Future of Online Expos Seems Virtually Assured

In the early years of the Internet, show managers worried that virtual tradeshows would replace their live events. But now, online expos are starting to be seen as accompaniments to face-to-face gatherings of buyers and sellers.

As a sign of their potential popularity, iCongo recently established a virtual tradeshow and online event division, naming veteran show and exhibition manager Richard Feldman as its head.

Feldman said that, in an era where attendees seem to be spending less time and money at live events, online expos are increasingly viable. They cost less to produce, can generate more detailed and numerous leads, and can go far in meeting organizers' goals to extend live events' duration throughout the year.

"There's an opportunity with online events because they're operated at a much lower cost, and draw audiences you don't normally get," said Feldman, who previously led event marketing efforts at Intel and Macromedia and served as group vice president of IDG World Expo, overseeing Macworld Conference & Expo.

iCongo's online tradeshow and exhibition platform is just one of a handful of services the company offers to clients that range from Ziff Davis Media to sports teams and industry associations. Besides online tradeshows, iCongo produces Web sites, portals and procurement systems, and organizes e-mail campaigns and online trading exchanges.

"I think it's more about the end-to-end online event solution, rather than just a virtual trade-show on its own," Feldman said.

Ziff Davis licensed iCongo's online tradeshow platform for use with events produced by its eSeminars division. The platform enables sponsors and exhibitors to show off their products to attendees before, during and after the scheduled events.

According to Ziff Davis, the eSeminars division produced more than 200 events in 2004, up from 40 in 2001. The events, most geared to sectors of the technology industry, each generate from 300 to 1,500 leads.

Advanstar Communications, Reed Integrated Media Solutions and dozens of corporate event customers have used another virtual tradeshow platform developed by Unisfair, an Israeli company with offices in New York and Toronto.

Unisfair counts corporations and media companies among its customers. Nortel used the company's system for its Building the Mobile Enterprise Online Conference and Expo, a virtual event available until May 8; and Avaya used it for its Virtual Technology Summit, which is available until June 9.

Besides virtual-only events, Unisfair's solution can be used to augment face-to-face events, and extend their reach, availability and shelf life.

"There is definitely renewed interest in the whole idea of virtual tradeshows," said PWN Exhibicon President Peter Nathan, who serves on Unisfair's board.

Nathan said show organizers' interest in virtual tradeshows is being driven by publications' success in offering online events, as well as better times in the exhibition industry. Organizers lately are looking at online expos to augment, rather than replace, live events, he said.

"When they first really surfaced was during the time of the exhibition industry depression. Most show organizers were unwilling to commit funds or lose sight of their priority because they needed to get their shows in shape," Nathan said. "Now that shows are doing well, organizers are again committing some funds for new types of enterprises."

Most of the virtual trade-show programs offered attempt to replicate the real-life world of the exhibit floor. They range from simple programs listing company names and images or videos of products to more elaborate ones that include virtual people, booths and even meeting rooms.

Paramus, N.J.-based IVTS got into the virtual tradeshow business when a company called MFV Expositions wanted to offer an online accompaniment to its live Intl. Franchise Exposition in Washington, D.C.

MFV viewed it as a matter of survival. "They recognized that the Internet was an up-and-coming thing. They worried that as people went to the Internet, it could affect attendance at tradeshows," said Randy Winston, IVTS general manager.

Now, MFV is a partner in IVTS, whose virtual expo builder product has been used at Interop, the now-defunct TECHXNY, the World Congress & Exposition on Disabilities and the Offshore Technology Conference, a Trade-show Week 200 show.

Winston compared show managers' fears of virtual tradeshows to the Natl. Football League's worry that televising football would result in empty stadiums. "Allow people involved in a live tradeshow to have a presence on the Internet," he said. "Both enhance each other."

iTradeFair, which has been offering virtual tradeshows for seven years, counts Meeting Professionals Intl., PennWell and a long list of associations and corporations as its customers. COO Ramesh Sambasivan said he's learned a lot about virtual trade fairs — mostly through trial and error. "We know more about what not to do than what to do," he joked.

Sambasivan, who recently helped a client operate a 30-day-long online event, thinks virtual trade fairs are here to stay, due to their low cost and high lead-generation ability. "The hype has died down and the players that remain now are being sought out," he said.

iTradeFair has produced more than 70 such events. Sambasivan said inquiries have increased sixfold over the past three years. And because English is the language of business, he sees potential for international expansion as well.

Sambasivan said some exhibitors have reported greater access to decision-makers than at a live event. "We've known exhibitors who haven't been able to get past the gatekeepers at a live event, and we've been able to take them directly to decision-makers, chief purchasing officers, end users," he said.

He does, however, recommend holding the online portion before or after the live event — rather than during — in order to prevent distractions.

Feldman pointed out that online events give attendees the opportunity to visit a booth well in advance of the annual live tradeshow.

"If you need information on a specific product, or want to find out about issues within the industry, you can't afford to wait around for six months. This gives the option to get a lot of information in one place."

Online versions also allow event access to those with limited budgets or mobility. They could also provide the means for revenue generation in the event a live gathering had to be canceled or rescheduled due to disaster or fear of communicable disease.

"It takes a while for people to adapt to a new way of thinking. Initially the thought was that this would be competitive with events," Feldman said. "Now, it's important to create an environment where you give people options for how they want to attend and how they want to view their content."