Category Archives: eBay Live 2008

eBay Live 2008 – Thoughts from Atlanta – John Lawson of 3rdPO.com Speaks Out

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John LawsonEBay Live? Simply not the best it could be

By John Lawson of 3rd Power Outlet (www.3rdPO.com)

I stayed home and evidently many others did too!

Let me back that up and rewind a bit… See for those who don't know me…I wrote a little blog at the end of the last 2 "eBay centric" events prior to this party. You can check them out by going to http://tinyurl.com/59yq8v. 

So I would like to add on to that now that the BIG party is over…literally.

Man, after Catalyst and the PeSA/eCommerce summits the stage was set, eBay made a "killing".  Lorrie Norrington "nailed the speech", eBay execs came and stood toe to toe, they said "we are listing", "good feedback", "give us a chance", sound familiar?…err shall I go on?

Why, thank you, I think I shall…

The sellers stood up and demanded clarity on changes on feedback, some could not help but protest the real world impact, while others simply whined (you know I am telling the truth). At the end of it all, we felt that something good was blowing in the wind. I got that "Obama" feeling of change, LMAO. It was an Oprah moment with a new since of purpose.

Fast forward to the approach of eBay Live 2008... everybody kept asking me if I were going? I just did not feel like I wanted to go.

But then they announced, No eBay Live 2009, see ya in 2010…WTH? Huh? Continue reading “eBay Live 2008 – Thoughts from Atlanta – John Lawson of 3rdPO.com Speaks Out” »

Jay Berkowitz Interviewed by Janelle Elms OSI Rock Stars at eBay Live- Video

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOhokQRPai8]

Thanks Jay for the very nice plug... And thanks to Janelle and her merry band of OSI Rocks Stars for providing 99% of the excitement on the floor at eBay live... What a positive group of people!

eBay Live 2008 PESA Round Table – Brian Burke Answers Questions

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Brian Burke Answering hard questionsPeSA ECMTA had one of the largest display areas at this soon to be wrapped up eBay Live 2008. 

The PeSA Pavilion at eBay Live 2008 has been a hotbed of activity with numerous new memberships and interesting luminaries stopping by...

During the day yesterday people like Scot Wingo of Channel Advisor and then John Donahoe & Family were spending time in the PeSA comfort zone of its Pavilion. 

Brian Burke may not have been quite so comfortable.

One of the events of the day yesterday in the PESA Pavilion was a round table session with Brian Burke of Feedback Fame at eBay.  Brian had just recently finished a fully heated feedback session in one of the main conference rooms (read about that session in TameBay or AuctionBytes - I was in with Jay Berkowitz)  Yet PeSA had enough clout to get Brian Burke of eBay to come and sit down with any PeSA member who wanted to ask him the occasional question.

As you can see, there were very few shy PeSA members in attendance. 

With eBay pulling back from events like eBay Live (recent attendance of an estimated less than 4,000 eBay members). The multiple regional events groups like PeSA and ECMTA organize may become the micro eBay Lives of the future.

PeSA has provided a forum for its members to gain information at eBay Live and in its forums like no other group.  And at eBay Live this year, they are the only trade organization who has represented its membership with such commitment.

Thanks to PeSa ECMTA, these members got face to face with Brian Burke.  I really do not know if they got the answers they were seeking, but they at least got to ask direct and honest questions.

PeSA asking Questions

Trading Assistant Journal, Skip McGrath, & iBusinessLogic – Solutions Providers in the Renewed ConsignmentPal Directory

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Consignment Pal Logo

ConsignmentPal - The little big directory for eBay consignment sellers is growing fast!

Regular readers here will be aware that I have helped Linda Miller and her ConsignmentPal directory with the redesign and reinvigoration of this amazing directory. And I am sure glad I did...

ConsignmentPal has not only become the best place to list your consignment or Trading Assistant business (even better than the Trading Assistant Directory, in my opinion) but is now a great place to find real honest to goodness solutions providers, consultants, designers, web developers, and eBay gurus like Skip McGrath (Not an affiliate link).

The press release below is a good indication of the forward thinking and bright outlook Linda Miller brings to the industry with ConsignmentPal (Not an affiliate link). Providing a free directory for all of the eBay consignment, resale and eCommerce marketplace is a very laudable achievement and I think everyone attending eBay Live 2008 should stop by the booth and shake Linda's hand, thank her for all of her hard work and sign up for ConsignmentPal. Tell her Scott Pooler sent you... if you don't happen to catch me manning the booth myself (I think Linda wants me to fill in during the best speeches...huh, not likely! LOL)

See You at eBay LIVE!

Google Standings - Consignment Pal

Continue reading “Trading Assistant Journal, Skip McGrath, & iBusinessLogic – Solutions Providers in the Renewed ConsignmentPal Directory” »

What do you Expect to Change at eBay Live 2008

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What Will John Say

If you want to truly understand something, try to change it.

Kurt Lewin

Oh but the changes we have seen this year at eBay…

On the eve of this, possibly the last ever eBay live, what do you expect to hear from the organizers of the yearly eBay big shindig? 

  • Will stores listings find their way back into core search? 
  • Will third party checkout be eliminated much the same as Digital Delivery?
  • Will we be introduced to yet another competitor for the eBay buyer like Buy.com?
  • Will John Donahoe announce something no one has even pontificated about yet?
  • Will it be good news, bad news, or simply something different - a change in policy?

eBay Live has historically been a time for announcements and a launching pad for new directions for eBay.  Are you looking forward to the inevitable or dreading the winds of change eBay Live could bring? 

I can say honestly I have no idea what John Don will tell us in Chicago… But I am looking forward to being there to hear it!

“The world hates change, yet it is the only thing that has brought progress.” 

Charles F. Kettering

eBay Opens up Third Party Application Development Within Selling Manager

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Breaking News from Devcon 2008 - eBay Loosens Up!

eBay to Open up Merchant Tool to Developers

eBay will open a tool used by 700,000 of its merchants to external developers, the next step in an ongoing effort to promote the creation of applications for its online marketplace.

For the first time eBay will feature third-party applications within Selling Manager, a tool merchants use to manage their eBay listings, the company plans to announce Monday at its annual eBay Developers Conference in Chicago.

"We're taking our open [application development] platform to the next level," said Max Mancini, eBay's Senior Director of Mobile Platform and Disruptive Innovation.

Selling Manager is the most popular tool among eBay merchants, but so far has only featured applications created by the company. However, eBay now recognizes that it can't extend the tool's functionality on its own in a way that meets all of its users' demands and requirements, Mancini said. Continue reading “eBay Opens up Third Party Application Development Within Selling Manager” »

eBay Live 2008 Chicago To Do List – Are you ready?

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ebay live Speakers, Seth Godin, Jay Berkowitz

eBay Live 2008 in Chicago is just around the corner - Next week eBay and eCommerce buyers, merchants, software and solutions vendors, marketplace merchants, media and of course the normal crowd or crazed eBay fans will be making their way to McCormick center.

What will you be looking for at this, the last eBay Live, possibly ever?

  • News of more changes at eBay? - Rumors abound with possible shocking announcements on the horizon at eBay. Will these changes be announced next week?
  • New Connections? - Are you looking for networking contacts in your niche or related to your business? eBay Live will provide a great opportunity to meet new people and forge long standing relationships with them.
  • Reconnections? - Meet with people who normally only appear in your email or on the telephone.
  • Technology? - Looking for new cutting edge technologies to help your business? Software, Hardware, Shipping Systems or....? Find it on the solutions floor.
  • Ideas? Ideas abound at conventions like this... open up and ask your questions of the merchants and experts and in turn share insights with them. Learning can never end in this or any other business.

Preparations

Are you ready? Prior to arriving at McCormick Center in Chicago I suggest taking a look at the eBay Live 2008 exhibitors list.

Make a list of must see vendors and then make sub lists of questions you want to ask these vendors. Bring your questions list with you - in the rush of the crowd and the flow of the convention traffic sometimes it is difficult to remember who you wanted to see and what you wanted to learn. Crib notes are no problem here.

Here are the vendors I plan on visiting (no particular order): Continue reading “eBay Live 2008 Chicago To Do List – Are you ready?” »

eBay Heroes – Another eBay Live Cutesy Theme, Gone Awry

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eBay HeroeseBay Live is always a little kooky...

Scot Wingo woke me up to that fact in his blog post this morning about the newest eBay Live 2008 theme:

eBay Heroes

Scot characterises the depiction of these "heroes" in his article, so I won't go there...

What I see here is a company which can not seem to craft a cohesive message.

To me, eBay Live should always be, first and foremost, a place to get business done and to learn about the business of selling and buying on eBay.

This year, with the changes in upper management, I thought I had heard a new more business like tone being projected from the altar.

Apparently that tone is just a puff of hot air...

If the message is big business merchandising and improvement of the buyer experience, I would think eBay would start by improving the seller experience at this, the last ever eBay Live.

In the past, one of my main gripes about eBay Live was that it seemed to be run by the same people who organize frat house parties and volleyball tournaments.  Continue reading “eBay Heroes – Another eBay Live Cutesy Theme, Gone Awry” »