By Joe Klein

So, okay, here it is. My final recap and thoughts about the 2008 PUBCON LAS VEGAS conference, including a few photos of the Pucon 2008 Networking event that took place on Friday, the “day after” the conference officially ended.

Overall, my take on the event is that it was very received and very well staged. It seems that, after a few years, Pubcon continues to be a relevant conference that serves its participants and attendees quite well. Let’s face it. SEO, web design optimization and affiliate marketing strategies continue to be very vital areas in the ever-expanding Web 2.0 environment. The thing that most impressed me was that, even given the dire and deteriorating economic climate, most of the attendees were relatively upbeat and in good spirits. Positive attitudes abounded throughout, and nearly everyone I encountered had high expectations of what lies ahead. Maybe the recent election factored in or the boundless youthful energy of those involved in the cutting edge New Media world. Whatever it was, this old dogg was uplifted and energized by all the optimism!

Another aspect Pubcon that I found most interesting was the cross-promotion between this and other new media related conferences. For what I believe is the first time, a competing conference actually had a booth at Pubcon, specifically the Blogworld and New Media Expo. It was fascinating to see Patti Hosking openly soliciting exhibitors and sponsors for next year’s Expo at this “competing” event. The team from the New Media Expo was very visible at Pubcon as well, with Tim and Emile Bourquin not only attending, but Tim was part of a panel of conference presenters as well. With the economy placing an ever-increasing strain on sponsors, exhibitors and attendees of trade shows and conferences, it was intriguing to see fellow event organizers attending a show to spur sponsorship and attendance for their own future events. Personally, in these difficult times, I found it promising to see an emerging spirit of symbiotic cooperation replacing a tradition of fierce competition. I chatted with Susan, Tim and Emile about the subject and was heartened to hear that they seemed to be open to the notion of alliance among the organizers of trade shows targeted to the new media community. I have never myself been a very competitive beast, so the idea of working together for the common good was most definitely welcomed by yours truly.

On Friday, the final official event of Pubcon took place at a great German restaurant called the HofbrauHaus Las Vegas. This was especially cool for me, as I was staying at the Hard Rock Hotel, located just across the street from the place on Paradise Road. Although I have never attended an industry event there, I’ve eaten there once or twice before, and the food and atmosphere are really great. It has excellent authentic German grub, incredible beer (several varieties actually flown in direct from Deutschland in actual wooden barrels) and a totally authentic atmosphere. (Only in Vegas!) If you are into German cuisine, I highly recommend this eatery when visiting Vegas.

The Pubcon networking party on Friday afternoon was a cool bash to be sure. Several hundred die-hard Pubcon attendees showed up to network and schmooze. Dozens of rolling suitcases lined up against the wall near the entrance indicated that many made this party their last stop before heading home, while I am sure that many others, like myself would be staying in town to enjoy some of the sinful delights of a weekend in Vegas. The free beer flowed like water, served in full liter mugs! There were huge bowls of soft pretzels and several cute frauleines continuously circulating with the beer mugs plus trays loaded with Wiener Schnitzel, Knockwurst and many other varieties of German finger foods.

The positive vibes and camaraderie of the conference carried on and the volume level of happy voices in the cavernous banquet room where the event was held (actually the whole rear half of this huge restaurant) steadily increased to a near-deafening drone as the beer continued to flow through the afternoon. It’s an understatement to say that a good time was had by all, as the Pubcon revelers networked and reminisced their way into the weekend.

I chatted with a few folks I had met over the previous couple of days. With my vision a bit blurred after a couple of huge mugs of great German beer and the loud cacophony of conversation beginning to get a little tiresome, it was time to wander back across the street to the hotel for my own final night in Vegas. With my “New Media” duties finally behind me and a nice little buzz already in place, I was looking forward to an evening of relaxation and a bit of card playing, to be preceded by a wonderful dinner at the famed AJ’s Steak House at the Hard Rock. This great eatery will be closing forever by the end of the year, so it was only fitting to invite my good friend, local Las Vegas television news anchorman, fellow voice-over artist and blogger DAVE COURVOISIER, to join me for one last incredible steak and a couple hours of great gabbing about all things media, new and mainstream!

JOE AND DAVE COURVOISIER AT AJ’S STEAKHOUSE

After dinner, Dave had to get back to the TV station for his 11:00 PM newscast. I then retreated to the bustling Hard Rock casino, brimming, as usual, with gorgeous young women, and dutifully proceeded to “pay for” the cool “comp” room that had been offered up to me by the hotel. Before retiring for the evening, I dug out my camera and shot this photo of the awesome view of the Vegas strip from my room on the top floor.

Saturday morning, I woke up to a mild hangover, shot a few more photos of the Hard Rock Pool (sadly “closed for the season”) and the huge expansion construction project going on at the property. Finally, it was time to head for home, having received yet another healthy dose of “Vegas 2.0!” I had to ask myself, “Am i just getting too old for all of this??”  NAH!!!

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