Well you can see how excited I was to go to eBay Live 2008! I loved New Orleans Live. So off I went - !
I have some suggestions for eBay for BEFORE the next Live or even before the next regional get-together:

1. Pick a more consolidated venue. Walking 2 miles from one class/seminar/talk to the next wears folks out. There's been a lot of talk about how "quiet" and unexciting this live was. I didn't think it was a lack of enthusiasm. More a lack of energy. I'm an "Original" ebayer - been here 11 years. I'm 60 Stinkin' years old. That walking stuff got old the first day.
   Maybe a college or university while they are on hiatus - so you'd have inexpensive housing in the dorms and the classes would all be pretty close together.
2. Schedule multiples of EVERY class since I got closed out of 3 because the fire marshall called a halt to the overcrowding of the rooms. Or put the popular ones in venues that can expand.
3. For the Gala?? Could we have some "dinner" music during dinner? So we can talk to the people at our table - especially for people like me that come by themownselves. It would have been nice to meet eight more people. But we couldn't hear ourselves think. On the shuttle afterwards, one of my fellow "oldies but goodies" say the band, Twisted Lister, was making his heart hurt. Made my ears hurt.
4. Besides color-coding classes by experience level (I think that's what they did), sort them by "Buying experience" or Selling Occasion
5. Quit it with the stupid buzz words. We counted (my friend Louise actually counted) during the keynote address and John Donahoe actually said "GREAT BUYING EXPERIENCE:" 21 times in like 10 minutes. JEEZ! get a new speech-writer.
6. Announce all the policy changes for the year at least 2 mos before LIVE so the classes can address the questions and confusions.

Will I go to Orlando? If I'm alive, I'm there. (I'm 60..ya know I hate to think I might not make it ...but realistically? I might not. I am however gonna try. )

I think eBay's making a big mistake isolating us and thinking we'll all gonna stay "down on the farm" after we've seen Amazon and Googlebase etc. All the venues should be encouraging us to make webrings of our various selling venues, letting our Amazon customers come to eBay and vice versa. They'll all cutting off their noses to spite their faces.

Does the various venues' mgmt think we won't find ways "around the roadblocks"? I have confidence someone is figuring it out right now. Won't be me cause I ain't that smart but I will follow their lead.

At this year's eBay Live, I did find the enthusiasm to be more subdued. It was more like resignation - "oh well I put a lot of work into my ebay store - guess I will keep it going." Rather than "OH MAN! THIS IS GREAT!" like I heard in 2004 in NO.

I did see fewer people (and it wasn't hard to figure out when I walk right in and right up to the registration desk to get my badge.) The marble canyons of McCormick Place literally echoed - it needed more bodies for absorb the sound waves.

WHAT did you think?

eBay Live - Chicago... I'm here!!!

I left the house at like 6 AM yesterday. Had a great flight - quick trip in on a shuttle and am comfortably set up at the beautiful Palmer House Hilton. Today I have to try and get pictures of the lobby ceiling for you. It's just gorgeous.


The man who built and owned the Palmer House hotel (before the Hiltons) also built I think it was Marshall Fields? I have to go back and look. And I'll check that fact for you.

At any rate, having arrived a day early to go to the M&G, I went sightseeing yesterday. Now, keep in mind, I'm 60, short, fat and with asthma and a new knee. So I figured I'd take it easy. I walked 8 blocks to see the Sears Tower. And went up in it to SEE CHÏCAGO. I mean it's 103 stories. Took 47 seconds - astronauts could launch from that elevator.!!

And then, there are panoramic glass windows ALL the way around the floor. And you can see Chciago. Heck I t hink I could see home in Penna. from there if there was no haze. It's just a beautiful view - all of them.

So here's the slide show

ttp://s300.photobucket.com/albums/nn28/bcherkowsky/2008%20eBay%20Live/


Last night was also the M&G organized by ebayers (with no help from ebay) and it was a blast. They gave us sheets as we went in and we had to get other ebayers to sign. So you had to find people who had driven, or flown the furthest, or came from a foreign country. (I met two Londoners and one young woman from Peru! and not Peru Ill.)


I signed a lot of people's sheets for being a full time seller and also for being on ebay more than 10 years. I also signed for having come alone, for having come more than 100 miles. And those of us who brought gift bags, swapped and shared all night. I got a tee shirt that says "This is as dressed up as I get" . Which would be great for my husband but it's only a Large. Oh well.

Today - we do classes, seminars and discussions - and hopefully today I get to eat. Yesterday I go 2 glazed donuts for breakfast and 1 tiny slice of crispani for dinner. NOT enough.

Tentatively I'm going to the "How to imprevoe your visibility in search results" class today as well as one on ebays affiliate program and one on improving your DSRs. C-ya at ebay....ebay live that is.

Beth

eBay Live 2008 - the first steps on my trip

Here I go - I have my tickets for the plane. Thanks to William Shatner and Priceline Negotiator I have a nice place to stay (I think it's nice. If it's not you'll be the first to know. )

I have new much more comfortable walking shoes. The suitcase is down from the attic and waiting to be packed.

I'm excited to be going but also apprehensive.

Excited because:
1. In New Orleans at Live, I met so many amazing people and got so many ideas and so many new techniques and methods that I've been able to earn my living on ebay for the last 3 years. Which is a good thing cause, I guess not too many people voluntarily hire 60 year old women.

2. I love to travel. Haven't been to Chicago in 35 years and that time was for one day - in and out. This time I Hope to see some sights on Wednesday afternoon at least. Maybe more later

3. all the same stuff in Number 1. I am gonna learn so much.

4. I've been invited to some "get-togethers" where I hope to get a chance to "speak truth to power" as the saying goes. Me truth - ebay mgmt /power. There are a lot of things I don't like. And not being shy, I'll probably manage to mention a few.


Apprehensive:

1. I hate traveling. I love the arriving and the visiting part but not so much the getting there part.

2. Not thrilled with flying. Not since 2001

3. Worrying about hubby who has some health issues.

4. Worrying about the grownup adult son who doesn't have health issues but he's my baby so I can always find something to worry about.

5. Being lonely without those two and my cats.

6. This is my first trip since my knee replacement. I'm hoping I can manage physically on my own.

7. I get lost. I mean LOST in my own neck of the woods. Chicago is a big place. I hate being lost.


Ok, call me a worry wart but those are the top worries. Then there's all the other ones - like don't say something stupid and get kicked off ebay (yeah they do that.)
don't lose all my money - or my stuff.
don't get so exhausted it takes me 3 weeks to recover cause then who is gonna do the listing?

But mostly I'm trying to focus on the fun/exciting things - a new city to explore, new friends to make, new things to learn. Lots of eating out and shopping and sight-seeing.

Come back later for an update.

Ebay Live - Chicago - less than a week

I can't ever get those countdown things to work or I'd put one on here. A week from now, I'll be 3/4 thru my first day at Ebay Live. I am so excited - now I hear a lot of other people are going to complain. (not that I disagree but when did eBay EVER listen to us?)


I've bought stuff for the Meet and Greet - ironed an outfit for the Top Sellers get together (I didn't know I was one) and for the Powersellers get together and for the Lunch with the executives and for the PESA get together and I signed up for the Alibaba get together although I have NO idea how I'm gonna get there and get home to my hotel in one piece. (or how my back and knees will take to such a long day).

Now? Now I want to go. Enough with the waiting.

Meanwhile here's aquick way to make some money back off of Paypal, even as you spend money on eBay - go to this link and sign up . It will probably tell you you'll be notified if you qualify. So here's what I'd like to ask. Please come back here and post if you are accepted - and if you are or are not, please post whether you use your bank account balance to regularly fund your purchases. (one of paypal accounts does and one doesn't. ) Inquiring (nosy,busybody) minds want to know.

June 04, 2008
Link to the Paypal 1.5% promo
Turns out the Paypal money back promo I mentioned here, isn't showing up for everyone, just 'top buyers' (so maybe it is a test?). In any case, here's a link, so sign up and see if you can get in!
Note: If you get in, the eBay Strategies blog royalty is a mere 10% - thanks for your support :-)
Posted by Scot Wingo on June 04, 2008 at 07:47 PM in Of interest to ebay buyers Permalink


I am just curious what the "qualification" is. No need for anti-paypal rants or even anti-ebay rants cause I probably agree with all of what you think but...(big BUT!) I make my living on ebay at the moment. That may not last much longer but right now, I'm trying very hard to stay on their good side for the duration. (til my website is up and running or I win the lottery whichever comes first).

Beth

10 Good Reasons to go to Ebay Live 2008 in Chicago

1. Who knows if we'll even be alive in 2010?

2. With the price of gas and oil, airline tickets to Florida will surelycost WAY MORE!

3. Ebay's changing everything - there may never be another one no matterwhat they say. When they see how much money they save next year not doing eBay Live, they may never bring it back.

4. You'll learn so much your head will feel like it's splitting from being crammed so full

5. You'll get the "enthusiasm" injection and be charged up for several months if not several years

6. You'll make business contacts for new sources of goods, new software, new trading partners

7. You'll make friends and meet friends you already have

8. You'll walk too much, eat too much drink too much and go hoarsetalking to folks and you'll love every minute of it.

9 If you do it carefully, you can write off the trip as a businessexpense - or at least I'm gonna try. After all if 4 weeks in Europe was a business expense why not 4 days in Chicago? Obviously I wouldn't go there for the fun of it. (LOL! dont tell the Chicago Tourism Dept. I said that. )

9A. You'll learn so much (I know I said it but it bears repeatingseveral times.

10. You get to meet me!!

Come on now! Quick before it fills up.....Those of you in Il, Mi, In etc who are close enough to drive or train in...SHAME ON YOU. You should be going.I t's a crummy $100 registration and George Bush gave you your economic stimulus check early so you could register!

Especially if you're close enough to commute you should be going!