I’m still wondering if there was ever any usefulness to it.

Yep, see you in Houston.

See you at WPC.

Believe it or not, you just proved nearly every one of my points.

The issue is that until this year SMB Summit was a different sort of conference. I don’t know specifically, because I had never been to it in the past either. But it was, and for one simple reason…

The influence of HTG, if any, was not the levels it was this year. That’s a fact. The slate of speakers was not either MS or HTG members or authors. That’s a fact.

If you dig enough on the site, and know who is who, then it’s pretty clear once you hit the sponsorship page and the address is Harlan, IA.

Honestly, I’d be interested to know what was lined out about the event to folks on the inside, because from the outside, it was anything but clear.

And the only reason this has come up at all is because a few folks with an opinion that matters to me (Mark Crall would be one of them) thought the MVPs, as a group, were boycotting SMB Summit.

Nowhere did the conference disclose that it had now become an HTG conference. I personally think that’s weird.

First of all, if the HTG groups are so super-awesome (not saying they aren’t) then why not include it in the PR or SMB Summit?

The thing is, you may have known what the event was. Because it was explained to you when you were asked. That’s involvement and info the general public didn’t have.

Also, I was amazed at how many times I got a direct call or an e-mail from someone MS about SMB Summit.

So yeah…I’m starting to think my original analogy about Scientology was closer to the mark than I originally realized.

Nice to have a discussion rather than a flame war.

Starting with disclosure (let’s call this point one. I’ll use it again), I think everyone needs to view every event, book, or purchase with the same critical eye — someone is out to make money. Everything has to pay for itself, and so someone is getting something out of it. These events are here to MAKE MONEY.

You asked where leadership was. I answered, and yes I did offer HTG. You then brought up the Summit. My answer to you is not flippant, but the fact that I do see a group of companies grouping together to share ideas and make each other stronger. Is it potentially a gated community? At certain levels, yes. But the “model” behind HTG is to now offer online groups for any to participate in, with levels behind it.

And yes, see point one.

Second, who did you ASK about the HTG “influence”? It certainly wasn’t “hidden”.

Yes, I did speak at SMB Summit. I hope to speak at both WPC and SMB Nation, and I’ll speak generally anywhere I’m asked. Speaker compensation is entirely a different topic, but again… see my point one.

And finally… did the event turn it’s nose to people? I think events in the SMB space are starting to stratify, and we’re seeing different events target different groups. SMB Summit was pitched as a “larger than one man shop” event. That was the target — it wasn’t the generalist, but more focused on the growth oriented business. That was also clear.

I’m just pretty confused — honestly confused, and want to know more — about why you feel some disclosure wasn’t done? Who didn’t disclose? What should have been announced?

I felt I knew pretty well what the event was. Yes, I was involved, but it was pretty well lined out when I was asked.

Which would be why I never posted a bit I wrote titled “Where Has All The Disclosure Gone?” regarding conferences (not just SMB Summit) and other initiatives in our little fishbowl of a community that don’t seem to tell the whole story of what they’re up to.

I’ll respectfully point out that NOWHERE did I mention SMB Summit, nor HTG in any post. Not until you brought up SMB Summit as being somehow different or above that.

Personally, I ruled out attending SMB Summit because of the curious lack of disclosure. That was a personal decision. If I missed great content, that’s my loss. Doesn’t change the fact that I found the utter silence about the influence (or not) of HTG on SMB Summit kinda eerie.

In the interest of full disclosure, you yourself were a speaker at SMB Summit, right? Just like I was a speaker at SBSmigration.com.

Which then brings up the inevitable question of speaker compensation, if any, and whether that means our assessments of the relative worth of attending SMB Summit or SBSmigration.com are affected or somehow colored by the fact that we were part of the respective delivery teams.

And you are right as far as Mark’s question goes…he asked whether people turned their nose at the event, which as far I know wasn’t in play.

Far more interesting tho to ask the inverse question…did the event turn its nose at some people?

I’ll respectfully point out you didn’t attend, and so it’s at best difficult to judge the conference. I can’t speak to content at NOLA for the same reason — I wasn’t there.

Mark’s question was legit — he wondered if some in the community turned their nose at the event. From the responses he got, it seemed they didn’t.

I think that there might be some disagreement about whether SMB Summit was an HTG conference or not.

Official or otherwise, when the slate of speakers is either…

1.) Microsoft blue badges
2.) HTG members

I think there’s a good case to be made that it’s either…

1.) An MS conference
2.) An HTG conference

And to be honest, I don’t really give a rip either way, until someone (like Mark Crall) wants to know why a certain slice of the “community” is MIA.

I don’t disagree necessarily with the fact that it wasn’t profiled… but I ask why does it matter? it wasn’t an HTG conference, but many “HTGers” are leaders in the industry.

I don’t disagree with your comments about diversity, but you’re presenting this like it’s some conspiracy. I don’t think it is.

Dave

Other than speaker bios, there was little to no mention of HTS/HTG in the conference materials, nor any mention in any announcements about SMB Summit anywhere else. I found that very strange, particularly given the final makeup of the speaker slate.

Which kinda points to the bigger issue I have with our community, such as it is, which is the astounding lack of variety among the people and the ideas floating around.

Altho I wasn’t at SMB Summit, if you had exploded a WMD that vaporized white guys between the age of 25-65, who would have been left? Damn few folks, I’d bet.

The SBSmigration.com conference suffered from the same hermeticism, IMNSHO. And weakness to white guy WMDs.

What do you think needed to be disclosed? I don’t follow the problem, honestly.

Dave

I respectfully disagree, for 2 reasons.

1.) The ASTOUNDING lack of disclosure about HTS/HTG involvement in SMB Summit. Before, during, and after. Makes me wonder why something is so closely hidden. Kinda like Scientology.

2.) Different fishbowl, but still swimming with the same sort of fish. And their offal, to boot.

3.) I would rather sell Amway. I’d get to meet more kinds of different people. And sleep better at night.

Ok, that was three. Doesn’t change the fact it’s the truth.

I totally understand what you mean. But flaming egos are the problem.

When “leaders” the lack of courage to truly listen to other people because to do so puts them at risk of being proven wrong…

That’s not leadership.

That’s dictatorship.

There is a place where some of us are doing exactly what you describe, on a national and international level.

It’s HTG.

Dave