Proof that Showstoppers 'gets' social networking in way that Pepcom doesn't

Earlier this week, I wrote about how Pepcom's Chris O'Malley was threatening to ban me and other editors from CNET from the events it produces: events that are essentially private technology trade shows for the press. See Pepcom to CNET: If you organize any get-togethers after our events, we’ll ban you.

In his e-mails to me -- e-mails that made it clear that he didn't want me or anybody else organizing after-hours events to take place after Pepcom's events -- O'Malley very threateningly wrote:

If we become aware that an individual or group is hosting an event immediately preceding or following ours, we will not permit that individual or those individuals to attend our event…..

…..If it’s a group of CNET-only staffers getting together for a group blog or beers or whatever, that’s none of our concern. If others are invited (regardless of how or when), it becomes our concern, and we’ll have to act on that.

His e-mail said that this wasn't a threat. But it's hard to take it as anything but that.  Not just to me, but to my colleagues here at CNET as well. If I may be so bold as to interpret, it says that CNET staffers are allowed to hang out with each other after a Pepcom event, but that if others are invited ("regardless of how") he will "have to act." Just before that, "act" is pretty clearly laid out as not permitting "that individual or those individuals to attend our event."

CNET Networks has an army of editors, writers and bloggers across its great many media properties (including ZDNet, News.com, TechRepublic, Gamespot, Anchordesk, Crave, and others), a goodly portion of whom are candidates to attend Pepcom's events and cover the technology they find there.  So as not to impact their ability to attend Pepcom's events, I made it simple for O'Malley and Pepcom. Not only won't I or CNET organize any bloghauses after a Pepcom event, he doesn't have to worry about what I'm up to or whether to ban me. I'm not going to bother coming.

Since publishing that post as well as an e-mail that I distributed to many of my contacts regarding the situation (recommending that this behavior not be endorsed), I've gotten a flood of e-mails from other members of the press, public relations and vendor communities basically saying that they're as equally confounded by Pepcom's policies as I am. After all, the point of Pepcom's 3-hour events like Digital Experience is get vendors exposure with the press (vendors who are paying for that privilege). To threaten the press with denial-of-admission for any reason seems counterintuitive.

Enter Steve Leon who runs Showstoppers: a competitor to Pepcom. Whereas O'Malley is using the invitation-only nature of its events to restrain attendees from running events of their own (including the completely complementary and non-competitive bloghauses I wanted to run after Pepcom's events), Leon totally gets it. With the blogosphere and the Net operating on a need for speed basis, Leon understands how perfectly complementary a physical social networking event like a bloghaus would be to his events.  In his open invitation to me and CNET to set up such bloghauses at his events, Leon wrote:

It is logical, compelling and obvious to us that a bloghaus after a ShowStoppers event is going to make it easier for editors and reporters to work through notes, press releases, product photos, podcasts, video and other information in order to quickly post more coverage of the event, the companies that sponsor that event, and the products introduced at that event. And it is flat-out, basic common sense to also encourage CNET, ZDNET, PC Magazine, eWeek and other reporters to invite ShowStoppers sponsors to bloghaus for in-depth, extended interviews after ShowStoppers ends for the evening.

So, to Steve, thanks for the offer and I will of course be very happy to attend future Showstopper events. For now however, the bloghaus idea is officially on the backburner. That doesn't mean we won't reconsider the idea as well as your offer at some point in the future.  If and when I change my mind, you'll be the first to know.