Preset Group's DSE 2011 Mixer In Works

December 29, 2010 by Dave Haynes

L-R: Jose Avalos (Intel), Denise MacDonell and Carre Dawson (Harris), and Pat Hellberg (Preset Group)

Thanks to Adrian @ DailyDOOH for the kind words about the Preset Group’s inaugural DSE mixer in February. We thought it went off well and obviously others agree.

Many people have been asking me about the DSE 2011, so I thought notice of Round One being cited as a Best of 2010 was as good a time as any to start passing on the Preset Group’s early plans for February.

1 – It’s on. Skedded for Feb. 22, which is the Tuesday night, the evening before the DSE trade show floor opens.

2 – It will be bigger. We had about 180. We’re looking at 250.

3 – New venue. That’s being settled on now. We liked Lavo (at the Palazzo) in most respects, but it was tight in front of the bar and the room was not dedicated. We’re down to to two options – both of them bars on the central Strip with dedicated rooms (not banquet rooms, real bars). That way we can control the sound and do sponsor recognition.

4 – Did I mention sponsors? We’ll be looking for sponsor help to buy one or quite possibly two rounds (our drinks costs will be cut in half from the kooky-expensive Lavo), and we’ll have screens and mikes to trumpet that help. We could do one round and some food, but we figure an early evening event means people will go from the event to dinner somewhere.

5 – Technology – We looked at each other, shaking our heads, as we checked attendees in last year using paper printouts and pen strokes. Kinda sad for technology consultants. So … at the very minimum, we’ll be using QR codes as tickets and smartphones as scanners, and would love to hear from companies who have interactive, engagement-oriented pots and pans well suited to this sort of event. Rather than passing around endless biz cards, for example, it would be great if attendees put all that stuff in the registry and that data could be swapped digitally.

More details by mid-January.