It is hard to write from here knowing that the conference continues without me. I am jealous of the remaining attendees who are still standing by, soaking up fountains of knowledge from the Workamajig team and fellow users.
This is my summary of the weekend as a whole
To bastardize Benjamin Franklin: The Workamajig User Conference is proof that Workamajig loves us and wants us to be happy. Five Diamond. Four Star. First Class. All are attempts to describe excellence in service and delivery. You can apply of those to the Workamajig staff and the conference they provided to their user base — and this was their first one! I cannot imagine how they will improve but I am quite sure they will, because that is the Workamajig way.
The days of the conference inundated the user base with valuable and useful information. We gained detailed analysis of how to use the system, a glimpse of the software’s future, and the ability to throw in our own wildcards because this was an interactive process. Round table discussions allowed us all to address specific areas where we wanted to learn more. We had the opportunity to draw from other users’ experiences and successes from agencies all around North America. Learning as much as we did about the number 1 software an ad agency can use to maximize it’s agency business would have been more than anyone could have asked for. But, Workamajig went ahead and invited two prominent thought leaders in our industry to teach us about performance metrics (David Baker – see prior posts) and revolutionary methods to accelerate the new business functions of your agency (Blair Enns — see prior posts). Every attendee should be armed with enough information and tools to become leaders in their respective markets. I guess we’ll all be so smart and capable one day that we will be forced to become one super agency that takes over the world. That could happen, right?
When the Workamajig team was teaching they were entertaining. Typically, conference activities are trite, contrived and just plain cheesy. It is clear to everyone there and is uncomfortable and embarrassing. This is because the activities are delivered by tired administrators who simply don’t care. The opposite, then, must hold true for the Workamajig staff. It is clear from the entertainment they provided and delivered, that they truly care about their users and are fun-loving people. You don’t have to party with Workamajig to experience this, but their hospitality to us all makes it clear that is reflective of the personalities of the company and the policies or forced directives of the company. We were treated to a nice reception the first night which included a great round of glow-in-the-dark putt-putt. The second night was a full dinner reception: imagine the biggest, most fun wedding you’ve ever been to. Now throw out the stupid ceremony and guilt from the wedding party’s family members and there ya go. They entertained us with class and style. Let no one say Workamajig doesn’t know how to have a good time. And for the record, the last man standing was…. well, a Workamajig employee.
I want to thank everyone involved in the conference. I am so glad and enjoyed meeting all of the attendees. Please stay in touch via this blog (which will continue) or via email: lee@workamapro.com. Until then work hard and stay creative!