B2Bridge

About one year has passed since Jan Lagast sketched the first lines of B2bridge. I will not call it a real first anniversary yet, because B2bridge wasn’t online until December 2006. But I think it’s already a good occasion for a little reflection. Our website is beginning to fill up: new topics, an image gallery, a directory with publications, associations, web sites, and so on (which reminds me that I urgently have to continue adding content to these lists). An increasing number of users are finding their way to B2bridge too.
But this doesn’t mean we are there. Not at all...

When searching for information on the web, attending conferences or leafing through publications, it undoubtedly often crosses one's mind 'This would be an interesting thing to share...'. That's why we started to organize a directory that will list interesting references in the following categories:

• Faculties
• Associations
• Calendar
• Web 
• Publications

These lists will grow gradually: each time we come across something interesting we will add it to the directory. If you think you have a valuable contribution for one of these lists, don't hesitate to let us know, by making use of the contact form.

Time passes by so quickly. I almost can't believe that it has been more than one month now since Jan introduced me to the technical features of B2Bridge. I have been settling myself into my function as project manager, gradually getting acquinted with all aspects of B2Bridge. I'm finally starting to find my way around. It's high time though to tell something about the things we've been doing since.

We decided to cover a broader range of subjects by starting up some new topics: Web Structuring, Briefing, and Selling Marketing Services. On April, 23th we had a kick-off meeting. Together with the topic managers Kristof Dejonckheere, Diedert Debusscher, and Annick Deklerck we drew up a schedule to get the topics started and fed with content. No doubt the topics will be filled with interesting information soon.

Today, it's Fanny's introduction to the technology of b2bridge.eu ... and to Drupal.

Today, I received the confirmation of Fanny Libin to become the new project manager for b2bridge. I am very happy that she confirmed to become the dedicated organizer and spokes person for our project. Since my consultancy business is running faster and faster, it has become ever more difficult for me to spend time on this still very demanding project. I will now be able to focus on content, whilst Fanny is going to focus on the organisation of the community.

Welcome on board, Fanny.

Jan

Today, I added another list to our directory. Links to publications on business marketing. Although I started with some obvious international names, I hope many other publications will be added to the list -- national ones too. Feel free to use the contact page and send in some tips of publications you would recommend to colleagues.

Jan

"We'll do that during the Christmas holidays" ... it must be the best understatement ever used NOT to do something. A week off, closing 2006, opening 2007, ... many many things had to be done that had no direct output and kept me away from b2bridge. But now, we are off again.

Last week, we decided to start with some more topics and postpone the theme hub "value", since it takes some time to convince all the parties that had been showing us their interest. The topics are now online. Next week is for testing.

In the meantime, our graphics partner Link has provided us with a great industry image that replaces the Santa-lile picture that is used in the Andreas01 theme from drupal. Now we really are industry people. Hope to see many industry marketeers around soon.

Today, I adapted the basic presentation of b2bridge.eu and invited some of the professionals I would want to join in with this initiative and its first Theme Hub. The website too, needs some finishing touch, e.g. restricting rights to the images uploader (so that we are the only ones to delete images from the portal site -- oops). That will be for next week.

Jan

After some days of heavy work for clients, I found a few minutes today to complete the contact forms. Now universities and congress organizers can send in the information for their free enlisting. Sponsors too can now get in touch with us directly from the sponsoring page. It's a bit basic, but it works.

Another step forward.

Jan

I did some cleaning up the code this evening. Yesterday, Hans and I have 'mounted' the slogan "Connecting European Business Marketeers" on top of the website. That gives a huge difference in first impression ... a much better positioning ... I hope Nokia won't mind. Now, we still have to change the standard picture. I asked my graphics partner for a proposal yesterday.

We had to change some topics from Drupal's topics to Drupal's groups. In the meantime Hans has added a fourth kind of user - the group moderator. This way, we can provide some of our members with a limited moderator function -- for their topic only. That should allow us to decentralize the content updating and group moderation.