Amex OPEN

I like to use the Amex card to manage our business cash flow. For me it 
works. That said, Amex has this small business initiative called OPEN.

I was curious when I got an e-mail from them inviting me to get 2 free 
tickets to a gig on Niche Marketing that they were doing at the Nokia 
Theater at Broadway & 44th -- it was last night. My curiosity is because 
of all the junk mail we get in our business they are #1 in volume and 
frequency w/ a shadowy #2 being the notices from the local School Board 
that a pervert has moved into our neighborhood. Considering that as a 
business plan I am usually looking for a check and dreading a nasty 
invoice from Worker's Comp. I am amazed that for the volume of my use of 
the card that I get all this stuff that I don't want and offers of 
services that I never intend to use ever.

It was a rough trip getting there to begin with, I won't go into the 
particulars, but I had three field stops along the way. I also, as is my 
habit, walked 30 Manhattan blocks to get there. I meant to take a cab 
but once I get started walking it is so interesting to see all the stuff 
going on. Regardless. Free white wine. Despite all the Nokia around I 
made a point to use my Motorola Q. Met a lady from Newark that wants to 
start a school for lady pipefitters. It was too damned noisy to network. 
Was asked pre-event survey questions from a pleasant woman who could not 
figure out how to tap her tablet. "What time of day do you think up your 
ideas for marketing?" At 5 AM while playing WoW.

Went w/ Jim Hicks... we both wanted to do something a little bit 
different. Sat in the center front row. Got a little shopping bag full 
of stuff.
Another book to take home.
Had these wireless keypads to play w/, it was a rather expensive focus 
group survey networking session.
After three glasses of free wine I at least felt like I was in power of 
my wireless keypad.

When I first checked out the Amex webcast vids on the internet re: 
Branding -- I got a call from a client/friend who wanted to know if they 
had interrupted anything. They thought I was typing, it was rain on the 
skylight. I was happy w/ the wood stove heat. End of a long day, had to 
wrestle the headphones off my head so I could handle the phone. Told him 
I was watching an Amex webcast... his comment, "I would not admit to 
that." I thought better not to go into my theories of business 
perversity just then.

Saw the founders of Blue Man Group, a lady that designs tight fitting 
clothes for pregnant women and is very happy she just landed a gig w/ 
Target, and a restauranteur (some guy who obviously is on a TV program 
on the food network that I have missed out on) talk about their 
entrepreneurial business experiences. Notes: viral... viral marketing. 
Word of mouth. They all seemed to agree that they did not have a 
business plan (though I think there was some confusion as to what 
exactly that meant and confusing a business plan w/ a marketing plan -- 
though the overall message seemed to be trust Amex... I wanted to stand 
up and thank them for their early funding to WMF & National Trust for 
the NOLA response and note there are a whole lot of folks in the Gulf 
Region who would like to have enough business to use their Amex cards). 
It was neat to read the teleprompter while hearing the moderator. It was 
not possible to look up anyone's dress even at that close of a range, 
though the electronics strapped onto their back bums that we could see 
when they turned around was interesting. There was a whole lot of blue 
light everywhere. At the end they turned off the lights and 3 blue men 
came out and did something that was like an uber light stick show. I 
think they are likely best appreciated w/ Exstacy?

I need now to check out the net and see if Jim & I got on the webcast. 
I'm not sure how it will compare to my experience w/ Girls Gone Wild 
though the panel did talk about sex.

][<en

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