In the Cards: dare greatly '08

Conference organizers promoted West Coast Green's 2008 theme, "dare greatly," in a number of clever ways. Host Donald Simon alluded to it often while introduding speakers. T-shirts and other conference merchandise sported catchy send-ups to the theme, like the stand-alone "triple dog dare ya" on the back of the one now in my home. And forum facilitators encouraged attendees getting to know each other to discuss how this concept was sparking new ideas and resolutions to take home.

My favorite marketing device, however, was the cards. The size of business cards, but printed in bold colors and lightly laminated (or maybe heavily coated with kaolin), these cards were offered to conference goers at the entry to session rooms, on tables in hallways, at happy hours - wherever folks might see and pick them up. Some posed specific challenges, such as, "Imagine yourself doing what gives you the most joy - share that with 2 people." and "do something that makes you nervous" and "Ask someone to lunch, ask them about his/her story - then listen." Other cards left room to write in one's own challenge, simply offering the opening, "I dare myself to:" or "I double dare myself to:". Specific dare cards asked their holders to trade them with other attendees; and the soon-to-be daring were allowed to take as many cards as they could use or share.

Was the clever marketing effective, or just clever? For me, it was effective. I didn't trade cards while 'networking,' or choose to meet all of the challenges. But they cause me to reflect, to discuss, to give myself some credit, and to increase the ambition level of some goals for myself. And it gave me a lens to recognize and acknowledge the daring exercised by some of my colleagues, and by various conference vendors and presenters - and to take heart.