By now you have probably received notice (or heard) that Scaling New Heights is relocating from Atlanta's Hyatt Regency to the Cobb Galleria Center. While real estate brokers have for years told everyone that "location, location, location' is a key selling point, when it comes to an education conference of this type the reality is that "location doesn't matter, content does." (and you can quote 'Murph' on that one.)
The reason I attend Scaling New Heights, and have from the very first one in downtown Atlanta, is the content. Nowhere else, and I do mean 'no where' do you get the same scope and level of training that your get at Scaling. You won't get it at QuickBooks Connect, and you won't get it at AccountEx. That's not to say that those conferences don't have good training, but it just isn't the same.
If you want in-depth, to-the-point, current, and 'best in show' instruction in QuickBooks products, ProAdvisor 'need-to-know', Practice management and development, Business consulting and going-beyond the routine, Scaling New Heights is the place to be. And whether it's being held at the Taj Majal, Timbuktu or Bugtussle (which really is a tiny place in Oklahoma) shouldn't and doesn't matter. You should 'go for the training content' first and foremost.
But there is one other huge reason to attend Scaling New Heights, regardless of location. That reason is 'camaraderie'. The mutual trust and friendship among those attending Scaling can (and most likely does) last a lifetime. There is a special 'bond' that develops between those attending. That bond was there at that very first Scaling, and it's been there at every single Scaling I have attended since then...and even those few I was unable to attend. I know because people were constantly calling me, texting, Tweeting and Skyping to let me know just what I was missing, and how much I was missed.
While some people have taken advantages of 'location' in the past for recreation, I mean "Disney is after all 'Disney'" and 'Atlantis' was Atlantis" and those venues have appealed to some attending the conference with children, others attending didn't see a reason to be in such a location because they attend primarily for the learning and social interactions I have already spoken about.
Downtown (proper) Atlanta is a nice place, but it's really no different than any 'big city downtown', be that Manhattan, Chicago, Los Angeles, etc.; to a great extent it's 'confining' and restrictive. In such locations many people feel 'captive' to the hotels and high dollar restaurants within the immediate vicinity.
I think we will find that the relocated conference at the Cobb Galleria Center is surrounded by a wealth of opportunity ranging from the nearby Atlanta Braves to major shopping across the street, from those High-dollar Steak joints nearby, to Burger King or Jason's Deli just steps away. I would even bet that we will find a Fitness Gym (for those inclined) with an Ice cream pallor right next door, because this is an area that was designed to appeal to 'real people' like us.
So if you are one of those 'fancy suits' with a $500 Hermes tie don't get too close to me, I might just snip it off with a pair of scissors. This is the perfect time to make this the very best conference and enjoy ourselves outside of downtown where we can stretch our legs, roam around, and learn what we came to learn among those we came to see and meet.
You shouldn't view this change as any way 'negative', I think it truly affords the opportunity to not only bring Scaling New Heights back to the City where it all began, but 'back to it's roots' with less focus on place, and more on purpose, 'content' and 'camaraderie.'