The title is a lie. There is no Day 5 of New Media Expo. The official end date was yesterday. But this day 5 post is more for me.
If this is your first post of mine that you’re reading (or you’ve been following me on my journey), I’ve been blogging daily about each day of the expo.
This post is the conclusion of everything New Media Expo (NMX).
The most common statement attendees of NMX had is:
“When this is over, my whole life has changed. I have major actions to move forward.”
I wanted to share my feelings for Las Vegas, what I thought about NMX, the people I met, and the actions I plan to take when I get home.
Vegas as a whole
Living so close to Atlantic City, I’m used to crazy. I thought Vegas would be 10x times as wild. Surprisingly, it was pretty relaxing. New York is still at the top of my list for how crazy things can get.
Advice: Anyone staying outside of Downtown Vegas should GET A CAR.
Taking public transportation can be intimidating. Of the 9 times I rode it, I was nearly robbed! Most people who take the bus are returning home from a long day from work. But some riders come from the dark dredges of Vegas. They don’t understand public space, will talk loudly, or worse, annoy you while you sit.
Fortunately, I was born and raised in the city, and know how to deal with trouble.
Downtown Vegas is pretty quiet. The casinos are loud, but outdoor, the city is peaceful. There’s no music playing 24/7. There’s no flashly lights everywhere like Times Square. Also, people downtown are incredibly polite.
But just like any major city, you still have to practice street smarts to avoid any issues.
My experience with the Expo
I was very satisfied with my time at New Media Expo. The entire event was well organized. The NAB App was useful in planning my schedule. I have a tendency to forget speaker’s names and room numbers. The App was great for that!
During the expo, there was a lot of opportunities to network. There was plenty of open areas to converse. There was also places to get personal space.
There are a few things I would like changed.
My suggestion is for any session that had more than 3 speakers needs to be given more time. Many of them felt rushed.
I also feel that the NAB App, although fantastic for scheduling, some features weren’t working. The App has a tool where you can see who is in the room, but it never worked. The discussion board wasn’t used by at all. A open forum is a great idea, but maybe not so session-specific.
I would also prefer a clearer map. The Map in the NAB magazine was confusing, and the map in the NAB app was barely functional. (They bragged about how it’s 3D. I just want it to tell me where things are.)
By Day 3, I finally found the NMX pamphlet. The map on there was helpful. I wish I knew about it much earlier.
When I return to NMX, I plan to carry a tablet to type my notes. Writing on paper is great for day-of actions, but not for things I want to reference. I had to transfer them to my Evernote.
I also learned very quickly to avoid getting lunch around 11–2pm. Pack a snack!
The people at New Media Expo
The staff was incredible! They are the hardest working people around. Not to mention the crew who organized all the keynotes and speaking events.
I also met a lot of really fantastic entrepreneurs during this event. You can go up to anyone attending NMX and have a 10 minute conversation!
I wrote about them below:
Day 1 @NMX: One thing I learned from every speaker (and some shoutouts)
Day 1 @NMX: Pool Party Aftermath (and shoutouts)
Day 2 @NMX: Keynotes & Parties (with shoutouts)
Day 2 @NMX: Event wrap-up (And shoutouts)
Day 3 @NMX: The wrapup (with super shout outs!)
Day 4 @NMX: Wrap-up (and MAJOR shoutouts!)
I’m glad I blogged about it. It’s my notes to never forget to reach out.
I’m happy to have finally met people who were in the online business space. These people will become my friends for years to come.
Pat Flynn, Jamie Tardy, and many other speakers shared their journey about their first online business convention. It’s a huge inspiration to know that this is a route that has been walked before.
I really feel bad to have met people but didn’t get their business card, or that I didn’t get a chance to make a real connection. I’d love for you to reach out to me on Twitter at @RockyKev.
My Next Steps
I’m returning home with about 50 pages worth of notes, and about 200 evernote snippets. If you were curious about some of the key takeaways about each individual session, click the links earlier in the blog. (They’re with the shoutouts)
Things I plan to do in the upcoming few days:
- Syed Balkhi had a killer idea. Create a Facebook community (not a page) for your niche. You’re already doing all the research in your niche, might as well share it like-minded people. As the leader of that community, you can share your own content as well, and be the authority for that topic.
- It will be important to create a content calendar, another key takeaway. I’ll be creating a content calendar for the Facebook Community and for my next business idea.
- Jaime Tardy gave me this: Call people, ask them for 5 minutes to see what challenges they have, and if they’re wiling to pay for it. Then create the solution. I plan to call people to see if my idea has legs.
- Fill out Chris Ducker’s postcard to create a ‘profit first’ mentality. People who didn’t attend his event are thrown off by the term. The cliff notes: whatever your ‘idea’ is, have a income strategy from it. Don’t follow a idea and sacrificing time/energy, but no money to keep their dream alive.
New Media Expo is one of those events that really changes lives. I’m glad to have been a part of it. I can’t wait for NMX 2016.
Check out my other posts about NMX at https://medium.com/@Rockykev. Send me a tweet on twitter at @RockyKev. Thank you for following me. I read every comment.
