Jul
12
I’ve been a little slow with posts here recently since we’re getting closer to the show and it’s crunch time here in the marketing department. In rereading some past comments and posts here, a posting from from Tim Grahl of bluecollarmtb.com a while ago on his memories of attending Interbike got me thinking. He also inquired about a blogging “event” at IB and I thought that it was about time to broach the subject of bloggers at Interbike : Are bloggers allowed to attend Interbike as working media? The answer is yes and no.
Despite the “Kid in the Candy Store” posts by Tim Jackson and myself, Interbike is a business-to-business event. Our customers, the exhibitors, meet face-to-face with their customers, the attendees, and conduct the business of cycling. Working media add to the value that Interbike provides by promoting exhibitors’ brands, goods and services to the greater industry and consumers. All of the “fun” aspects of Interbike take a back seat to the business that takes place.
So where do bloggers fit into the mix at Interbike? It would be easy to dismiss blogs, their authors and other “User Generated Media” (UGM) as not truly legitimate members of the media since anyone can start a blog for free within a few minutes’ time. But this would be ignoring the large role that they are playing and the visibility that they have on the internet. Regardless of the credentials that they may have, there are many sites out there that have large loyal followings, many of them posting insightful and meaningful content.
At Interbike we realize the impact that blogs have. We saw that conversations about Interbike were happening and that we needed to be a part of them. We have also seen some great coverage of past shows by cycling blogs and appreciate the exposure that they give to us and our customers. In the short time that this blog has been up, it already ranks 4th in Google searches for “Interbike”. That’s pretty amazing. You don’t need to convince us of the value of blogging.
I think, however, that the majority of people out there in the real world still do not understand blogs and this leads to blogs not receiving the respect that bloggers feel they deserve. We need to evolve away from focusing on blogging as a concept and just use it as a tool for communication. In a brief conversation I had with him a few weeks ago, I believe that that is where Jonathan Maus is now with his Bike Portland blog. If I understand him correctly, it was time to stop writing and evangelizing so much about blogging and just get on with the content and communication of the issues important to him and the community that he serves with his site. I agree. Is it about the blog or the content that you deliver through a blog that is important? Do bloggers need to keep spreading the word on the medium?
So, the question I pose is: what does it take for a blog/blogger to be considered “legitimate media” and worthy of the privilages bestowed upon that group? Just because they attend Interbike and post lots of photos from the floor, is that enough? Is it like the old quote about pornography: “I know it when I see it”? We have our formal policies on the matter, but at some point a judgement call needs to be made. I believe that it all rests on the editorial content of the site.
Thoughts?
Comments
8 Responses to “Bloggers at Interbike”
Honestly…I think your policy is a good one. Limiting the staff to two and charging for additional staff ensures you won’t get a blogger and all of his/her buddies showing up for the parties and atmosphere. It probably does require a bit of professional judgement, however, as your last point implies.
All excellent points. Jon, by the way, has done phenomenal work with BikePortland.
It does, sadly, in many cases prove to be a judgment call. It does require that the blogger/ blog show some sort of value. Tim Grahl is a fine example; he and his sites are great. They add value to the discussion. Some of the other blogs that consist of personal rants and slanders would be hard to offer a spot at the table.
I obviously believe in the value of blogs and that many bloggers need to be allowed to attend, but it will mean that the blogs in question prove their value and that “Interbike” takes a moment to take a look at the blog and check the value of dialog there. Again, a judgment call has to be made.
Off the topic a touch; we do still need to discuss a Blogger event at Interbike this year. Even if totally informal. It just needs to happen- in my opinion.
I agree that we should have a blogger event at IB. I saw that there was an informal gathering last year. How did it go? I can look into room options (no guarantees at the moment) and I could publicize it in on-site guides and such.
Let’s start a discussion on it. Thoughts? Topics?
Rich,
Count me in man. I know some other folks will want to get in on this. Let’s just see what we come up with now. Maybe you post an invite for suggestions and I’ll do the same. I know Tim Grahl is all for it and wants to try to get something together.
Tim
I am definitely in! What would be really neat is to do some kind of panel discussion so other retailers and manu people could ask questions and get info on blogs and how they are changing things.
Otherwise, maybe it might be a good idea to do it right as the show closes on Wed or Thurs, that way people like Tim Jackson and the Surly guys could make it this year.
As far as last year… it was pretty good. About eight people came and we discussed all kinds of blogging related things.
Good points here. I have a couple of my own that I’d like to share with you.
On the legitimacy of certain blogs, their value to Interbike, and judgement calls: Traditional news media has struggled with this since, well forever. Take papers like The New York Post or rags like The Enquirer as examples. Where do you draw the line? Sometimes it’s obvious, and sometimes it’s more vague. Who has the “real, hard news” and who is writing pure drivel? Unfortunately, there is no easy answer and Interbike will have to examine each blog and make a discriminating judgement call. (Yes, you can still do that in America)
On blogs as communication tools: Yes, it is imperitive that we all start looking at the actual communication being made ( if any) and not that there is a “mouth piece” for anyone that wants to employ it. The sooner we think of the message we want to send instead of the medium it’s on, the better. I would encourage the Interbike folks to look at getting ahold of this opportunity. This is a great time to set your standards now. Once that is done, it will be easier to set the boundaries as to what is and isn’t acceptable for bloggers, Interbike, and it’s attendees.
Interesting discussion here guys. As I was reading the requirements something struck me:
\”Exhibiting Web sites must have a media badge in order to cover the show.\’
Ok. I can understand that. Except, does that then mean that someone like Tim Jackson needs a media badge to post about Interbike on his blog? Or myself? And how would you police that? Granted, we aren\’t at the show exhibiting as a website, but the point I\’m making is that anyone and everyone can be a blogger. And, all of them can, and may, write about their experience at booth xyz on their blog. Thanks to the wireless connections, they can blog it before they go on to the next booth! In many cases, we want them to. Heck, if I can get Tim to blog anything about our stuff at Interbike, it will be a success! (are you listening, Tim???)
Because of an experience I had recently, I can fully understand the need to think about how bloggers best fit into all of our plans. Not \”will they fit\” but \”how do they best fit\”? It\’s something most companies will struggle with. I will be very interested to see how Interbike does deal with the influx of requests from bloggers to cover the show.
Please do keep us all posted!
As for a blogger event…I\’d love to join in, if it fits in the schedule.
Tim, Jon, et al,
I just registered as a working media/blogger and sent in the requirements, so, it’s good to see this being discussed and hope to get approved. As a professional blogger, author of a blog book, and having been involved with putting on events, I know the culture pretty well and yes there are “bloggers/press” that are going to try and get in just for free. That should be easy to weed out. And I’d think (or hope) that Jon and Tim can vouch for Bike Hugger’s value. Bike Hugger is a blog for cycling enthusiasts and covering the event, especially the 10×10 booths is perfect for our editorial and making our sport accessible to more people, especially women.
As the event organizers, you can of course value the blog by traffic, rank, and just what it’s about. What I’ll post about is the products that aren’t going to get coverage in the more mainstream press, which of course is what it’s all about.