We all exaggerate numbers if they make us look good. And so it is with conferences. Here are our estimates of key statistics:
- Grand total: 5,200-5,500 attendees
- 3,700-4,000 paying, full conference registrants -- of these, about 55% were IT staff, the rest were ISVs, consultants, VARs, and sponsors
- Breakdown of the IT staff:
- 25% from organizations with more than 50,000 employees
- 50% from organizations with 5,000 to 50,000 employees
- 25% from organizations with less than 5,000 employees
- 750 third-party exhibitor staff
- 600 Lotus and IBM staff
- 130 journalists
- 20 analysts -- of these, three or four had some level of competence
Overall sense: The numbers were up perhaps 10% over last year. Lotusphere attendence has held solid over the last several years, although it is down from pre-9/11 headcounts of 10,000 for 2000 and 2001. Obvious conclusion: The customer base is solid and continuing to invest in Notes/Domino.
... David Ferris