in a position to be able to do that. It is amazing that the resumes we see, these are not some mid-level guys we’re seeing

that are out of work. These are professionals that have been working for a long time.

Are you cutting rates?

We’re not cutting our rates and we’re not paying our employees any less, but there is a correction in the scale of salary happening now

and it will probably continue to happen over the next year. Two years ago when the economy was awesome you had guys who probably

should have been making $60,000 a year making $90,000. A lot of those guys probably don’t have jobs right now and their next job

isn’t going to be making $90,000.

How will you survive a prolonged recession?

Cross our fingers.

Meeting Update

2009-03-17T17:07:00.000-07:00

Event Industry Leaders Meet with President Obama last week - A big thanks to those who supported us!

Dear Travel Colleague:
Our efforts to increase our voice in Washington paid dividends today when one dozen CEOs from leading travel businesses met with President Obama to discuss ways to increase travel to and within the United States. To learn more about our meeting with the President, please read our statementbelow.
We owe a great deal of thanks to the CEOs who took time to convene in Washington. In addition to meeting with President Obama, the CEOs held meetings with senior Congressional leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd.
Given the enthusiasm and support of the group, I anticipate this is only the beginning of what will be regular CEO leadership meetings to help strengthen our industry. I will keep you informed with future developments.

Sincerely,
Roger Dow
President and CEO
U.S. Travel Association

Go to this url to read more and see the final TARP legislation

http://tinyurl.com/dbkqwk

Read on... we can affect change - it IS working!

Dear Friends,

We have big news to report, and even though it appears to be only about the US, if you read on you will understand why it is so important. I am thrilled to let you know that yesterday President Barack Obama and key US senators met with our industry leaders. Two topics were discussed- attracting more international visitors and our community’s concern about the dramatic nationwide downturn in meetings and events. We are confident that President Obama understands the economic impact and jobs connected to our industry and that we will see some noteworthy comments in the days ahead.

As you can imagine this was a critical meeting and will help us tremendously as we continue to raise awareness about the value of motivational events. My goal is to keep you informed with news and tools so that you can navigate these challenging times. Please be sure to chec k our website as we update it daily.

Harnessing the power of the collective has been the key to creating opportunities that are making a difference. Thanks for your continued diligence in working as a community to affect change. It is working!

http://tinyurl.com/cff6ao

Andrea Michaels, President of Extraordinary Events in LA sends a powerful letter to the LA Times - watch out for the letters from the ladies!

March 10, 2009

A letter to our Government:

Our country was founded on the principle of meetings that mattered. Without a meeting of our forefathers there would have been no Declaration of Independence and thus no United States of America. Nor would we have a Constitution or Bill of Rights without the meetings held to draft these documents. Our House of Representatives functions because they meet. Our Senate functions because they meet. Our Supreme Court meets as do the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

For 30 years I have planned meetings and events. I have launched products which later sold and provided revenue and subsequent jobs for thousands. I have produced charitable events which provided funds for those in desperate need. I have created programs that brought business solutions to corporate challenges such as how to build a team out of two merging companies with different corporate cultures. And as a result built an entire school that benefited a community of thousands and will for many years to come. Why is any of this considered frivolous or unnecessary?

How does our government then have the right to deny corporate America the right to convene, educate, enlighten and elevate as well as personally communicate? Our inauguration was publicized as costing 150 million dollars for “parties” yet our world is being told that we can spend no money on celebration. If our governing bodies are setting the standard for what we must all do to economize then why are they exempt from the spending to meet and celebrate? It seems to me that it’s long past the time when they should set the example and “do as I do” and not “do as I say”.

Sincerely yours,
Andrea Michaels
President
Extraordinary Events

2009-03-17T17:06:00.000-07:00

Here's what our clients are saying...

New feedback from a major So Cal Automotive OEM

Auto Show Division

Event Outlook

Have you suspended events in the short term? No
Have you cancelled events that were in production? No
Are you preparing RFP/RFQs for distribution? We will continue to work with our contracted suppliers. No current RFPs planned
Have you or will you adjust the scope of your events? Hopefully no. Budgets have been submitted for 2010 and so far have been approved. Budgets remain flat – no increases from 2009 but no cutbacks either.
Will you remain loyal to current vendors or will everything go to bid? Loyal to current vendors
Have you had to downsize your internal departments? Not yet
If yes, will be more reliant on outside services? NA
Projected outlook next 3-6 months? Status quo

AMCI IS OPTIMISTIC FOR 2009!

We are in what is a very trying economy and the automotive industry is obviously not exempt. We at AMCI have had great

success these past few years, and we are still extremely hopeful for 2009. As always, the first few months have been slow, but that has always been the case. With the cold weather and dangerous driving conditions, we have never produced many events during this time. What do we expect? Well, that is still extremely hard to say. We have provided quality events in the past; you have worked hard and done exactly what was asked, providing safe and informative drive programs. We believe that our consistency will pay off and even with the economy we will gain momentum and have a strong summer.
Please stay in touch and provide information to Denise Ledon (dledon@amcimarketing.com) in the VKC. For those of you in Production, please contact Brian Wahlquist (bwahlquist@amcimarketing.com) who is now the newly appointed Staffing Manager for Production. I think the appointment of Brian will add great value, giving you in Production a direct contact to what is happening at AMCI.

On a less optimistic note...

Las Vegas Suspends Work on Convention Center
Mar 16, 2009 12:55 PM

Las Vegas’ drastic drop in meetings and conventions business over the last several months has forced the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority to suspend a plan to expand and renovate the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The LVCVA board of directors last week voted to delay the $890 million project until the middle of 2010. The decision comes after the LVCVA reported that the city had seen more than 300 meetings and conventions canceled over a three-month period, leading to a loss of more than 100,000 visitors and an estimated $131 million in spending.
The LVCVA also reported that in January the number of meetings was down from the previous year by 19.5 percent, while attendance had dropped by more than 20 percent. Weekend occupancy rates were down by 3 percent, while weekday occupancy rates were down by a whopping 18 percent.
The loss of so much business has led the LVCVA to expect a $53 million shortfall in room-tax revenues. Even with plans to cut its operating expenses by 3 percent, the decline in room-tax revenue would have made it extremely difficult for the LVCVA to continue with the project without risking default, considering the capital expense and debt that continuing with the project would have entailed.

From: SoCal Production Company

Freelance advice

What type of freelance help are you using most: Creative Directors, Writers, graphics, AP, PA, Producers, etc.? We are not currently hiring freelance help. However, as we begin to write proposals and answer RFPs, we’ll primarily call upon writers, creative directors and producers.
What advice can you share with the freelance community? We’re going through a brutal economic time right now, but it will turn. Stay in touch with your hiring sources so you’ll be top-of-mind when the economy comes back and projects start rolling in.
What is your preferred method for freelancers to inquire about work opportunities so as not to continually pester you: email, phone, etc. Email
Does the squeaky freelance wheel get the grease? No
Have you asked freelancers to adjust their rates? We've asked freelancers whether they would be willing to adjust their rates? The response was 50/50 - some said no, others said they would be open to it. More than ever clients are looking for the best and lowest budgets, so freelancers need to be flexible and adaptable if they want to stay competitive and be hired.

Industry Outlook

Have you had to downsize or are you planning to downsize? Yes, we have downsized.
Are you receiving proposals (RFPs)? We hope to receive one this month; no others on the horizon as of today
How is your book of business over the next 6 months? No signed contracts but lots of contacts and potential business when the economy turns
Projected outlook next 3-6 months? Lots of business development

From: So Cal AV Company

Freelance Advice:

What type of freelance help are you using most? AV & Lighting
What advice can you share with the freelance community? Stay in touch with those who can potentially hire you.. it's a necessity, even if there is no business at the moment. Network with others in the business. Consider alternative ways to bring in income, as there may be no short-term turnaround.
What is your preferred method for freelancers to contact you to inquire about work opportunities without pestering you? Email or phone - not a bother
Have you asked freelancers to adjust their rates? Yes, we are making minor downward adjustments

Industry Outlook:

Have you had to downsize or are you planning to downsize? Yes
Are you receiving proposals (RFPs)? No, it's extremely quiet
How is your book of business over the next 6 months? Some, but business levels are significantly down and projects have been cancelled
Your projected outlook over next 3-6 months? We are hearing of some proposal activity at the production company level. Some of these do not have firm dates attached. The outlook for the next 3 months seems bleak. There is hope that things will pick up in the fall. In general, 2009 business levels will be at record lows

2009-03-17T17:04:00.000-07:00

Eco-Planner
GMIC’s Million Tons of Trash Challenge
The Green Meeting Industry Council, an association dedicated to sustainability for meetings and events, has a challenge for the industry: Divert, recycle, or compost a million tons of trash between Earth Day, April 22, and the end of 2009.
GMIC issued the challenge during its recent Greening the Hospitality Industry 2009 Conference in Pittsburgh, where nearly 200 green meetings devotees gathered at the end of February. Find out how to participate in the Million Tons of Trash Challenge, and read more about a growing push for GMIC’s chapters-in-formation and the association’s upcoming green-resource Web portal.

http://tinyurl.com/dlq4j7

Are You Producing Green Meetings?

10 Easy Tips

Here are 10 easy tips you can apply to any meeting to make it more environmentally responsible.

Put it in writing. Establish an environmental statement or policy for the meeting, and get buy in for it from the meeting host organization's management. Share the policy with suppliers, delegates and speakers. You'll be amazed at how far they'll go to help you make your event BlueGreen.

Use paperless technology. Use new media and electronic technology to cut down your paper use. Create a conference web site; offer electronic registration and confirmation; and advertise using the web and/or email.

Meet close. Reduce distances traveled by speakers and delegates. Choose a host city that's close to as many delegates as possible, and within the city choose a venue and hotel that are close to the airport and within walking distance of each other.

Practice the 3Rs. Ask your hotel and meeting venue to provide visible and accessible reduction, reuse and recycling services for paper, metal, plastic and glass.

Bulk up. Have your food & beverage service provider use bulk dispensers for sugar, salt, pepper, cream and other condiments.

Lighten your Stay. Choose a hotel that offers a linen reuse program and bulk dispensers for shampoos and soaps in guest suites.

Eat green. Include vegetarian meals, and have meals planned using local, seasonal produce.

Close the recycling loop. Have all printed materials published on recycled paper, using vegetable-based inks, and on both sides of the page.

Save energy. Coordinate with the meeting venue to ensure that energy lights and air conditioning will be turned off when rooms are not in use.

Spread the word! Tell delegates, speakers and the media about your success. You'll be surprised - BlueGreen efforts are contagious

http://www.bluegreenmeetings.org/

2009-03-02T17:09:00.000-08:00

GREAT RESPONSE - THANKS AND KEEP IT COMING!

Thank you all for your tremendous response to the blog. Although it appears grim out there, I'm thrilled to see that we are a bunch of optimists. Please note some of the correspondence and check the posted comments below.

Great timing on your blog
This past Wednesday I was “terminated” from my job
I was in shock (and anger!) for a couple of days, but now I have my balance back.
Scary time to re-enter the job market…

Yes, meetings, incentives, etc. are really a dirty word out in the world. No one knows about our relatively industry and that it's being greatly impacted. Did you hear about the bank from Illinois that had a 3 day trip to LA, stayed in nice hotels, had Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire, and Sheryl Crow perform? TMZ and all the media roasted them... of course they had taken bailout money.

Thank you for the blog. I have been in the same situation as you find yourself in. It is a slow market for everyone. The sectors of automotive, tech and financial seem to be the hardest hit. I believe that communication with peers is so important as it reinforces that you are not alone and could lead to employment referrals.

I think this is a terrific idea and I am excited to be apart of the group. Thank you for including me.
I finished working on a show three weeks ago and have been looking for my next project and nothing - nothing at all!
Very scary times! So anything we can do to support each other will be great.

Thanks for including me on your distribution. Your message pretty much hits it spot on! I’ve been slow since October too. I didn’t feel it as much through Nov/Dec as those holiday months are always filled with so much personal stuff going on. But with that said, Jan and Feb have been painfully quiet. I miss my production friends. I miss the endless emails, conference calls and budget/scheduling/content/graphic revisions! Oh, and I miss the paychecks.

What is the current state of our industry?

2009-02-19T08:00:00.000-08:00

To all my freelance friends and associates,

My name is Meg Reeves and I'm a freelance event producer. I specialize in meetings, tours and press events. My core business is in the automotive, tech and finance sectors.

I thought it would be useful to catch up with many of you whom I've worked with over the years and get feedback on how the current state of the industry is affecting your business.

I'm hoping to make this a forum for freelancers by communicating with one another and getting feedback on the state of business from the production companies we work with.

I'll be honest, I've been slow since October - especially the last couple of months. Nothing is happening - no calls, no emails, nada. The news from other freelancers I know is equally grim. I'm trying to stay positive and not take it personally. I'm trying to do all those things I never have time to do when I'm working. Free things, that is!

WHAT DO YOU THINK? JUMP IN TO THE DISCUSSION - Positive or Negative

Are you in the same position as me?
What is your freelance position?
If you are currently working, do you feel confident that you'll get another project as soon as your current project ends?
Are you considering another line of work?

Feel Free to take the survey to the right or comment. We want to hear from you.

Meeting Update

2009-02-17T17:47:00.000-08:00

EventView Report Confirms Events Play

Increasingly Crucial Role in the Marketing Mix

Data shows decision-makers are turning to event marketing to drive purchase behavior and deepen engagement in the face of an intensifying worldwide financial crisis

“This first report of the 2009 series shows that CMOs and senior marketers believe events are the
most effective medium to engage customers and move them to purchasing behavior,” said Bruce
MacMillan, president and CEO of MPI. “While we’ve seen event marketing mature as an effective
marketing channel for several years, the benefits become heightened in an uncertain economy.
Marketing decision-makers have clearly taken notice.”

Key findings in EventView 2009: North America include:
• 53 percent of respondents chose event marketing as the discipline that best accelerates
and deepens relationships with target audiences

• 26 percent of respondents chose event marketing as the marketing discipline that drives
the greatest ROI, a four percent increase from the 2008 results

• 29 percent of respondents say they will transition from event marketing to experience
marketing (integrated live and online experiences that drive deep brand interaction
through highly-relevant storytelling and brand immersion) in the next 12 months – 33
percent say they have already transitioned

• Among North American respondents, companies that integrate measurement into their
programs and track results are more than twice as likely to receive increases in their
marketing budget than those that do not measure

• 66 percent of respondents plan on implementing or have already implemented green
initiatives within the event function – a 32 percent increase from the 2008 results. Of that
66 percent, 44 percent are doing so as a result of a corporate responsibility mandate and
report that green accounts for 13 percent of their event budget.

“ EventView 2009: North America indicates that more than 60 percent of respondents have
already transitioned or are transitioning from event marketing to experience marketing in the next
12 months,” said Robert G. Vallee Jr., CEO of GPJ. “This is a pivotal trend, and it shows that in
the current downturn, senior-level marketers want the immediate and measurable business
impact that experience marketing delivers. CPM is no longer the measure of success. It’s about
engagement and follow through… what experience marketing does better than any other
discipline.”

Thanks to all who signed the meeting petition to support our industry. If you haven't signed yet, it's not too late. http://www.keepamericameeting.org/

Meeting industry

2009-02-17T17:14:00.000-08:00

Do not let congress ban companies from hosting events and conferences. Take action!

Sen. Kerry has introduced legislation that would ban all 421 firms including the nation's largest banks that received money from the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) from hosting, sponsoring or paying for conferences, holiday parties and entertainment events.

If passed, I don't need to tell you the profound impact on the business travel industry and the nation's economy it would have. This legislation would not only impact the affected companies it would have a chilling, immediate impact on all companies. This hurts travel managers, hotels, airlines, rental cars, EVERYONE! It is estimated that without the jobs generated by meetings and conventions unemployment would jump from 7.6% to 8.2!

You, as the expert in business travel must educate Congress on the importance of managed travel and the benefits it brings. NBTA has issued a set of guidelines to the U.S. Treasury for effective managed travel based on your practices. You have made travel for meetings and events a cost effective tool that help businesses grow. We need to give these real world practices time to work. We can't afford negative news stories to drive Congress to manage travel. You have to make sure our government knows that.

Take action at http://tinyurl.com/bc2n75

Amy Richards, stage manager, writes a timely letter to the NY Times on this topic in response to Maureen Dowd's op-ed from last Wed. Go Amy!

To the Editor:

I don't care if you publish this but please forward it to Maureen Dowd:

RE: I Ponied Up for Sheryl Crow?

Thanks, Ms. Dowd. Thanks a lot for yet another kick at the wounded body of the meetings industry. Every time you and your ilk write an op-ed like this, another CEO decides to cancel a meeting that has been planned for months, not because they don't have the money, not because they don't have the business need, but because they don't want to become a poster child for "wasteful" spending.

When these meetings are canceled because of the optics, the savings are not so great, as contracts have been signed and most of the money has already been spent. Northern Trust had no doubt been planning the event for at least a year, long before they got the TARP funds.

The people who really get hurt are all the folks working in and around the hotels - the maids, security guards, taxi drivers, food and beverage workers. And then there's folks like me - one of the small army of freelance stagehands, designers, producers and stage managers who are responsible for the "shows" in the ballrooms. None of us are eligible for unemployment. Few of us are working these days.

Yes, it's fun to jump on the clueless fat cats, but you should know that your columns are helping to make jobs disappear for thousands and thousands of workers. And there's no bailout in sight for us.

Sincerely,

Amy Richards

2009-02-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

Should you continue to market and advertise in a recession?

This is an excerpt from an LA Times article regarding advertising during a recession - specifically the Superbowl. Although it doesn't directly apply to our business, it does make a strong case for continuing to market your business (or yourself) during hard times. Bottom line: YES YOU SHOULD!

You can read the entire article here:

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-superbowl27-2009jan27,0,7885040.story

Some studies have shown that companies that increase their marketing budgets in a recession do much better in the long run. Businesses that advertised aggressively during the 1981-82 recession had sales twice as high from 1981 to 1985 as those that didn't, according to a 1986 McGraw-Hill Research report.

To get a leg up on the competition was the reason tire maker Bridgestone Americas Inc. decided to continue sponsoring the halftime show this year.
"We're definitely being cost-conscious on an overall basis, but we don't want to cut things like the Super Bowl spots," he said.

Hyundai Motor America has made eight separate Super Bowl commercials and plans to run two during the game.
"It's a terrible time for the economy but a wonderful opportunity for us to build market share and enhance our brand," said Joel Ewanick, vice president of marketing at Hyundai Motor America.

Next year's Super Bowl may be a different story. Many advertisers bought ad time for this year's game in the spring or summer, before the severity of the economic meltdown had been revealed. As the financial crisis drags on, advertisers may decide that the 2010 Super Bowl isn't worth the money.

Then again, companies such as Audi, which locked in its 30-second spot in mid-November after the stock market crashed, say the state of the economy motivated them to advertise rather than pass.

Freelance Pulse

SPOTLIGHT - FREELANCING TIPS

10 Ways To Make Your Freelance Business Fail

Seven Lies Freelancers Tell Themselves

Lie #1 — I don’t need to market my business

Lie #2 — A high-dollar job is a good job

Lie #3 — Clients don’t like being asked questions

Lie #4 — All that time spent reading blogs, it’s networking

Lie #5 — There is such a thing as a free lunch

Lie #6 — I’m an expert, I don’t need to update my skills

Lie #7 — What works for [Big Name Freelancer] will work for me.

Don't Lowball your Clients!

Just Bid It

SOCIAL MEDIA

1. Pick a Name and Stick With It

3. Choose and Execute

5. It’s All About Interaction

Social Media Basics

Social media - helping charities

THE STATE OF OUR INDUSTRY

Business Growth

Employee Development

GREEN REPORT

Summer in Review

SPOTLIGHT

I agree that one of the hallmarks of an inexperienced client is when you see 6+ bidders. Besides indicating that they don't know what they're doing, it shows a great disregard for suppliers who are expected to spend thousands of dollars in proposal costs with little chance or winning the job.

DO YOUR PROPOSALS STINK OR SELL?

WHERE WE LEFT OFF

My Top 5 Biggest Freelancing Mistakes

SPOTLIGHT

THE STATE OF OUR INDUSTRY

PINK SLIP FRIDAY

Motivating yourself

SURVEY RESULTS

SPOTLIGHT

Mayor details idea of freelancers’ benefits

Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants the U.S. to develop a federal unemployment fund for independent workers pinched by the economic downturn

CLICK ON TITLE FOR A COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT WHAT NYC IS DOING FOR FREELANCERS!

FREELANCER SPOTLIGHT

TECHNOLOGY NOTES

BUILDING YOUR FREELANCE BRAND

HARD TIMES NEWS

THE STATE OF OUR INDUSTRY

U.S. Travel Launches

National “Rally Day”

to Raise Industry Awareness

PRINCIPLES OF CHANGE - How to Survive

Principle 2: People who successfully navigate change know that change always brings something positive into their lives.

Principle 3: People who successfully navigate change know they are resilient, strong, and capable of getting through anything.

Principle 4: People who successfully navigate change know that every challenging emotion they feel is not going to stop them and will guide them to positive emotions that help them feel better.

Principle 5: People who successfully navigate change know that the quicker they accept the change, the less pain and hardship they will feel.

Principle 6: People who successfully navigate change use empowering questions and words, think better thoughts, and express their feelings.

Principle 7: People who successfully navigate change know they are connected to something bigger than themselves.

Principle 8: People who successfully navigate change are not alone; they surround themselves with people who can help, who have the right beliefs and skills. And they create an environment that supports their change.

Principle 9: People who successfully navigate change take action. They have a plan and know how to take care of themselves.

THE STATE OF OUR INDUSTRY

IS THE AUTO INDUSTRY SHOWING SIGNS OF A RECOVERY?

February 19, 2009

TECHNOLOGY NOTES

Why Small Business Owners Have to Use Twitter

What does Twitter’s growth mean to small businesses?

TWITTER'S SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS

Fastest Growing Member Community Destinations in February 2009

TWITTER MAKES FACEBOOK BLINK!

GREEN REPORT

GREEN SUMMIT EXPO

GREEN SPOTLIGHT

MEETING INDUSTRY

SPOTLIGHT

Introducing Karchi Perlmann!

THE STATE OF OUR INDUSTRY

GREEN REPORT

TECHNOLOGY NOTES

Here's what our clients are saying...

Meeting Update

What is the current state of our industry?

Meeting Update

Meeting industry