FOSE’s Gone Virtual? So Much For a Half-Day Boondoggle!
(It’s humor Friday - FOSE is a DC area local phenom and this may not be appreciated by all)
The official blurb: “For over 30 years, the Federal Office Systems Exposition (FOSE) in DC has been the one IT event known government-wide as the annual meeting place for the industry. The event draws over 10,000 senior level IT decision makers from federal, state, local, and international government converging to learn, network, share experiences, and evaluate products, services, and solutions from over 400 industry partners.”
That’s nice. Here’s the real description from a Fed employee’s perspective:
“Yeehaa! FOSE is great. We’ll check out around lunchtime, slide into the show with our Fed badge and see what kind of give aways we can stuff in our bags before bailing out for the afternoon.”
I do have some good memories of the show affectionately known as the “half-day boondoggle”.
On Booth Duty: For any sales or marketing person that has experienced booth duty standing on an un-padded show floor trying to talk “tech” with people looking past you toward the mint bowl, you’ll appreciate this.
I remember one really productive conversation. A gentleman had one hand in the “logo pen bin” while he asked, “Is that something I would use in my home?” “Uh, no, this 12″ WORM Optical equipment is generally used to capture and archive millions of medical scan images and the complete solution is a couple Mil”. “Oh”, he responded, “mind if I take a few pens?” “Of course not, help yourself” I replied. “Here, let me scan your badge so we can come back next year!”
On Parking: I remember sitting in a long line of cars trying to find a place to park. A guy several cars up rolled down his window and yelled to a local gentleman if he could park in the vacant lot with the yellow tape across the entrance. The local man looked at him, looked at the private lot and promptly saw his business opportunity. “Sure, for $10.” Cash was exchanged, yellow tape was ripped down and at least 100 cars flowed into the lot in the next 3 minutes…$10 each. No, I didn’t use that lot. By the time I did park and walk in I noticed the lot was full. Everybody loves FOSE! Even the local entrepreneurs and towing companies!
It looks like those days of engaging conversation and instant entrepreneurship may be over. FOSE’s gone virtual. Maybe the Fed Gov folks can leave early, drive to a telecommuting site in the suburbs and continue the tradition of the “half-day boondoggle.” I hear there is plenty of parking.
