As many of you already know, superblogger Tom Mighell and I are organizing a “dinner” for legal bloggers and other interested bloggers in Chicago on March 30, the evening before the opening of ABA TECHSHOW 2005. This evening promises to be the largest gathering of legal bloggers ever brought together under one roof.
Let me give you a few details, make a much-anticipated announcement, and then tell you about our naming contest, before letting you know how you might be able to help us, if you are so inclined.
When: March 30, 2005 (sometimes referred to as TECHSHOW’s eve), probably starting in the 7:30 or 8:00 range.
Where: The Catalyst Ranch, 656 W. Randolph, Suite 3W, Chicago, IL 60661.
What: A dinner/reception/get-together/good time.
Who: Legal bloggers (lawyers, law professors, law students, law librarians, et al.) and other Chicago bloggers courageous enough to be willing to spend an evening in a room full of lawyers.
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT.
You suspected that legal blogging was a hot topic. Well, it is. We’re pleased to announce that the cost of your ticket to the event will be zero, nada, zip.
YES, WE HAVE SPONSORS! We are pleased to announce that we have sponsors who have graciously agreed to underwrite the cost of this event.
Our sponsors are:
CaseSoft
Thomson West
LexThink, Inc.
We have one more sponsor slot open that we will give to the first sponsor to confirm with us. If you are a sponsor interested in this slot, email me at denniskennedyblog @ gmail.com and we’ll get you signed up.
This will be a non-profit event, so if our sponsor fees exceed our costs, we will donate the excess to an appropriate charity, probably something related to a legal defense fund for bloggers.
NAMING CONTEST.
Tom and I have most of the details under control, but we’ve struggled from the beginning with what to call this event.
Here’s why:
We did not want to have a sit-down dinner at a restaurant. We wanted to have a place where people could circulate and talk to as many people as possible, rather than spend the evening talking mainly to the people who sat beside them.
So, I have wanted to avoid the word “dinner.” Don’t worry, however, because we plan to feed you well. The term I hear used these days is “heavy hors d’ouevres.” In other words, you’ll get something pretty close to a buffet dinner, but it won’t be a sit-down, waiter-serving-you dinner.
That, of course, raises the question: what should we call this thing? “Legal Blogger Dinner / Reception” won’t work – and it sounds like a named arrived at by a committee of lawyers.
In a moment of desperation or brilliance this morning, I came up with the name “BlawgEvent 1.0” and emailed it to Tom. Tom was initially unimpressed, but his efforts to come up with a better name only made him realize (1) how difficult it is to come up with a clever name and (2) how subtly clever the name I thought up really is.
Fortunately, we both realize the folly of actually relying on a name I came up with (look at the name of my blog, for crying out loud).
So, we’ve decided to have a naming contest for this event. We invite you to submit to us your suggestions for the name of this event on or before March 14. We’ll cook up some way to choose a winner and then we’ll start referring to the event “[Yourcoolnamegoeshere], sponsored by CaseSoft, Thomson West, LexThink, Inc. and [yoursponsornamegoeshere].”
Prizes for the contest winner, you ask? We’re working on that. So far, the winner’s prize package will include (1) a CD with my eBooks and (2) Tom and I’s comments, suggestions and tips to improve your blog and your blog’s traffic. We’ll see what else we can come up with.
The contest rules: Use good judgment and decorum in the names you suggest. Give us your real name and contact info so we can announce you as the winner and send you the prizes. Meet the deadline. You also agree not to whine and complain if we pick a name that isn’t as good as the ones that you suggest.
Send your entries by email to denniskennedyblog @ gmail.com and tmighell @ gmail.com.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
You thought we’d never ask. Tom and I have things under control, but it never hurts to have a little help.
You can definitely help us by getting the word out to legal bloggers and other likely attendees.
If you’d like to help us pick the winning name, handle administrative details, or just help with things in general either before the event or when we get things set up that evening, let us know.
We’ve already gotten this event about as complicated as I can stand (I just want to have fun and meet people), so, while we always want to hear great ideas, keep in mind that simple is best.
Hope to see you there. Put on your thinking caps and let’s start hearing those names.
The Fine Print Legal Disclaimer: You must register in advance. If we run out of room before you register, we’ll put you on a waiting list, but cannot promise you that a spot will open up. It’s all on an “AS IS” basis and we make no warranties whatsoever. And, of course, our total liability is limited to the amount that you pay for your ticket to the event.
[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (https://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]