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For the fourth year in a row, Section 101 grabbed our gear and headed out West for the ASCAP “I Create Music” Expo at the end of April. Senior Director, Partnerships and Biz Dev Rebecca Calejo & Director, Customer Care Kathleen Conley were in the thick of it and give us the lowdown on their weekend in Southern California:
ASCAP ADVENTURES WITH BECKY & KAT
When attending the annual ASCAP EXPO at the Loews Hollywood Hotel, the first place you probably see Section 101 is in the Exhibit Area. This is consistently a great ‘hang’ for us, and we always get the chance to meet so many interesting people from all facets of the music industry. We not only got to talk to attendees, but also spent some time with the other sponsors and exhibitors, including Sam Ash, CD Baby, SoundExchange, Billboard, Berklee Online, Yamaha, Casio, Music Connection and more. We had fun showing people how easily the Section 101 Do-It-Yourself platform works, doing demonstrations and reviewing current website set-ups with interested parties. A few of the attendees were so excited about Section 101 that they sat down and built their website right at the Booth! We also got a visit from rapper Kosha Dillz, who graced us with his own Section 101-centric rap (thank you, Kosha).
Most people attend ASCAP EXPO for the panels and the Demo Sessions available, and this year was no exception. There were over 100 panelists, performers and headline interviews at this year’s conference including Glen Ballard, Akon, Desmond Child, Jonathan Weiss, Beth Orton, Melinda Newman and many more. While we were at ASCAP to talk about Section 101, we couldn’t miss Desmond Child’s Master Session, which was hosted by Uncle Jesse himself, John Stamos. In case you weren’t aware, Childs is one of the most successful songwriters and producers in music, having worked on Aerosmith’s “Dude (Looks like a Lady).” Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer,” and Ricky Martin’s “Livin’ La Vida Loca” as well as many other memorable songs. He has over 70 Top 40 singles and has sold more than 300 million records worldwide! It was a total treat to get to sit in on his Master Class and listen to him regales the packed house with all of his experiences.
Along with Exhibiting, Section 101 also hosted two Demo Sessions, “Dare to be Different! The Secret to Representing Yourself Uniquely Online," where Becky talked about the Section 101’s Do-It-Yourself model, and explained how easily everything works on our platform. The attendance for our Demos was easily the highest of any of the previous years, and at one point we ran out of seats, so it became a standing room only event. Many of the people who attended the Demos signed up right away for a Section 101 website so they could take advantage of the special ASCAP EXPO offer of 90 days free plus a creative consult.
In addition to the Demos, Becky also hosted One-on-One sessions, which attendees could sign up for if they wanted advice about a specific subject. These personal sessions were really useful for both the attendees and us, as it allowed us to get a sense of what was important to people at the EXPO when it came to creating their own website. Some session attendees were also interested in feedback on their existing sites, and how they could make it a more compelling experience for their fan base. Most every one came away commenting on Section 101’s outstanding Customer Care, which, of course, made us really happy.
ASCAP EXPO is a great event for us because not only did we get to really talk to people about what they wanted when creating a website, but we realized that we were able to offer everything that was on their list. It was a good feeling to know that we’re able to help people get to the next level of their career with a website that truly represents who they are!
