Big Design Conference Hour 1: Coffee Talk

So, I entered SMU a little early (see last post about my "Secret Entrance"). By 7:05 AM, we already have our first customer. This same person would later go on to win the Adobe Creative Suite 5.0 giveaway. I am positive that he did NOT stuff the ballot box, too. Adobe turned it upside down.


NOTE: I am sure he went there before getting coffee (as it was not there).

Coffee, Coffee, Coffee--Where is It?

My father, Norman Sullivan, drank over 30 cups of coffee each day of his adult life. He liked it black. He drank it on hot or cold days. I can't recall a single moment, when he did not have his BIG cup (really 2 cups) filled with Folgers.

The man loved coffee. Everyday.

Our first crisis was the coffee did not arrive until 9:30AM. Our post-conference survey revealed that people were really angry about not having the coffee there. They craved it. They wanted it. They needed their coffee.

As it turns out, Ryan Plesko had ordered the coffee and donuts to arrive by 7:00 AM with a setup by 7:30 AM. Lara Becker, you probably saw her at registration, is a big fan of coffee (especially, Dunkin Donuts coffee). Now, we have attendees and organizers craving the caffeine.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Conference

Our Dunkin Donuts representative finally arrives at 9:15AM. Keith Anderson, Lara Becker, Joshua Bright, Dustin Askins, and two volunteers go to her car. You need to imagine this scene:

1. We see her 1998 Toyota filled with stuff.
2. Back seat has coffee and cups.
3. Front seat has donuts, napkins, cream, and sugar.
4. Trunk is filled with donuts.

Keith spills coffee on he front seat. We get all donuts and coffee into the trade show by 9:30 AM.

As it turns out, the Dunkin Donuts representative had to make all the donuts (800 of them) by herself. And, she had to make all the coffee, too. She loaded it all up in her car. Her co-workers had called in sick. But, this young lady delivered.

God Bless Her.

BC: Before Coffee (What To Do)

Before coffee, we had plenty of water. 800 bottles were ordered. So, you drank it up. It was gone before the second day ended.

Conference fact: Over 1,400 bottles of water were drank at Big Design Dallas 2010.

To Do List for 2011:

1. Make sure coffee is on time.
2. Order more water.

AC: After Creamer (What To Do)

Dang, some people like lots of creamer in their black coffee stuff. We ran out, of course. What to do with this emergency? Think people.

Keith Anderson started telling people to use a donut, instead of a creamer. Our attendees laughed. Let me tell you....those donuts were DUNKED, too.

Now, that is Big Design.

To Do List for 2011 (add these things):

3. More creamer.
4. Less donuts (maybe).