PC USER SHOW

    On  14th July Compulink User Group attended the PC User show.  This was
    the first show of this magnitude Compulink has attended.  It  was
    a  completely  new  thing  for  us and we wern't sure what kind of
    response to expect.  We soon found out though!  As soon as we  put  our
    FREE  SOFTWARE  sign  up.  The word soon got round and flocks of people
    came running, clutching their floppy disks.

    When the people arrived at the stand having actually  heard  about  our
    spectacular  offer,  some just stood there asking what the catch was.
    We tried to explain that there was  no  catch  involved,  quite  a  few
    people  took our word for it and carried on.  But there were a few that
    walked away from the stand with a worried look  on  there  face.   What
    catch  could  there  have been?  They gave us a floppy disk and we then
    copied their desired piece of software straight onto it, right in front
    of their eyes!  It was free, what more could they want.

    Altogether  on  the stand including myself there were six of us working
    as hard as we could to please the general public.  Gareth McClean,  who
    runs  a Fido called 'Deep Thought' in Belfast, came over for a holiday,
    he was staying with Frank and Sylvia.  When we found out how much  hard
    work was involved our friend Gareth was pursuaded into having a working
    holiday!

    On the first day we thought we had come prepared, lots of machines, big
    boxes of pre-copied disks, a large box of membership packs.  But what a
    shock  we got, almost everything went before the day was out especially
    the disks.  We were so rushed off our feet that  we  didn't  even  have
    time to change from our t-shirts and shorts to any smart clothes.  Well
    thats our excuse anyway!

    After the first hectic day was over, a very hectic night was to follow.
    For  most  of  the  night we tried to concentrate on copying disks.  We
    worked out a shift basis, two hours sleep and then two  hours  copying.
    What  a  life!!.  On the next day we brought the entire contents of the
    offices with us, we had everything.  But yet again before the  day  was
    out,  we  were out....  OF COPIED SOFTWARE!!  So we took it in turn for
    the copying of the software.  We also completely run out of  membership
    packs.

    As  we  were  actually  present  at  the  show we wanted to walk around
    looking at all the other stands, but we had no  such  luck  apart  from
    when  the  show  had ended, by that time the whole place was a complete
    mess.  Throughout the three days it was a success  for  Compulink.   We
    increased  our  memberships by about 180, and got through 10,000 disks.
    Not bad huh!  I suppose everybodys thinking that we had a  really  long
    rest after all of that solid hard work at the show - no way.

    Before  the  show  dealing with a membership pack was so easy, I sorted
    out what kind of membership it was and sent it out straight away.   But
    after  the  show  I  had  to  start  from  scratch  when  it  came to a
    membership, sticking the pieces of information into the folder  and  if
    they wanted a soft option then I had to copy the disks.  Believe you me
    it was hectic.

    For weeks after the show we were just as busy as we were at  the  show,
    having  sold  so  many  memberships  and  disks  and  given out so much
    information about Compulink, everybody was getting  in  touch  with  us
    wanting to join, and wanting information.  Everything was piling up, so
    something drastic had to be done.

    Frank and Sylvia had gone off to the States for the Fido conference and
    left  Terry  and  myself  to deal with everything.  In the end the only
    thing to do was to change the accounting system.  We  now  run  Pegasus
    accounts.  What a change it made, almost everything was out of the door
    in a flash.  So from now everything to do with  the  accounting  system
    will  be  so  much  easier for us, and especially for you.  So when you
    order lots of disks etc.  from us, they will be out the door  the  same
    day, no more hanging about and endless phone calls.

    Sylvia  and  Frank are back with us now, which makes things easier, but
    don't misunderstand me, we are still very busy.  After the show we  had
    an  offer  published  in  PCBW.  It  was the ProComm offer and we had a
    fantastic response to that as well!  The people concerned in making use
    of  the  offer just sent us a floppy disk with a mailer, we then copied
    ProComm onto their disk and sent it back in  their  mailer  along  with
    some  information  about  Compulink.   To date we have copied about 700
    disks in response to this offer.

    One of the unexpected benefits of going to the  PC-User  show  was  the
    defection  of  Matthew  Sims  from  the London based IBM-PC User Group.
    Matthew had been working for 'the other side' for about two years until
    he  decided to move over to us.  At first we thought he was a mole sent
    over from the fiendish Fraser fraternity but luckily this was untrue.

    You may indeed be thinking that after such a rush that we  wouldn't  be
    seen  dead  at  another  trade  show.   I  thought (hoped) so too.  But
    unfortunately the best laid plans of mice and men are laid waste by the
    ravages  of time.  It is my solumn duty to announce that Compulink will
    be at the Compec 86 exhibition being staged at Olympia from November 11
    to the 14th.  Complimentary tickets to Compec 86 are enclosed.

    Hope to see you there............ Stand 1224/2223