The Amtower Report

(The Amtower Report is an e-journal on the Business-to-Government market featuring the opinions of Mark Amtower, and occasionally reader comments. This newsletter is only sent to those who request it. Sign up for your free subscription at http://www.FederalDirect.net and if you like this newsletter, please pass it along to your colleagues. To unsubscribe, see directions below. The newsletter is posted each Monday at www.FederalDirect.net, and the latest “Off-Center Observations” is on the home page. All back issues available at http://www.federaldirect.net/newsletterarchives.html)

In this issue:
1) Amtower Off-Center Observations
2) The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
3) Events Worth Attending
4) Amtower on the Radio

AMTOWER OFF-CENTER OBSERVATIONS

Item: Migration! Alec Dann is leaving PostNewsweek Tech for Hanley Wood. Good luck Alec – stay in touch! Bill Howell is not only back in town, he is back at FOSE after taking more than two years off to sail around the world with his family. Welcome back, Bill. Alan Balutis has decided to leave Input after about two years. He will be the featured guest on The Amtower Marketing Report (radio show) today. Listen at 5 PM at www.WBIS1190.com .The topic of discussion is NOT Input.

Item: If you think you missed the last 2 newsletters, you did not. I am migrating to a blog and the newsletter will only come out 2x/month – the first and third week of each month.

Item: The next Government Marketing Best Practices seminar will be September 22 at the Tower Club – stay tuned for details. Or call me at 301-924-0058 to reserve a seat.

Item: The FINAL Amtower B2G Catalog Summit - #6 - will be held in Chicago October 25. This is the last year with me producing the event. We are talking to a major publisher about taking over the show. We have changed the name to Selling Products to the Government and we will make an announcement on partners for the event within a week. Call me if you wish to reserve seats.

Item: For those who like motivational speakers, I am interviewing the great Charlie Tremendous Jones on Amtower on Success (my other radio show, same station) Wednesday morning at 9 AM. Charlie is a unique character in the motivational world, a great speaker and a heckuva nice guy. Tune in.

Item: Amy Africa has a two-day seminar coming up in September 20-21 in Burlington, VT. As web sites continue to be where everyone goes for information, this is a MUST ATTEND event – more to come or call 1-888-838-1828 to register now. We will have more info in the next newsletter

Item: A Big Bag showed at NECC, the conference for education professionals. It was not just any Big Bag, it was a Best Buy Big Bag, and measured 30x24x8 – 30 inches across by 24 inches deep with an 8 inch gusset, literally big enough to hold any other big bag out there, or house small families. Apparently people still read or remember my Battle of the Bags Off-White Paper, http://www.federaldirect.com/offwhite21.html  because someone sent me the bag. This is yet another example of a fair (not great, just average) idea being taken to extremes. This bag is big enough to cause traffic jam if two meet coming from opposite directions in a trade show aisle. It could also be a real hazard on an escalator. And if it caused an accident, liability could ensue. But there remain some on the periphery of this market that I expect stuff like this from.

Please see my opinion piece in the August 7, 2006 Federal Computer Week if you need background on this http://www.fcw.com/article95510-08-07-06-Print

The article about Rep Tom Davis and Don Upson in the Washington Post July 28 was a deliberate hatchet job, leaving out large chunks of what the reporters were told because it would not support their obviously pre-determined conclusion. Further, they deliberately misled at least some of those they interviewed about the content and direction of this story.

Here is a Letter to the Editor I emailed to the Post the day after the article came out. Apparently they did not wish to print it.

I attempted four times to submit a question on press ethics during the Friday, 11AM session with the Investigative Reporters O'Harrow and Higham. Having spoken with a couple of people interviewed for this story, it became obvious that these reporters deliberately misled those they interviewed as to the direction and intent of the article. Apparently they were not willing to address this ethical issue during your webcast. If reporters are going to hold others to ethical standards should they employ some ethics themselves?

Further, the story implies wrong-doing, but points out nothing currently illegal or unethical, though the headline certainly suggests this. Apparently these "reporters" ere unwilling to use all the information they gathered, as it would not bear out their pre-determined conclusion.

Is the Washington Post seeking to become the New York Post, employing smear tactics and using rumor and innuendo to replace facts and real research.

With apologies to Lloyd Bentsen: Sirs - I have read Woodward and Bernstein, and you are not in that league. The Post of yesteryear seems truly a Post of the past.

Mark Amtower

Beware of the schlock vendors, producing minimal value events, events that eat your money with no significant return! The events listed below are among those I think are worth your time, money and effort. Just because an event is not listed below does not imply it is not worth attending. If you want my opinion on a specific event or producer, call me. This topic is addressed more thoroughly in the members section at www.GovernmentMarketingBestPractices.com.

AMTOWER ON THE RADIO

The Amtower Marketing Report Monday 5-6 PM on WBIS 1190 AM (Annapolis Md, simulcast on www.WBIS1190.com ). Amtower on Success airs Wednesdays from 9-10 AM and will be archived at www.FederalDirect.com

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As always, your comments, questions and suggestions are welcome.

Thanks
Mark Amtower

The Amtower Report is published by Amtower & Company, and is written for companies targeting the government marketplace. The opinions expressed are those of Mark Amtower unless otherwise noted. Contact us at Amtower & Company, PO Box 314, Highland, MD 20777-0314 (301-924-0058). This material is copyrighted and may not be duplicated, reprinted or otherwise replicated without written permission of the publisher. Email subscriptions are free by request: sign up at www.FederalDirect.net