It's Great to Integrate

Organizers strive to improve capability of established Web sites

By Margo McCall -- Tradeshow Week, 7/18/2005

It's hard to imagine life before the Internet. Just a decade ago, organizers had to rely on phone calls and direct mail to tell the world about upcoming tradeshows. These days, getting the word out is as simple as updating a Web site.

It's a rare organizer that doesn't have a fleet of fast-loading show sites packed with exhibitor lists, floorplans, show guides, conference schedules, exhibitor manuals, and housing and registration information. And now that some sites have been up and running for years, operators are busy adding bells and whistles such as searchable exhibitor directories, online housing and registration, and space sales capability.

While the more cutting-edge organizers are investing in streaming video, matchmaking and blogs, others are preoccupied with the less visible — but arguably more important — task of integrating sites to ease upkeep and boost efficiency.

"A lot of them are looking for those integrated services," said Raju Patel, CEO of eshow2000, which supplies housing, registration and Web site services. "They can do a lot more with a lot less people, and they're able to get a ton more information to exhibitors and attendees."

Ted Doyle, a senior partner with FuelDog, producer of the Javelin event management system, said that, thanks to Web site templates and a self-populating relational database, one of his clients is operating dozens of Web sites with one person.

"That control of the data is what all of the organizers are saying they need," he said. "I think they're starting to look at technology as something they really have to invest in."

Even the most cost-conscious and least tech-savvy organizers long ago realized the importance of Web sites as marketing tools. "Certainly Web sites and e-marketing have become mainstream," said meetings industry consultant Corbin Ball.

According to Doyle, Web sites have become the primary marketing tool. "Most people don't print brochures anymore. You go to a Web site and see what the company is all about," he said.

Within the diverse tradeshow industry, companies have taken a variety of approaches. Predictably, organizers of shows that draw high-technology exhibitors and attendees are at the head of the pack. One example is NAB, which last year drew 104,000 attendees and more than 1,400 exhibitors. The show site has offered streaming video of sessions for several years, but this year raised the bar even higher with a pay-per-view video of Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban's keynote address.

The NAB site features transcripts of presentations, downloadable show photos, sponsor lists, details of awards programs, conference information and online daily news. Attendees can use a searchable exhibitor directory with links to product information, connect with sellers via the matchmaking service and print out floorplans. Exhibitors, meanwhile, can use the site to buy exhibit space, place service orders, attend online seminars, connect with the exhibitor advisory board, and of course, obtain information about the upcoming show.

Doyle said that FuelDog being hired by the World Shoe Assn., producer of The WSA Show, underscores the spread of technology to traditional organizers. "It's a trend that's just starting to manifest itself. We're now getting inquiries from a lot more middle-of-the-road shows," he said.

Even consumer show producers, which have typically relied on print ads and fliers to spread the word, are recognizing the importance of the Web in promoting events. "Advertising to the general public is getting trickier and trickier, so Web sites are becoming more and more important, especially for consumer events," said Tim O'Connell, marketing manager for site designer Expos On Line.

O'Connell said Expos On Line's clients are concerned with quickly getting basic information to attendees and exhibitors. In addition, they want the ability to easily update sites. Fast load times and ease of navigation are the priorities, rather than winning design awards.

"They certainly want them to look professional. This is their face to the public. But they're not trying to be fashion magazines," he said.