SWOMfest '08 October 29, 2008

First ever annual event and party for the Society for Word of Mouth (theswom.org)

11 reasons why you should attend SWOMfest:

1. To meet other Swomies who understand that, except for one company out of 10 billion (hint: it sells blenders) viral videos do not translate into sales.
2. Big-thinking presenters like Haley Rushing of GSD&M's Purpose Institute and Hollywood screenwriter Yaphet Smith, who bring a unique and different perspective to word of mouth you won't see anywhere else. (You read that right: a screenwriter.)
3. It won't decimate your training and eductation budget. At $325, SWOMfest is affordable compared to other word-of-mouth conferences.
4. No boring and self-serving panels.
5. Each attendee gets a hot off-the press book from one of the following authors: Seth Godin, Guy Kawasaki, Dan Roam, Tim Manners or Geoff Colvin. Thanks Portfolio!
6. An optional Word of Mouth Weekend tour in Austin, Texas, after SWOMfest. Immerse yourself in the city ranked as the most creative (and weird) in the U.S. which has more word of mouth stuff happening than you can shake a blog at. Plus, there's a pre-conference party the night before.
7. If you're with a non-profit organization, you can attend for half price.
8. Pre-conference '80s party. SWOMfest '08 is during Halloween week, so we'll blind ourselves with costume party science on Wednesday, Oct. 29, the night before SWOMfest. The pre-conference party theme? The '80s. Bring your Devo energy dome and leg warmers. We'll have prizes for best costume. Then we'll adjourn to see the best '80s cover band ever, the Spazmatics.
9. Live DJ. DJ Mel is a turntablist in the purest form of the art; the party rocker. Renowned as one of the most prolific djs in the business due to his wildly popular Rock the Casbah 80s parties, DJ Mel recently returned to Austin from a gig at Lollapalooza 2008 in Chicago. DJ Mel will be spinning all day at SWOMfest. Yup, a DJ at a business conference!
10. Beer all day. The gonzo guys at Flying Dog Brewery will provide their spectacular craft brews THROUGHOUT the conference. Inspired by Hunter S. Thompson, with labels by renowned artist Ralph Steadman and a tagline of "Good Beer, No Shit," Flying Dog Brewery is a word-of-mouth case study all its own.
11. The chance to win a Dell 20-inch widescreen, flat-panel monitor. Thanks Dell!

Official Website: http://swomfest.com