Just what we needed...

With a literal mountain of admin to catch up on post Internet World, I fear my blogs may be a tad sparse for a while.

However, some things arrive at the in-box that simply cannot pass without comment, and this is one of them: Chinese flight plan takes off

Yes, to quote the first line of the piece: "China is to build up to 50 new airports and double its fleet of passenger jets over the next five years to meet the demand for travel from its growing middle class." 

That kind of puts our finding nifty ways to reuse a Yazoo cap in context. Come to that, it stacks up rather ominously against all the Humvee drivers in the US suddenly deciding to get a G-Wiz.

Of course there will be those who say that, because of such imbalances, 'why bother?'. 

The only reply is that we need to do even more; not necessarily for the compensatory carbon emissions that will result, but more because it shows we recognise what our cultures have inflicted on the planet, realised what must be done, and are committed to making to making things better. Except I rather suspect most will see a cheap flight to China as quite a nifty holiday deal.

Ignoring reality then, with luck such a stance may persuade those with whom we share this planet that grabbing their 'due', as we did (if in ignorance and then self-denial), will serve no one wherever they stand.

Small, but perfectly formed

I'm the one at the side. Missed me?

I'm just back from our show at Internet World, which was waaaaay better than I thought. We have been told that our stand was the most interesting at the show, despite its modest nature (1m x 2m, total cost to make: about £25).

The intention was to 'sell' our anticipated 50k sign-ups from Ideal Home (working on the fact that 10% of 400,000 coming to a green-themed event was doable, especially as we are free and offer neat stuff) to marketing directors.

Perhaps it's just as well there were none of these guys at this show not to be impressed by the numbers we actually got (with a quick foot from mouth extraction by adding 'though those we did get were top quality' - but sadly media guys like BIG numbers) thanks to the Ideal Home deal being so mis-represented. How's that for a convoluted series of double-negatives?

However, IT is now about as major as it gets in any organisation, and the guys who handle the IT often handle the website, and the website is no longer a bolt-on afterthought to the marketing. So there were some folk well worth flashing our wares at. Not so many fmcg brands (but maybe that explains why most such sites are still so woeful), but a lot of very useful, and pleasant folk.

For instance, to name a few, such as BT, The Environement Agency, and Energy Savings Trust, who have already been nice enough to put us on their site. Thanks chaps!

There were also a few from the media, and we're hopeful interest shown by journalists from the Daily Mirror and The Guardian (who attended my talk, which went well) may well result in coverage. It's starting to kick in nicely. Only the other day we found out we had a nice mention in Woman's Own, and that has lead to many sign-ups.

There were also a few very helpful co-exhibitors, who may well be able to add some value to our efforts, and better yet not expect an arm and a leg upfront to to it!

So now it is a hectic rush to follow-up, and then it's all hands to the pumps for the Mad* Show. And this is shaping up to be a significant event, too. I'm even getting to talk in very exalted company.

Shame our stand is still a postage stamp, but quality rather than quantity, eh?