At EXPO EXPO there was a luncheon bringing together the SISO and IAEE folks. A lively panel discussion took place and wonderful information was exchanged. One topic that gathered attention was Virtual Events. This aspect of exhibiting needs further exploration and discussion.
Right after our show, Donna Sanford, Publisher of Expo Magazine hosted her first Virtual Event. It was called EXPOTECH. I was riding on the bus with her as she described there was some nervousness about producing this event. But from what I can tell, being a casual participant of the event - it was a success.
In an email following the event it stated: “‘More than 500 people spent nearly 3.5 hours each perusing event technology exhibits, presentations and resources at EXPOTECH Virtual – the industry’s first-ever virtual conference on technology.”
I asked Michell Bruno of the Bruno Group and fellow industry blogger to give us her impression. She was more than the casual observer. Here is what she wants to share with us:
I’ll be honest. I am addicted to virtual. I love webinars and virtual trade shows and streaming media and anything else that allows me to learn something new from the comfort of the green loveseat cocked strategically toward the fireplace in my den. When I was invited to attend EXPOTECH Virtual, “the industry’s first-ever virtual conference on technology,” I was definitely intrigued even though being first can be a blessing and a curse.
My number one criterion for virtual events is the quality of the platform. No matter how great the content is, the audio, visuals and navigation have to function flawlessly or I lose interest. My second criterion is the level of content. I don’t need to learn how to use Twitter but I do need to understand where social media platforms will take us. The take-away content (whitepapers, etc.) is an added bonus for me, a bookworm from way back.
On the first count, I thought the InXpo platform was flawless and coming from a MAC user that says a lot. I noticed that one exhibitor was having technical difficulties (so he declared) but it didn’t affect my experience. On the second count, I thought the content was excellent, especially the presentation by Jack Powers of IN3.org (definitely worth a re-listen). The interview style formats, with Donna Sanford as moderator, were equally excellent and I downloaded everything I could get my hands on from the very well organized library.
Had the event not been archived later, I would have been upset by the 8:00 a.m. EST starting time. We’re still slapping the alarm clock around at that hour here in Utah. I would have loved to see more exhibitors, although the ones that were there were top notch. Most of the presentations centered on social media, (granted, a hot topic), however, I would love for the next iteration to parse through the other event technologies out there. The Twitter backchannel turned out to be a great place to discuss and kvetch with colleagues, however, several commented on the difficulty of trying to multi-task (work in the office and attend the event at the same time).
Does this mean I will never attend a face-to-face event again? Do virtual events, no matter how well produced, provide me with the same value as face-to-face events? For the same reason that I don’t drink wine out of a beer glass, I won’t stop going to live events and I won’t trade in my frequent flier miles for the green loveseat (although it’s tempting). Virtual events and live events offer me two different experiences. Virtual is at the beginning of my buying/learning cycle and face-to-face is near the end. The online experience makes me hungry to connect at the live event. EXPOTECH was a well-prepared appetizer. I’m packing the info I downloaded as I head to my next face-to-face industry feast.
I am interested to start the discussion on Virtual Events and use this blog platform for us to share our attitudes, experiences and learning. I believe it can benefit the industry.
