Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Stand out in our Crowd at the 2011 Cohousing Conference in DC June 15-19: Sponsorships, Exhibit Tables & Program Ads

[Raines Cohen (rc3-coho-L]

I just wanted to follow up on Barbara's post about conference
opportunities, and, as a longtime conference participant, sponsor, and
program advertiser, say a word about why I advertise and why you
should, too, whether or not you'll be joining us in person at this
year's conference in our nation's capital.

If you're going, you'll be busy. Very busy, between sessions and
booths and networking and connecting. With over 200 people expected,
you'll only get to have meaningful conversations with a few, and
they'll be overwhelmed with information and connections. Your ad in
the guide will help the people most interested in your community, your
experience, your services, or your publication choose to spend some of
their valuable conference time with you. Plus, afterwards, they'll use
the program guide for reference to sessions and people, when they're
making buying decisions, and if you advertise, there you'll be, easy
to find and ready to help them with their next steps.

If you're not going, you'll be invisible. Very invisible, as people
look around the room and focus on who's there, then. A very small
investment will "hold your place" and show that you're serious about
being a player in the world of cohousing. More than ever, this
conference is reaching out to people in government and partner
organizations that don't know who's who in our world. Think how
valuable it will be to talk to someone at AARP or USGBC or HUD and say
"I know you were represented at the national cohousing conference -
see my ad in the program there."

Either way, the options that include links on the Conference website
will be extremely valuable. An incredible amount of effort by a small,
dedicated core of volunteers is going into building awareness of the
conference and promoting it. Get some of that flow to your website and
generate impressions among the larger audience that will be following
from all over the country.

And last but certainly not least, being in the program is a way of
showing your support for the cohousing movement, and the Cohousing
Association of the U.S. (Coho/US) that is putting on the conference,
supporting the web infrastructure and outreach work that helps all of
us.

Don't have a cohousing-related business? Don't have a meeting to get
full-community consensus on an expenditure? No prob, just pass the hat
among a few of your neighbors or other prospective members and go in
together on an ad. Don't worry about the graphic design, all it takes
is a few words and an image to get the key point across and appeal to
those who care.

So, what are you waiting for? Barbara is ready for your call, but
running out of time. She's got a lot of creative options that will get
you visible, connected, and sharing in the conference program.

Raines Cohen, Cohousing Coach (Berkeley, CA)
Community Organizer, East Bay Cohousing/Cohousing California
Celebrating over 1400 members in EBCOHO this week, with a full house
Monday at our showing this week of "Happy" with the Director and Crew,
and a nice crowd out for "I Am" at a theatre Wednesday.

P.S. For those of you who are going, remember that you've got just a
couple weeks to register with the advance discounts. Get your friends
together and register five folks and the sixth one is free.