360Flex Speakers: In it for the Love, not the Money

It just dawned on me. We’re highlighting the speakers for the upcoming 360|Flex in March while also republishing interviews from past shows. You know all these speakers for their superior Flex skills. It’s the primary reason that many of you come to the show. We understand, it’s why we pick them and have the show! So we’re on the same page. :)

However, there’s a bunch of stuff that goes on behind the scenes that you as attendees never see. Our speakers are not just passionate about Flex, ActionScript, Mobile and RIAs. They’re also passionate about 360|Flex itself. They feel an ownership to the show and rightfully so. While John and I play host, it is these people that are standing in front of people and laying out the goods.

Recently, some of the procedures around speaking were changed. John and I, as we always do, were looking for areas to improve. A lot of times, we take a logical approach and make modifications to achieve concrete results. Often times, these modifications are in response to direct requests from attendees.

While making logical modifications over the past three years has worked well for us, it didn’t in this particular instance. Some understood the changes and were in agreement. Others saw it as an attack on the very core vibe that makes 360|Flex the great show that it is. John and I were surprised by this but we did what we always do: open the floor for discussion.

As a business owner, nothing feels better than knowing people like your product enough to pay their hard earned money for it. It’s something that has happened well over 2000 times. However, every time we get an email alerting us money has changed us, it reminds us of that honor to serve you.

The epitome of business though is when your product/brand ceases to be just yours and is owned by the community it supports. You always hope people care about it more than with just the money. You always hope they love it as much as you do and care about it on personal level.

Our speakers care about 360|Flex for more than their fame and fortune. Let’s face it, a lot of them are famous enough without us. And we’ll be honest, while a free ticket and hotel room are nice, no speaker will be retiring from those paid benefits. To quote one speaker, “It’s an honor to speak at 360|Flex.”

I’m positive I speak for both myself and John when I say, “No, it’s our honor to have you all as speakers.” Now, you attendees, know a little bit more about the inner-workings of 360|Flex and why this show is as great as it is. If you haven’t registered yet, go here and do it. Then when you catch an awesome session or have a great discussion with a speaker in the hallway, take a moment and thank them for their time and effort. They are there for you attendees, not for me and John. Let them know you appreciate it.