Before I start writing this post I want to acknowledge that I realize this is a very sticky subject for some.  The purpose of writing this is to raise an overall awareness.  It's not to point fingers.  It's not to judge.  It's not to tell people what they should or shouldn't do.

I'll tell you.  Fooling around at conferences is nothing new.  Back when I worked as a  North America liaison for a major European city's economic development agency as part of my role with a consulting firm?  One would see it all the time.  Sometimes it almost seemed to me an extension of college fraternity parties, only people were cutting deals and the alcohol was of much higher quality.  And the majority of attendees were commercial real estate power players, major corporations looking to expand internationally, and the economic development agencies themselves.

As the number of social media and blogging conferences increases and we see more campaign opportunities arise...the fact of the matter is, it doesn't matter what industry you're in, there are always going to be people who think a little hanky panky away from the family is something they want to pursue.

We're all adults.  And we all make choices.  Some will choose to say yes and some will choose to say no.

But since a lot of people going to these conferences are going on the dime of an employer or sponsor there are some important things to consider.

• If you are a full-time employee of a company going to a conference on their behalf, you are an extension of that brand.  And I believe this means the conference becomes an extension of your workplace.


• If you have been sponsored to attend the conference, you are there representing your sponsor's brand.

Now clearly, a lot of people attend these conferences for networking opportunities.  For many who are sponsored for these trips, an additional benefit to networking and creating buzz on your sponsors behalf is the networking you can do for yourself.  Not only can you establish partnerships with other bloggers, but the opportunity to get face time with the big brands, start-ups, and PR firms is second to none.

So let's address that elephant in the room shall we?  What happens when someone in a power position propositions someone who can benefit from that power?  The dynamic shifts.  And if that someone in a power position is there as a full-time employee of a company and hence, the conference is an extension of the workplace...do policies regarding fraternizing with subordinates apply?  I don't know the answer to that question.  I'm sure it varies from company to company.

Look, we're all human.  We're all adults.  We're all in different situations.

But here's the thing.  If you decide to consider engaging in some bada-bing bada-boom behavior at a conference, try to think about the big picture.  And when I say think, I mean with your brain and not with any other part of your body.  (And let's be clear here, both of these scenarios can apply to both men and women).

I'd love your thoughts on the situation.  However, because of the sensitive nature of this topic, I reserve the right to delete comments on this post that do not contribute constructively to this conversation.

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