Folks we are back from this year’s 2008 Sleeter Group Conference and if I were asked to summarize the conference into one word it would be WOW!
About a week before the conference I was asked to do a short presentation for some members of the Sleeter Group by Randy Johnston of K2 Enterprises. Randy joined the Method Beta after last year’s Sleeter Conference in Las Vegas. I was thinking it would be 40 – 50 people in the room but was surprised to hear that approx. 140 people were attending. Gulp. 
Of course I was happy to hear that so many people were interested in learning about how to take their business online, but admittedly, I tend to get nervous in front of large audiences.
So Monday afternoon, I get up on stage and start plowing through my PowerPoint slides so I can actually demonstrate Method. About half way through my demo, I can sense dead silence in the room. I realize the sudden sense of heat is not the room getting hotter but the nerves reaching a new level. 
Immediately I think it is one of two things:
- Everyone is completely lost and has no clue what Method is and how it pertains to them. OR
- They are left speechless.
I was hoping for 2 but couldn’t get a good read of the audience. A couple of seconds later, Randy probed a question to the audience asking if “everyone could start to see how this could change the way they currently do business”. After saying this, questions started to be asked and I could see that everyone was totally thinking “this was cool”. What a way to start the first day!
Once the exhibit hall opened on the second day our booth was busy and buzzing. Katie, Paul and I got a chance to speak to a majority of the people who attended Randy’s presentation and they were totally into Method. I couldn’t help but feel good after one attendee explained the moment of silence at my presentation as “The Twilight Zone”. The exact moment where they could see how Method could solve so many of the current issues they face both for themselves and their clients. “So do you mean it can do….” was the start of many of the conversations that took place.
It’s amazing how one year can make such a big difference. As a kid, if you ever transferred to a new school, you know it takes a while for you to settle in and mark your ground. You may have been a top notch grader or the popular kid at your old school, but it’s totally new ground at a new school. Well for Method, we were the new kids at Sleeter in 2007. This year, we found our groove and totally fit in and gained some serious popularity. We knew exactly who we are, what we had to offer and how to deliver. 
As with every year, we always have new things to learn and take back with us. Heck, I even learned that '007' was a spoof of 'Austin Powers', something that was news to me. 
This feedback helps us to make Method a more matured product and is exactly what we need to make it that much better.
Now that we are back in Toronto, we’ll be focusing on releasing our Field Services app and staying put for awhile. Below are some pictures from the conference for your viewing pleasure.
Cheers everyone!
Danny Do Couto
Method Integration
Below: Danny Do Couto, Katie Riley and Paul Jackson from the Method Team
Below: Paul Jackson preparing for a Method Demo
Below: Danny Do Couto answering some questions regarding Method
Below: Paul Jackson in action doing a demo of Method - Field Services
