[affs-project] ideas etc

[MJ Ray]

On 2023-09-07 16:42:40 +0100 Alex Hudson <home at alexhudson.com> wrote:
> [...] although, I'm
> not sure we saw any rise in membership due to it.

Here's the track record for expos, as far as I can tell:
  9 members  9-10 Oct 2002 (Olympia)
  7 members 24-26 Jun 2003 (NEC)
13 members  8-9  Oct 2003 (Olympia)
  5 members 20-21 Apr 2004 (Olympia)
Doesn't really seem enough data to read much into and there are a lot 
of effects combined there. I really feel we could do better with a bit 
more preparation, although it's almost too late to make an impact on 
this year.
I feel I did quite a bit of work for Oct 2003, but I found the lack of 
coordination and preparation really stressful. It is really essential 
to plan a trade fair action, else you burn volunteer effort needlessly 
and don't fulfil its potential. That's the way to really waste time, 
not planning. I've done so many fairs over the last ten years that I 
can't easily count them, and I think I've learnt something from it, 
although I know I still have much to learn. Planning is not simply 
bureaucracy. Even anarchists seem to coordinate, so why not the AFFS 
stand team?
Well, if you don't trust me, I can send anyone who wants some clips 
from International Trade's recent article about trade fairs tomorrow 
evening: email me off-list. Or you can go online and find articles 
like "Common Exhibit Marketing Mistakes: Ten Tips on How to Avoid 
Them" by Susan A Friedmann at 
http://www.frugalmarketing.com/dtb/exhibit-mistakes.shtml
I arrived at the Apr 2004 show, as requested, to deliver an 
arm-busting box of leaflets and found the AFFS stand unstaffed. 
Fortunately, the excellent Debian-UK stand team took care of them for 
a while.
-- 
MJR/slef    My Opinion Only and not of any group I know
http://www.ttllp.co.uk/ for creative copyleft computing
Visit the AFFS stand, .org village LinuxExpoUK, 6-7 Oct