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When is free coffee not free?

I love getting free things.  Free samples, free software, and most of all free beverages and food.  One of the best places to get free beverages and food is at a conference.

The opening reception at IZEAFest was a prime example of a great spread.  Hors D’oeuvres, various finger foods and an open bar were the order of the day and they were exquisite.  I know it must have been expensive, but the impression it gave was one of great class.  Other conferences should aspire to the yumalicious food and copious drink which were there.

So this morning I came in and found a nice arrangement of coffee, sodas and tea available.  I had thought “Neat, now I can have another cup of coffee this morning.”  After pouring the coffee and putting in whatever accouterments into the cup, I then tasted it.

Ugh.

Why is it every time there’s “free” coffee I end up paying for it when I drink it?  It’s as if the hotel had intentionally filtered said coffee through a jock strap while making this vile stuff.  They even laughably served it in Starbucks cups.

Before you get on my case and say I’m raggin’ on IZEAFest, let me tell you that there are very few conferences I’ve been to where free coffee ever tasted good.  The ones which have good coffee usually have some sort of single serve coffee system like a Keurig, or Flavia.  So with that in mind I want to know why does free coffee have to taste so bad?  Wouldn’t you as a conference organizer want to give your attendees the best impression you can?

I think sometimes it’s just a matter of what’s only available from the conference center or hotel.  But maybe, just maybe I’d like to see a conference take the initiative and organize something really special for free coffee.  How about a Java bar or a couple of single serve coffee machines?

Com’on people. Let’s make free coffee something people want to drink instead of just tolerate.

I’m right now at IZEAFest 2008, which is a conference that’s actually local to me.  Since I don’t have to many of those, I jump at the chance to network when I can.

IZEAFest is a blogging, social and new media conference.  Now I bet you’re wondering what in the world would a conference like this be for a traditional media genre science-fiction and fantasy writer like me?

Well, there is a lot a traditional writer can learn from new media.  At first I dabbled by blogging a little, maybe posting a message on Twitter.  Very little involvement to be honest.  That all changed a couple of months ago.

I decided to dive in head first into new media by publishing a novel using social networks Plurk and Twitter.  Doing this opened my eyes to the possibilities of living in a world where a writer can have multiple paths to releasing their work to the world.  It helped me to realize I’m not limited in how I want to reach my readers.

Once I had the “new media epiphany” I then realized I needed to get out and meet more people involved in new media: bloggers, content creators, and social marketers.  I’ve learned quite a bit from these people and I believe all traditional media writers can learn quite a bit from new/social media.

To traditional media writers I would say find a blogging conference and go to it.  Don’t know too much about blogging?  Buy yourself Blogging for Dummies by Susannah Gardner to learn about it and then go to a conference.  The operative thing is to get out there and meet other bloggers and learn.

Doing some of the things above will put you on to a great start to putting a new spin on your traditional media.