63+ Knockout Pubcon Las Vegas 2012 Insider Tips

by, Lane R. Ellis on August 14, 2012

WHAT IS PUBCON AND WHY SHOULD I GO TO IT?

Pubcon Las Vegas 2012, the premiere social media and optimization conference, is the world’s top week of online marketing. Featuring over 200 leading speakers, major keynote presentations, more

Pubcon Las Vegas

than 130 panel sessions in at least nine simultaneous daily topic tracks — each its own conference-within-a-conference — a giant exhibit hall, a pre-conference training program led by 16 expert trainers, Pubcon Labs, and the best networking events in the entertainment capital of the world, Pubcon Las Vegas 2012 will bring it all together this October 15 – 18 at the massive Las Vegas Convention Center for the year’s biggest and best new media and search marketing event.

For 2012 we’ve lined up tremendous keynotes from major industry futurists, including Dr. Robert Cialdini, professor emeritus of psychology and marketing at

Pubcon Keynote by Dr. Robert Cialdini

Arizona State University, social psychologist, and author of the bestselling book “Influence: Science & Practice,” who will present the Tuesday morning kickoff keynote address.

Shakil Khan, head of special projects at social journal start-up Path and well-known former head of special projects at popular streaming music company Spotify, will also present a major keynote address at Pubcon Las Vegas 2012, made even more captivating by his long-time involvement with Pubcon parent company WebmasterWorld, one of the Web’s oldest and most-respected technical message forums, with roots dating back to the 1980s and online bulletin board systems.

A highly-anticipated lunchtime keynote is on tap from Google head quality control engineer and webspam team leader Matt Cutts, and we still have one final major keynote speaker to announce in the coming weeks.

Here are 63+ tips for making your week at Pubcon Las Vegas 2012 an unforgettable experience.

CONVINCING YOURSELF OR YOUR COMPANY TO SEND YOU TO PUBCON

Google's Matt Cutts at Pubcon

It’s easier than ever to make the case for coming to Pubcon, as we’ve grown for more than a decade to become the key conference where the upcoming path of online innovation is charted by the world’s top digital futurists, many of whom won’t go to any conference this year except for Pubcon Las Vegas 2012.

In addition to the information in this post, here are some extra ways you can present Pubcon to your company as the must-attend event of the year:

Read Brett Tabke’s piece on convincing your boss to send you to Pubcon
Prepare a brief presentation about Pubcon for your manager, which can include Pubcon testimonials of those who have already been to a Pubcon conference
Put out a call on Twitter asking why your company should send you to Pubcon Las Vegas 2012
Each year Pubcon garners more press and media coverage from a wide range of international sources, and we expect this year’s Pubcon Las Vegas conference to be the largest and most well-attended Pubcon ever.
Show videos from Pubcon speakers, such as this one from Trackur chief executive Andy Beal, interviewed by Vertical Measures president and fellow Pubcon speaker Arnie Kuenn:

GETTING THE BEST BARGAIN PUBCON PRICE, OR, PUBCON ON A BUDGET

Although Pubcon is already one of the most fairly-priced conference in the industry — priced

Pubcon Las Vegas

substantially less than most other events — there are strategies you can take advantage of to get to Pubcon for the least amount of money, by planning ahead and seeking out specials.

The least expensive time to sign up for Pubcon is during the first few weeks after registration for the next conference opens. When registration opens it’s announced on our blog and on our Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Plus, Pinterest, and other Pubcon social media sites, so be sure to subscribe to the Pubcon blog and our various online hangouts so you’ll be notified as soon as passes go on sale.
One of the best ways to save on Pubcon is to go with three or more co-workers, which will qualify you for our group discount rate. See the special group discount section on our registration page.
From time to time special discount Pubcon registration coupon codes are given out to select
Treasure Island Hotel & Casino
Pubcon sponsors and exhibitors. Take a look at the list of these Pubcon supporters and follow them on Twitter, Facebook and other social media services to keep an eye out for Pubcon discount codes, which could help lower your registration costs even more.
Another way to save on your Pubcon week is by finding and taking advantage of specials when you book your room at the official recommended Pubcon Las Vegas 2012 hotel, Treasure Island Hotel and Casino. Some of the bargains often available here can nearly offset the cost of registration for Pubcon, so look through Treasure Island’s specials page and its Twitter, Facebook and other social media accounts for the best discount rates. Some Pubcon attendees save additional money by sharing rooms during their stay, a plan that can be considered if you’re on a limited budget.
Booking your flight to Las Vegas early and by using promotions and discount codes or
Pubcon Las Vegas
previously-earned frequent flier miles can also be great ways to save on your Pubcon experience.
It doesn’t make sense to make a special trip to Las Vegas for Pubcon if you aren’t planning to purchase a full conference pass, however if you are a Las Vegas local looking for the bare-bones entry-level introduction to Pubcon, we do offer inexpensive tickets to the Monday night Pubcon kickoff networking event. If you attend this kick-off gathering, however, don’t be surprised if you find yourself purchasing a full-price conference gold or platinum pass once you find out who is at Pubcon and what they’ve got planned throughout the week.
You can save additional money by purchasing Las Vegas Monorail tickets before arriving in
Pubcon Monorail Discount
town, using the special Pubcon monorail discount pricing when you order online.
If you prefer to drive during Pubcon, you can save money by using the special discount car rental codes we’ve arranged through our rental partners Budget and Dollar.
The primary way you’ll end of saving on Pubcon, however, is through the information you’ll learn over the week — take-aways that throughout the year will help your business succeed.

PLANNING WHICH DAYTIME SESSIONS TO ATTEND

You can either attend the Pubcon sessions that focus on your primary areas of interest or follow the speakers you most want to hear, or follow a plan that combines the two as you choose where to spend your days at Pubcon Las Vegas 2012. Here are some Pubcon session selection tips to help you pick the best bets for you and your business:

Study the master grid of sessions, organized into subject-specific tracks, and read the session
Matt Cutts At Pubcon Las Vegas
descriptions for those you’re interested in. A mobile-friendly version is available as well. You may even want to read about all 130+ sessions to find exactly which sessions best suit you.
Each day you’ll essentially need to pick the session you most want to attend in each of the five or so daily session periods. With nine or more great concurrent sessions operating at the same time, it can be tough to choose the one you’ll actually sit down and take part in, but to help you keep track of your selections check out the Pubcon Conference Itinerary Builder utility.
Some Pubcon attendees like to choose not only their top choice for each session period of the
Pubcon Las Vegas
day, but also a backup or even third choice, giving alternatives should you decide to leave a session in progress. Planning ahead saves time, as you won’t need to consult the conference guidebook or website, and can quickly move to your second choice session should you wish.
Pubcon attendees have a wide range of strategies for picking out which sessions to go to, from rating each one on a scale of one to 10 based on interest or content to following certain speakers no matter which subject they happen to be speaking about. Whichever system you decide to use, planning ahead can be key to getting the most from a conference as huge as Pubcon Las Vegas 2012.
If you’re the type who likes to make your session choices based on who’s speaking, there are many ways to learn more about every Pubcon speaker before you make your decisions. For each Pubcon speaker you can:
- Read their Pubcon biography
  Pubcon Las Vegas
- Visit their website, blog, and social media accounts, linked to on their Pubcon speaker biography pages
- Look for articles they’ve written for the Pubcon Speakers Blog
- View interviews they’ve done for the Pubcon Video Blog
- Check out their past interviews and other videos on YouTube and other video sites
  Pubcon Labs
- Connect with them online and ask any questions you have about their sessions
Also plan time to take part in Pubcon Labs, which is your chance to sit down one-on-one with a major Pubcon speaker for 20 minutes of uninterrupted conversation. Available to full conference pass holders, you’ll soon be able to sign up for Pubcon Labs.

HOW TO TACKLE PUBCON NIGHTS

There are more evening networking events and parties during Pubcon than anyone could
Pubcon Las Vegas
possibly attend, but by starting out with the biggest official ones you’ll be sure to get plenty of time to interact with the fantastic and one-of-a-kind Pubcon crowds, and still have time for late-night Las Vegas excitement with the after-party events of your choice.
Following the #Pubcon tag on Twitter is a great way to find out where the events are happening each night during the week of Pubcon, and the locations and times of the big official conference networking events will be sent to all attendees, either by e-mail or here on the Pubcon blog.
Many of the social media and search marketing firms at Pubcon host their own events, both
Pubcon Las Vegas
private and for all Pubcon attendees. One of the best ways to get in the loop for the private events is to sign up for the mailing lists for all the Pubcon exhibitors, media partners, and sponsors.
Asking your Pubcon friends and associates about parties can also help you find the action, whether it’s a private rooftop bash or a simple (or even epic) dinner with like-minded individuals. Keeping an eye out in the Pubcon exhibit hall for postings about exhibitor events can also help you find out about after-hours meet-ups, or organize your own dinner or meeting over drinks for the new folks you’ve met during Pubcon.

WHAT IF IT’S MY FIRST PUBCON?

If this will be your first Pubcon conference, congratulations — you’re in for an amazing week of
Pubcon Las Vegas
immersion in social media and search marketing with the industry’s top speakers, keynote presenters, exhibitors, sponsors, and perhaps most of all, some of the most important fellow attendees you’ll meet at any conference, who will all help make your first Pubcon a valuable time to remember.
Many experienced Pubcon attendees have written guides on how to get the most from Pubcon, as have first-time conference-goers who’ve just come away from their first Pubcon, and you can read some of these accounts in the following "What To Bring To Pubcon" list.

WHAT TO BRING TO PUBCON

Phone and laptop chargers
Pubcon Las Vegas
Some people bring their own power strip, even though Pubcon tries to provide more than any other conference
Medications and/or painkillers
Skin lotion for the dry climate
Throat lozenges or a refillable water bottle to ward off coughing during sessions
Gear for taking notes, whether digitally or the old-fashioned pen-and-pad way. Remember that
Pubcon Las Vegas
after the conference you’ll be able to download the PowerPoint presentations from every speaker in every session, so focus on taking notes on the tips and strategies that aren’t already shown on the big conference screens.
Cash for taxicabs, as only certain cabs accept credit cards in Las Vegas
Monorail tickets, which you can purchase ahead of time at a discount rate
Comfortable shoes for walking the massive Las Vegas Convention Center floors during the
Pubcon Las Vegas
week of Pubcon
More formal clothes, in case you attend a Pubcon party at a nightclub with a dress code
Abundant business cards

Here are even more helpful lists of items to bring from a variety of Pubcon speakers and attendees:

Krista Neher’s Rocking Pubcon: How to Get More Out of Conferences
Cathy Benavides’ Optimize Your Suitcase With Pubcon Las Vegas Packing Tips
Michael Dorausch’s Five Pubcon Badge Essentials
Pubcon Paradise. Photo: Michael Dorausch
Market Street Media’s 10 Ways To Avoid Dying At Pubcon Las Vegas
Heather Lloyd-Martin’s 15 Tips For A Successful Pubcon Conference
Dr. Peter J. Meyers’ Seven Tips For Surviving Pubcon
Lane R. Ellis’ You Never Know Who You’ll Run Into At Pubcon
Lyndon Reid’s The Conference Goers Packing List
Loren Baker’s 10+ Tips For a Pubcon Vegas Newbie
"154 Awesome Pubcon 2011 Takeaways, Tips & Tweets" by Kevin Gibbons

BONUS INSIDER TIPS FROM PUBCON VETERANS

Drink plenty of fluids while in the dry climate of Las Vegas. From the time you get up in your
Pubcon Las Vegas
hotel room, throughout the day at Pubcon, and while out networking at night, staying hydrated is important. During the day at Pubcon water is available from dispensers in the session room hallways, at drinking fountains located near each restroom, and in all vending machine areas. Water and other beverages are also available during breakfast and lunch.
Some Pubcon attendees pack their suitcase with favorite beverages if they’re unsure of being able to find them at the conference hotel, in the Las Vegas Convention Center, or in the various casinos and night hotspots where after-hours Pubcon events take place.
There are restrooms and vending machines hidden just out of sight as you enter the Las Vegas
PubCon Las Vegas
Convention Center South Halls for Pubcon, on the first floor underneath the escalators, which is also where a first aid station is located.
Don’t miss the chance to register for Monday’s optional Pubcon Masters Group intensive training program, featuring an astounding new lineup with 16 exceptional trainers in four premium tracks dedicated to pay-per-click (PPC) and landing page optimization, social media marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and in-house SEO. The Pubcon Masters Group training, which has always sold out before the conference begins because of its personalized nature, is the perfect way to begin your week at Pubcon, and many consider it one of the week’s most valuable opportunities.
Be sure to set aside time to visit our Barnes and Noble author book signing area in the
Pubcon Las Vegas Book Signings
exhibit halls, and meet with many of the international social media and search experts who will be speaking at Pubcon and have them sign copies of their books for you.
Keep up with the latest social media and optimization news in the weeks leading up to Pubcon Las Vegas 2012, by reading interviews such as this one with Pubcon founder and chief executive Brett Tabke conducted by Aaron Wall of SEO Book, looking at some of the latest changes in search and where online publishing is headed.

GETTING AROUND LAS VEGAS DURING PUBCON

We’ve compiled lots of information on our website to help make your trip to Las Vegas for Pubcon as

Masters Group In-House Training

smooth and efficient as possible, so read up on your options in these posts about getting around Pubcon:

These 63+ Pubcon tips should help you make the most from your week at the year’s biggest and best social media and optimization conference. If you haven’t registered yet, sign up now and join thousands of the world’s leading online innovators this October 15 – 18 as Pubcon Las Vegas becomes the center of the digital universe.

Thanks,
Lane R. Ellis
Lead Editor
Team Pubcon

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