eBay Live 2008 Rocked Chicago!

eBay Live 2008 Rocked Chicago!

COPY OF THE ORIGINAL POST I WROTE AT PRACTICAL ECOMMERCE

Status: Published
Publish Date: July 01, 2008
Blog: By Merchants, For Merchants
Tags: ebay, Laurie Norrington, John Donahoe, Jason Minor

I'm officially unpacked from my Chicago, eBay Live adventure.

The airlines tried to charge me a $50.00 over-the-limit fee for one of my suitcases because I had my bag filled with so many awesome items from eBay live. Luckily one of the items was from the USPS which was a nice sturdy bag that zipped shut. I asked the airlines how much for an additional bag instead of paying that fee and she said $20.00.

Not a problem I told her as I pulled out the USPS bag and started to fill it with shoes!

There is an fantastic travel tip for you! Always bring an extra bag in case you go over in weight. Then you can unload some of those items and transfer quickly as needed. Hey, I saved 30 bucks!

Ok, back to my eBay live trip.

There was an amazing floor at eBay live called "The Solutions Center". It was the main stage, the heart of this convention. It contained many booths with exhibitors promoting their items. These were paid spots and eBay did select an interesting assortment of vendors. They were very gracious to pass out freebies promoting their businesses.

My favorite part of the floor was the eBay and PayPal booths. Every employee had a smile on their face and was eager to speak with you. They all loved getting in on photos and making the public feel very welcome. One gentleman took the time to walk me through my eBay store, offering helpful suggestions. I especially loved hanging out at the Community Lounge. This was a cool place for eBay staff to mingle on a couch with us "Average Folk" and it was especially the hot spot when John Donahoe, the President and CEO of eBay stopped by for photos, autographs and to just spend some time visiting.

Laurie Norrington (President, eBay Global Marketplace Operations) was another favorite to visit with. They both are such genuinely down to earth people; I was very pleased to be able to chat with both of them during my eBay live experience.

The classrooms I visited were filled. I had the privilege to be a guest speaker for a PayPal presentation. Almost everyone attending this class was new to eBay and was taking notes as fast as Jason Minor, The voice of PayPal radio, taught this very informative class.

Several announcements were made at the Keynotes. Read all the details: eBay Live Announcements.

I did receive a few awards myself; you can read about the details from Practical eCommerce staff writer, Brendan Gibbons Practical eCommerce Blogger Wins eBay Hall Of Fame Award.

eBay live definitely "Rocked" the windy city with the grand finale being the "Gala!" The guest singer: Chris Isaak kept the place jumping with his music. One of his signed guitars just sold on eBay for Charity at $1,025.00.

Visit my YouTube page and watch some of the videos I shot during this event.

eBay live opens up fantastic opportunities for networking as well as socializing for many. It was fun for me to meet up with friends I've known through the eBay community, to finally meet in person. Several of the members were experiencing their first eBay live. One gal posted:

eBay live was so enriching! Workshops rocked!!! The employees of eBay live were from all over including Canada! They were so nice and helpful! Also the solution center, where you were able to have a one on one with eBay staff, was sooo helpful! Thanks again guys here in this group that made it even more memorable!

Next eBay live:
2010 in Orlando Florida!