What have you done for me lately?

Better yet, what can you do for me now?

One of my biggest successes was with the Microsoft Professional Developers Conference. In 2005, Microsoft faced a problem. The release date of Windows Vista, then codenamed "Longhorn", had already slipped. In the developer community, few thought Microsoft had anything new to say. Why shell out $1,900 to attend the event?

Thing is, Microsoft had news to announce. Big news about SQL Server, Visual Studio, and the .NET platform. But we couldn't just say that. The reveal is part of the appeal. Instead, we had to make it look like a big deal--such a big deal that our efforts would outpace the negative opinion in the marketplace.

We started with a banner campaign that ran on key developer websites. As the event was planned for Hollywood, we ran with a theme that compared software developers with movie stars, catering to their (proudly) inflated egos. These ads drove to a Flash-based microsite that featured wild L.A.-themed imagery, including a Bling section with a bouncing low rider.

The result? The event that no one wanted to attend was sold out four weeks early, with 5,500 registrations. And we collected a waiting list of over 700 hopeful attendants on top of that.

If you'd like the same kind of results for your business, let me have a crack at your next project. We'll make something big happen together.

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