More Shows Try Streaming

By Margo McCall -- Tradeshow Week, 5/3/2004

NAB is all about the transmission of multimedia content. So it's not too surprising that the Natl. Assn. of Broadcasters seems particularly devoted to augmenting its annual tradeshow with webcasts.

A feature of NAB since 1997, the webcasts are now conducted by TVWorldwide.com, a Chantilly, Va., Internet TV company that provided webcasting for ISPCON in Washington, D.C. last month and is slated to webcast Streaming Media in New York this month.

Besides delivering live show analysis from a broadcast desk at NAB, TVWorldwide officials interviewed exhibitor sponsors and attendees. Archived webcasts of conference sessions and some keynotes remain available for up to a year, and some webcasts are even offered in Spanish.

So far, it's technology-oriented tradeshows that seem to be gravitating toward streaming content over the Internet. But with webcasting a commodity, media players offering crystal-clear transmissions and most venues containing state-of-the-art wiring, there's little stopping any tradeshow that wants to give it a try. "Any show that has exhibits is a candidate for webcasting," said TVWorldwide CEO Dave Gardy, who also serves as president of the Intl. Webcasting Assn.

Contrary to what some think, webcasting from a booth or showfloor isn't all that difficult. "It's extremely easy because most of the environment is controlled. It's air-conditioned and virtually all convention centers are wired with Internet access. It's actually one of the easiest places to webcast out of," said Dan Rayburn, Streaming Media executive vice president and conference chair.

Streaming media serves a number of purposes. Live webcasts can give people sitting at their computers a feel for the show they're missing. Archived webcasts let attendees review conference sessions or missed keynotes. Exhibitors can also reach customers by e-mailing them a link to a webcast featuring the exhibitor's products. Show managers can even use them to market future events.

NAB spokeswoman Stacy Perrus said her association wants its members to have a sense of the show, even if they're not able to make it there in person. Giving them long-term access to the conference sessions is a priority. The webcasts also expand NAB's influence well beyond the show's April 19-22 run at the Las Vegas Convention Center. "It allows us to reinforce the value afterward to those who did attend the show," she said.

Some show organizers fear that streaming will siphon off show participants, however. "There's the perception that if you put it live on the Web, it will take away from foot traffic," said Rayburn.

But Gardy said webcasts tend to drive, not drain, attendance. Because they offer potential exhibitors and attendees an opportunity to get a sense of the show just by clicking on a Web link, viewers often turn into event attendees the following year, he said.

Organizers also worry about the cost. Most shows sign up sponsors to make webcasts pay for themselves. For example, at NAB, RealNetworks sponsored the exclusive webcast format and Limelight Networks served as the official digital delivery network, while Discreet, Staco Energy Products and LEAtv.com signed on as supporting sponsors.

Organizers can also charge users to access live or archived material. For instance, conference rates for those monitoring the proceedings online can be set at a discount to rates paid by in-person attendees. "It's certainly not a moneymaker, but it definitely is a vehicle to increase awareness of the show," Rayburn said.

So far, keynotes appear to be the most popular use of webcasting at tradeshows, but those in the business see vast potential in other areas too. For instance, EarthCam President Brian Cury envisions webcasting eventually becoming a popular exhibitor tool. Large companies spend tens or hundreds of thousands to make a big splash at a tradeshow. Adding webcasting capability can stretch the impact of that investment a little further, Cury said.

The webcast can be promoted on the company's home page, delivering additional marketing punch. And if a company has foreign ownership, a webcast allows management located in distant countries to get a glimpse of the tradeshow booth.

"That's really an untapped opportunity," Cury said. "From an exhibitor's standpoint, it's really fertile ground."

Cury added that there's a tendency for companies to continue to use webcasting once they've tried it. Panasonic has used New York-based EarthCam at Intl. CES for three years. EarthCam is entering its third year of providing webcasting services for Ford at the North American Intl. Auto Show in Detroit. "Once clients do it, they continue to do it," he said.

Terry Shorrock, Panasonic's director of shows and events, said transmitting live images from seven cameras inside the company's 43,360 square foot booth at Intl. CES was cheap and relatively easy.

The in-booth cameras set up by EarthCam were intended to give those not in attendance a sense of what they were missing. "It was good to make it available for people who couldn't come to the show, and as part of the overall mix," said Shorrock. "But the number of page views wasn't extraordinary."

Shorrock said the tool seems more useful for keeping Panasonic's employees, rather than its customers, in the loop. That's because at large shows, Panasonic normally puts up a separate show Web site where customers can view the latest products. In the future, though, Shorrock said, booth webcasts could be added to the company intranet. With 125 shows per year and six show managers to oversee, Shorrock said webcasts could let him take a peek at the booths without having to journey to distant convention centers.

Stan Woodward, CEO of Dallas-based Reflect Systems, envisions show managers using webcasts to expand sponsorship opportunities or display keynote speeches throughout convention centers. Attendees could view exhibitor presentations or conference content at their convenience. And exhibitors could use them as a new delivery channel for product information.

"We think the market is absolutely ripe for people to do more live webcasts and have those archived for people. What it does is it broadens your ability to get to people at the show. You can make webcasts available to watch as archive so you can watch later in your hotel room. It opens up opportunities for vendors or anyone who wants to participate," he said.

Woodward, whose company webcasts keynotes at Gartner's ITxpo Symposium at the San Diego Convention Center in late March, said before venues updated their wiring, a webcaster would have to bring in a satellite truck and roll out thousands of feet of cable to get a signal out of the building. "The good news is most of the venues appear to be in better shape than they were a few years ago and that has lowered costs," he said.

Woodward points out yet another reason to use webcasting as a transmission medium, one that might get the attention of cash-conscious show producers. "Traditional advertising is just not working as well as it used to," he said. "You just can't rely on the old banner anymore."