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…and I feel just about like this luau piggy!

(The picture is of me at the luau party commiserating with the little piggy that just “stayed home.”)

Folks, I feel just like this pig as I am nearly wiped out from going to market – the four-day eTail East 2008 event which just concluded last week in Washington, DC. Not only was this a big sales show for us, but a big marketing show as well. Dozens of our clients were in attendance with many honored to serve as Chairman, Speakers or Panelists during the four days. Here are just a few of the fun folks that stopped by our booth to say hello:

Toys “R” Us , diapers.com , Ace Hardware , Adorama , B&H Photo , TimeLife , Spencer’s Gifts , Smart Bargains , Redcats , Taylor Gifts , Modell’s , Paragon Sports , National Geographic, Personal Creations , Vitamin Shoppe , DYMO

Okay, I know what you are thinking…that I have been holding out on you, that you were unaware that half of these folks were even clients of ours. Well in my own defense, lets start by saying that with over 300 signed clients and powering the customer review functionality for more than 2,300 websites, I should be allowed to be somewhat remiss from time to time in terms of what we have found time to annouce – smile.

So for those of you who want to see a more comprehensive list of more recent publishable clients, well just feast on this:

Ya I know, enough of this chatter so back to the show…

In terms of all the ecommerce shows I attend throughout the year, I must confess to an enormous affinity for this specific show. Whether it’s the distinctive “east coast persona” this show seems to exude every year or perhaps it is these more “intimate experiences” normally associated with smaller (relatively speaking) shows, this one is a favorite of mine because it is so much easier to connect with partners, clients, prospects and come away with a solid sense of where the marketplace is these days in terms of what’s hot and what’s not.

And in terms of what’s hot, the “early announcement” of our new review solution specifically targeted to small online retailers has the mercury boiling! Other thematic items included the growing negative impact that retailers are seeing from the downturn in the economy combined with the rising fuel charges that FedEx and UPS are leveling at them.

As for the content, I heard many great things from both keynote speakers and key tracks and panels with a special call out to my longtime friend and colleague Pinny Gnwish from Ice.com who again wowed the audience with his trademark unique, funny and entertaining manner. Who else could turn the correct way to peel a banana into a business axiom for success – the best ideas and plans come from the bottom up!

In closing, it was my distinct pleasure to again serve as Chairman for the Word-of-Mouth/Social Media Day held the final day of conference. The room was packed, the content superb and interactive presentation style of the presenters was very well received.

I encourage all retailers and vendors to keep this show on your list for next year!

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