I Feel Sad About Not Being In Miami This Week

A few bloggers and some industry folks have asked to meet up in Miami this week during TMC's ITEXPO.

As I told Rich Tehrani a few weeks ago in a personal email, client business has taken me out of the country this week. With a series of meetings in Israel and London it makes it hard to be in two places at once, but I feel bad to not be seeing many of the people I consider friends who I have gotten to know through the blog and the industry events. Next week I'll be at DEMO and then in a few weeks back to Europe for 3GSM/Mobile World Congress and Vinisud, plus more meetings in Europe and the UK.

When people ask why I'm on the road so much these days, I reply with the line "Why did Willie Sutton rob banks?" His reply "because that's where the money is." In my case, clients are wanting my agency's involvement in more than the usual tactical efforts. A lot of my time is now spent in what are best described as strategy, planning and story/marketecture sessions. Basically helping the companies go forward. The next two weeks alone and the previous two weeks, I will have been involved in five of those such sessions, each of which lasts a day to two days not including travel.

With 8 companies that Comunicano or its predecessor represented acquired in the last 10 months, we/I must be doing something right. And as much as I love using video conferencing, some times face to face, in person meetings are needed. While video conferencing allows me to see someone, the hours spent over meals, in meetings or just interacting in impromptu sessions that arise with people not normally in the mix provides for significant input. That's why I miss not being at ITExpo..for the spontaneous opportunities to interact that arise at conferences and trade shows.

Well, in March there's eComm, VON and eTech so I guess between those three events I'll catch up.