[GLLUG] Next public software advocacy event

[Nicholas Kwiatkowski]

Although I was unable to attend the recent SFD, I would like to make some
suggestions:

 -  Setup the event where there is LOTS of foot-traffic.  It doesn't matter
how much advertisement that you are doing, the people who would go out of
their way to the event are those who already know what Linux is.  While you
may have to sacrifice an optimal location, the people you need to reach are
those that aren't expecting to go to the event.

	- See if the local CompUSA or Circuit City would lend you their
training space for the event...  See if you can go around the location while
people are shopping and interest them.
	- Set up a booth on a game day on Campus.  This idea may need to
wait until next year as you will start running into flying snow.
	- Different malls allow for non-profits to setup a temporary booth
for an afternoon, if you ask the right way...  Again, all it takes is for
somebody curious to walk by and ask a question.
	- Hijack a Microsoft event.  Microsoft / Cisco / Nortel etc., all
have seminars around Lansing.  Find out when they are and get a room near
theirs, or again, a booth to talk to the people who go to these seminars.
For example, Cisco has an all day event at the Henry Center on Colins and
Forest roads next week.  Microsoft has a larger 'Software Licensing Update'
seminar at the Marriott in EL the first week in November.  With these, you
already have a captive audience that is looking to either (a) spend money or
(b) reduce the amount they are spending on these products.

 - Marketing the event.  Again, see if you can get into some of the
community news papers, or have some of the local ISPs (ACD, arialink, etc)
send out emails to their user bases.  See if some of the local computer
shops (digilink, KTC, etc) would help you spread the word.  See if some
local tech companies (TechSmith or LiquidWeb) would help out too...  Lots of
these guys may even help you with some sort of coupon to help drive their
business.  You need to pick a date and location now, and just get the flyers
out, and work backwards from there.  

Hope some of these suggestions help!  I would love to see this event a
smashing success :)

-Nick Kwiatkowski
 MSU Telecom Systems, P&E Group

-----Original Message-----
From: linux-user-bounces at egr.msu.edu [mailto:linux-user-bounces at egr.msu.edu]
On Behalf Of Clay Dowling
Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2007 1:58 PM
To: linux-user at egr.msu.edu
Subject: [GLLUG] Next public software advocacy event

I know we're still licking our wounds from Software Freedom Day (or coming
down--it might have been a bust but it was still fun), but I think that
it's time to start planning the next advocacy event.  If we really rush
and work our contact lists we might be able to have something by mid
November.

Mid November is really a good time, because a lot of people look at
upgrading family computers over the holidays.  If we can show them free
software, we can help them stretch their computer dollar further. 
Likewise, mid to late January is a good time to catch them because there's
a new machine and they are looking for software.

I won't be there to spur the discussion this Thursday, because it's my
birthday and I'll be have Eduardo's beef with my wife.

Clay
-- 
Lazarus Registration
http://www.lazarusid.com/registration.shtml

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