The 2010 Dean Evans & Associates EMS Users Conference: Mile High Edition

This week I had the opportunity to attend my first conference with my colleague, Lydia Montgomery, as an exhibitor with MeetingMatrix International. The chance came during the 2010 Dean Evans & Associates EMS Users Conference; an annual event that provides informative product sessions, customer showcases, and vendor partner exhibitions. This year’s conference was held in Downtown Denver and was hosted at The Westin Tabor Center. I may be a little biased because I call Denver home, but I feel that it made a great location for the conference. It helps that this location was one of the main factors that led to my participation!

It seemed to me that all the sessions and events were a great success for the host, Dean Evans, and us as a partner exhibitor. I was able to see a different side of our business process and learned a lot. I’m usually working with customers who have purchased MeetingMatrix and are currently implementing the product. That said, it was a bonus to interact with potential customers and to hear feedback from existing users.

I always feel a sense of pride when listening to people that are happy with a product. We had numerous venues tell us they use MeetingMatrix every day and it makes their jobs easier. I could feel their excitement and anticipation when hearing about what new features and products we’re planning for the future. On the other hand, speaking with prospective customers revealed a lot to me. What their needs are. How they envision our products working for them. I even learned some new industry ‘lingo’! Would you believe that I even came across an attendee that I trained onsite during an installation? She remembered me and wanted to share how much she has grown as a user since that initial training class; I even found her referring to herself as the venue’s MeetingMatrix ‘guru’. Even the guru had some great questions. It was nice to be able to answer those questions and show some tips that will make her job easier!

The opening reception at The Big Game Restaurant and Lounge in the LoDo area of Denver was another personal highlight from the conference. The weather that evening was perfect for food and drinks out on the patio. Inside, they offered ping pong, Wii, and Monday Night Football. Dinner included: passed hors d’oeuvres of bbq pork and chicken parmesan sliders; an elk and beef tenderloin carving station; and a buffet of cupcakes for dessert. Needless to say, we were well fed!

There was never a dull moment. Our booth was busy throughout the entire 2 days of exhibitions; our measuring tape giveaways were flying off our table faster than we could replace them! In the end, we came away with great feedback and lots of new contacts from multiple segments of the hospitality industry.

It was a great experience for me. I also believe it was an excellent showcase of our product line to our Dean Evans & Associates partner customers.

Audrey Brandon
Implementation Manager & 3D Specialist