I was at last year's inaugural eBay Live convention in Anaheim, CA and was pleased to attend the 2003 event in Orlando. My first observation in Orlando (other then the humidity!) was that everything seemed to increase two or three-fold. And in my opinion, bigger was better. This included:
- Number of attendees (over 10,000)
- eBay employees at conference (approx. 500)
- Exhibition booths (70)
- Training sessions (70)
- eBay logo merchandise for sale
- Fun activities and giveaways
The only aspect of conference that seemed to have been reduced was the number of eBay Live trading cards. The 2002 set had 32 cards, with 28 on the 2003 checklist. In case you're new to the trading cards, collector pins, and other eBay Live limited edition "tchochkes," simply search eBay with the key words, eBay Live, and you'll get a sense of the collecting and trading frenzy associated with these items. On the same day as the conference keynote address, signed Meg Whitman (eBay CEO) and Pierre Omidyar (eBay Founder and Chairman) cards sold on eBay for a "Buy It Now" price of $124.95!
I attended some very worthwhile training sessions, presented by both eBay staff and exhibitors. From these classes I walked away with the following "nuggets" to improve my eBay Store sales and increase Trading Assistant (TA) clients:
- The best digital pictures are clean, neat, and simple.
- HTML isn't scary, just awkward, and linking is a good thing.
- "Market Intelligence" reports make a seller more competitive.
- Online TA clients can be found by linking auctions to the TA directory.
- UPS labels printed through PayPal will pre-populate shipper information and save money on UPS rates.
The keynote address was again a conference highlight. This year, Meg was joined by Pierre and ended with Weird Al Yankovic singing his parody song, "eBay." It was interesting to hear Pierre talk about the launch of Auction Web (eBay's first name), which was developed over a Labor Day weekend in 1995. Many of Pierre's original ideas for Internet-based trading exist today in the eBay platform and community values.
Keynotes are valuable to get a sense of what's on a CEO's radar screen. A few things Meg mentioned of particular interest to my eBay business were:
- More Site Integration with UPS (a conference sponsor)
- Non-Paying Bidder (NPB) Trading Restrictions
- PayPal Immediate Payment
- Continuation of "Do It eBay" Ad Campaign
- Extension of Co-op Marketing to PowerSellers
- Emphasis on eBay Stores
The eBay Live 2003 theme was "You're the Star." This community-focused theme was consistent throughout the conference, showing up everywhere, including the badge lanyards and the clever conference bags that could be carried as a knapsack. This was an exceptionally well organized and professional corporate event. It was both informative and enjoyable. The opportunity to network with other community members is invaluable. eBay Live is worthwhile for both "newbies" and "shooting stars." If possible, I'll be in New Orleans for eBay Live 2004. Then I'll have three (rare, limited edition, HTF, retired, first ever, collectible, mint) eBay Live commemorative cards needing autographs,...!!
