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(Sign up for your free subscription at http://www.FederalDirect.net and if you like this, please pass this along to your colleagues. To unsubscribe, email me at amtower@erols.com). Past issues available at http://www.federaldirect.net/newsletterarchives.html)

1) Amtower Off-Center Observations: General Comments
2) The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Events in 2004
3) Amtower Advertisements
4) One Minute Marketing Clinic: The Event Selection Checklist
5) Upcoming Events

Amtower Off-Center Observations: General Comments

I am prepping for my first trip of the year (San Diego), which is also my first speaking engagement of 2004, Federal Channels. If you are in the neighborhood and have not registered, it is this Wednesday. Go to www.fbcinc.com and come see several talented folks share insights on this great market. I will be the one is all black and cowboy boots.

Item: GSA is to be commended for their action regarding MCI/WorldCom, despite the whining and rumor-mongering from the slammers at ATnT.

Item: Let us not forget homeland heroes: From FEMA and the US Fire Administration – “Despite advances in fire-fighting equipment, training and communication, 110 firefighters died while on-duty in the United States in 2003, an increase over the 100 deaths recorded in 2002, according to figures released today by the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). According to a review of the deaths, 36 states and Guam saw at least one firefighter die last year.” http://www.usfa.fema.gov/

Item: Great news for everyone: The lovely and talented Dee Lee is back as procurement honcho at Defense. Federal Computer Week reports “Less than three months after joining the Coalition Provisional Authority to help direct contracts to be awarded for rebuilding Iraq, Deidre Lee will return to her position as the Defense Department's top procurement official. Pentagon spokeswoman Cheryl Irwin confirmed today that Lee will go back to her old job, director of defense procurement, ‘within the next few weeks.’ Lee joined the Iraqi authority in October to help craft policy and direct the billions of dollars pouring into that country for rebuilding.” I do not care why she is returning, I am just happy that she is returning. Lee recently won the Ross award from the Professional Services Council, an award that recognizes "leadership, commitment to partnership and ethical standards of the award's namesake.” Ms Lee would be a great choice for Administrator of Office of Federal Procurement Policy.

Mini-rant: Sunday afternoon (1/11) I happened to catch a few minutes of CNN’s “In the Money”: topic, Apple iPod, and one of the commentators, Andy Serwer (who also writes for Fortune), was waxing poetic on the “genius of Steve Jobs”. He cited Bill Gates stealing the Windows idea from Steve. Hello?! Have you heard of the Palo Alto Research Center, where Steve happened to “borrow” the Windows concept from Xerox? How about Next Computer, where Steve was convinced it was the hardware, not the software. Pixar, no argument – great movies. But when Steve returns to Apple, his first action is to cancel all cloning (Apple hardware licensing) agreements. Why? Power PC produces less DOAs than Apple.

I will not argue against Jobs the visionary, able to take concepts to the market. But he is not the brains producing the concepts. Mr Serwer of CNN needs to read a little more, maybe starting with “Dealers of Lightning” or “Revenge of the Nerds”. I had the opportunity to meet Steve Job when he was at Next, so I called a friend of mine who knew him and asked if I should attend the small dinner. He indicated, politely, that with my mouth and the Steve Jobs ego, dinner might not go well. Good advice, Dendy. I passed on dinner.

While I am at the CNN web site looking up this guys name, a pop-up asks if I want to try CNN Money and enter their $25,000 sweepstakes. “Expand your home” says the promo. Expand your home with $25,000? Having just finished an addition, I know what “expanding” a home costs, and if this is representative of the type of financial advice offered in their “Money” magazine, I will pass. Next month they will have a Homeland Security magazine: “Safeguard the borders for just $50,000!”

Not that I have an opinion.


THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY: EVENTS IN 2004

Briefly noted in the last issue was the passing of eGov, the trade show. Federal Computer Week/101 could have kept it up for another year or so, but why? They are not abandoning the eGov banner, just the show. They will still produce targeted events.

If my in-box is an indicator, 2004 will be a banner year for wanna-be event producers. They are coming out from under every rock out there, and for all aspects of government business.

An appropriate Amtower Law applies: The Law of Laocoon (also mentioned in the last issue). Laocoon was the Priest of Troy who warned the Trojans against bringing in the big wooden horse: beware of Greeks bearing gifts. Our law for the occasion: beware of email offerings from companies you have never heard of before, offering “must attend” events with information you cannot possibly get elsewhere.

The Federal Business Council produces a variety of events in conjunction with Federal agencies, and they have been doing so for almost thirty years. That is pedigree. www.fbcinc.com

You have heard me rant against FOSE, but at least FOSE has a track record. Look for the track record, a pedigree in the government market before you spend your hard to get marketing dollars. www.FOSE.com

Christina Nelson of the Digital Government Institute has been producing targeted events for several years. Before starting DGI, she was the conference producer at FOSE when it was owned by National Trade Productions. If you look at her Board of Advisors, you will see bandwidth. www.digitalgovernment.com

When you see e-invitations from companies you do not know, for shows that were not there last year, beware.


AMTOWER ADVERTISEMENTS

Save $1,495 on the Federal marketing Audit! Until January 30, 2004, we are running a special on Federal Marketing Audits. This does not mean the Audit has to occur in January, but you have to reserve a date by 1/30/04 to get the discount. This is the best way to benchmark your 2004 Federal marketing program to ensure maximum ROI. Details at http://www.federaldirect.net/audit.html

There are also openings in our 2004 Government Marketing Group. This is a group of companies I work closely with during the year to ensure ongoing growth in this market. Details at http://www.federaldirect.net/govmarketgroup.html. There is tiered pricing here, so it is affordable for just about any company.

My calendar for 2004 will fill up soon, so if you want book some of my time, act soon.

ONE-MINUTE MARKETING CLINIC: THE EVENT SELECTION CHECKLIST

In Government Marketing Best Practices, I offer a quick checklist for show selection. It goes like this:

Keeping in mind that major trade shows eat major dollars, and that attendance is down at most, ask your self these questions:

Is the event audited (does a third party organization analyze the attenders)?
Will you be visible (how many exhibitors and where will you be)?
What is the return vs other opportunities (where else could you spend this money)?
What total percentage of your marketing budget will this cost?
Are you reaching key audiences at this event?
How will you get the right people to your booth?
Does the event draw from all CONUS (continental US)?
Is this an “ego” event” (did someone try to convince you that if you did not exhibit at this show, your were not a “player)?
If you go, are you exploiting all the right opportunities – speaking, sponsorships, hospitality suite, etc?

These same criteria apply to the plethora of publications that have emerged over the last 18 months. I would love to get your selection criteria questions, so send them in and I will run some more. Also forward me any questionable e-invitations you get.


Upcoming Events

The 2004 Spring Government Marketing Best Practices Road Show will be visiting Chicago, Denver, San Jose and San Antonio in April. Stay tuned for dates and locations.

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