#884 purr

It's my favorite Sunday -- with the extra hour thanks to Daylight Savings Time.  Somehow the bonus time always flies by so quickly that I don't even notice it, but it makes me feel lucky to have it.

I am unsure as to how I will spend my additional 60 minutes, but there is one thing I know I won't be doing:  attending Hello Kitty Con.  I have written before* about the merchandising marvel that is Hello Kitty -- and now they have gone live.  

In Little Tokyo in Los Angeles, 25,000 (!) fans are attending the sold-out, four day extravaganza.  There will be Hello Kitty tattoos, costume contests, shopping for limited-edition collectibles and historical displays with memorabilia from Hello Kitty's 40 years of cuteness.  I can see the pink oozing out of there now.

For me, I can think of few places that would be worse to attend.  But for the devoted fans, it will be mecca -- an experience to remember for ages.

If you have a hobby, obsession or even passing interest in something, I am sure there is a convention out there for you.  The Internet and social media allow far-flung fans to share their passions virtually, and eventually communally, in ways that have never been been possible before.

As the concert industry will attest, there is nothing quite like seeing something live.  How can your organization capitalize on people's desire to have an in-person, shared experience over something they love?  If 25,000 fans can purr together, surely you can gather at least a conference room full of those devoted to your work.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

Source:  Crowds, cuteness overwhelm Hello Kitty Con from the Associated Press in the Telegraph Herald, November 1, 2014.

*Blog #609, January 31, 2014