Internet Savvy: Tech 101: From A to Z

The latest charge to show managers: Turn your event into a 365-day-a-year experience. Keep it alive for the community you serve until they all return the following year.

The Web offers a number of opportunities to extend the life of a show, whether it's blogging about news and issues in the industry, offering webcasts of the show itself online or even virtually hosting smaller aspects of the show throughout the year.

TSW Associate Editor Rachel Wimberly has compiled a glossary of the options available to show managers looking to keep their participants' attention beyond just a few days on the showfloor.

What is it? Simply put, a blog (a combination of "Web" and "log") is a place online for commentary or news on a particular subject. Some can be quite personal, functioning as online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, as well as links to blogs, Web pages and other media related to its topic. The ability of readers to leave comments in an interactive format is also important.

Who's using it? Carl Ford, vice president of content and community, pulvermedia, VON events

Why? Ford: "Jeff (Pulver) launched the Jeff Pulver Report in 2002. Blogging became a useful way of becoming active in the (voice over net) community. The goal is to always have a conversation."

What impact has it had? Ford: "It keeps the community of interest focused with you: delegates, speakers, people that represent the industry you're supporting. (The blog) gives people a forum to speak."

Would you encourage others to use it? Ford: "If you are a show manager who is not in dialogue with your customer base, then getting into the blogosphere is essential to staying relevant to them. Jeff's blog is one of the most relevant reads in the industry."

What is it? Flickr is a photo-sharing Web site and Web services suite, as well as an online community platform.

Who's using it? Margaret Core, director of sales and marketing, convention and conferences, Biotechnology Industry Organization, BIO Intl. Convention

Why? Core: "To bring personalization to our event site during the show."

What impact has it had? Core: "Attendees uploaded their personal photos of the city, the hall and networking events."

Did it add value to the show? Core: "The flickr photos provided a good feel to the site during the event. Web site visitors appreciate contributed content that provides them insights."

Would you encourage others to use it? Core: "Flickr is an easy tool to implement and provides the attendees' some participation. In my opinion, event Web sites will evolve more into a cocktail-party feel where attendees collaborate and share opinions, information, expertise and insights. Contributed photos are just the beginning. We are now focusing on a plan for participatory journalism to extend the content connections with and for attendees."

What is it? Google Maps is a Web mapping service application and technology that powers map-based services, including the Google Maps Web site, Google Ride Finder and embedded maps on third-party Web sites. Google provides it online for free.

Who's using it? Core, BIO Intl. Convention

Why? Core: "Our event attracts attendees from more than 60 countries. We used the Google map to demonstrate the international audience. As the saying goes, 'a picture says a thousands words.'"

What impact has it had? Core: "We added the Google map during the event, when the Web site was receiving many new visitors and media attention. Several bloggers mentioned the map."

Did it add value to the show? Core: "Yes, the map supports our new tagline: the global event for biotechnology."

How easy is it to implement? Core: "The map implementation is not difficult. The data is zip codes from our registration file."

What is it? A smaller, companion site attached to a main Web site. In this case, the primary site for the Hawaii Convention Center is translated into two other microsites, one in Chinese, the other in Japanese.

Who's behind it? June Matsumoto, director of international sales and marketing, Hawaii Convention Center

Why? Matsumoto: "To visually showcase all that Hawaii has to offer. It is cost-effective, once the system is set up, to update and customize the site to the needs of specific conventions, including the capability to offer information in multiple languages."

What impact has it had? Matsumoto: "It has helped conventions to leverage the enticement of Hawaii as a destination, to help encourage more attendees to register for their meetings, including in some cases, members who had stopped attending meetings in recent years. It has really helped associations promote their Hawaii meeting to international markets, providing them with a cost-effective tool to use as a call to action in their marketing programs."

Does it add value? Matsumoto: "To be able to offer convention organizers the ability to provide attendees additional destination information, as well as customized offers, with little or no cost or extra work to the association, adds great value."

Would you encourage others to have microsites available online? Matsumoto: "We think it is a useful tool, and encourage all of the conventions which have booked in Hawaii to utilize it."

What is it? A digital media file, or a related collection of such files, distributed over the Internet using syndication feeds for playback on portable media players and personal computers.

Who's using it? Tim Bourquin, founder and CEO of TNC New Media, Podcast & New Media Expo

Why podcasting? Bourquin: "We started it not only because our show was for podcasters, and it made sense to have a podcast of our own, but because we knew we could use it as a marketing tool to grow our audience and generate excitement for the event between shows, when momentum can tend to slow."

What impact has it had? Bourquin: "It allows our show to have a 'face' and attendees develop a connection with us as the organizers that just isn't possible with plain text. It has also saved us a significant amount of money on marketing because our message reaches potential attendees between shows and allows us to reach them without spending a lot of money on printing and postage. We still do direct mail and all the other forms of direct marketing, but the podcast allows us to target the exact audience we want to attend the show each year."

Does it add value? Bourquin: "It does add value to the show, because we can build excitement long before the exhibit hall doors open. Each week we begin the show by talking briefly about new speakers just added, special events at the Expo and give them reasons to attend."

Would you encourage other shows to use podcasting? Bourquin: "I definitely recommend starting a podcast ... However, organizers need to keep in mind that it cannot simply be a commercial for the show each week. The podcast has to have value on its own or no one will listen week after week. Think about what information your attendees need, and bring in guests or talk about how to solve the problems they encounter. It will allow you to build trust with your audience, and build enthusiastic attendees for your podcast who will refer their colleagues to your show as well."

What is it? A social networking service focuses on the building and verifying of online networks for communities of people who share interests and activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others, and which necessitates the use of software.

Who uses it for their show? Tara Dunion, director of communications, Consumer Electronics Assn. and Intl. CES

Why did Intl. CES decide to use BDMetrics' social networking tool MyCES? Dunion: "Resources like MyCES allow our attendees to customize CES for their own unique interests and to find the products, people and events of greatest relevance to their business needs. This is one way that attendees can maximize their CES experience and continue to have it be their one must-attend event of the year."

What impact has it had? Dunion: "We are in the third year of offering MyCES and momentum is definitely building for it. We are seeing larger numbers of attendees using it pre-CES and are definitely having sales success with exhibitors wanting to beef up their online presence on MyCES by sponsoring certain keywords to make their company listing (or company information) easier to find."

Does it add value? Dunion: "Since we are a technology tradeshow, MyCES offers an online resource that attendees can use whenever they have the time to research why they should be at Intl. CES, who they need to see there and to schedule all of their meetings in a convenient way. It leverages technology to help build personal connections. Since we're in the tradeshow industry, we like the concept of helping bring people together on site by introducing them ahead of time."

Would you encourage others to use social networking for their event? Dunion: "MyCES is a service that has legs and builds ROI for attendees and exhibitors. It's an important way to help attendees and exhibitors connect before, during and after, to help them build a business relationship and to encourage them to return to CES the following year."

What is it? A virtual world is a computer-based simulated environment intended for its users to inhabit and interact.

Who has one? John Grosshandler, eComXpo founder and event director

Why did you start a virtual event? Grosshandler: "I was very familiar with the value of physical events, having been a nearly continuous exhibitor or attendee for the past 20 years. In 2004, I saw that the Internet was making things possible that earlier could only be done in the 'real world.' I discovered that many had attempted virtual tradeshows, but few had succeeded. I figured if I could succeed in making a virtual event feel as real as possible, it would be a great way to monetize the vast number of potential virtual exhibitors and attendees who are willing to try new things on the Internet. I decided on what I thought would be an ideal market space for a virtual tradeshow, search engine marketing, and named my event eComXpo."

How did it go? Grosshandler: "At first, it was extremely hard, because I had no magazine or physical event to leverage. I had to create an event that was so valuable to the exhibitor and attendee alike that it would grow virally by word of mouth. I decided the best way to deliver this was to create an event that truly felt real as opposed to earlier attempts at virtual trade shows, which were basically Web sites or webcast repositories. The result is that eComXpo has become the largest virtual tradeshow ever held, with over 150 exhibitors, 8,000 attendees and 40 presenters. The event is three days long and held each spring and fall. At our most recent event in October, which was our sixth show, we had 79 countries represented, and 85,000 unique communications between the participants, so it's become a fairly big deal."

What is its value? Grosshandler: "I remain a big proponent of physical events and realize that virtual events are no substitute. A virtual event can't replace the handshake, the looking someone in the eye and the buying of drinks at the bar that make physical events such deep and valuable interactions. However, a virtual event is an ideal way to extend a physical event to prospective exhibitors or attendees who don't invest the time or money to make it to the physical event. Or to participants who maybe do come to your physical event, but want to supplement their presence at your physical event with participation in a virtual version. In addition, we've seen situations where a specific physical event might be struggling and, rather than leave the market altogether, the producer chooses to scale down to a virtual version, thereby creating a profitable revenue stream that leverages their presence in that market."

Would you recommend it to others? Grosshandler: "I'd certainly encourage folks to learn more about the new options that exist today. With competition heating up, everyone's looking for new revenue streams and ways to differentiate their physical event. By adding a virtual extension, you increase your average revenue from existing exhibitors, attract a broader cross section of potential exhibitors and differentiate yourself from those only doing physical events. With advertisers and exhibitors looking to spend more money online, virtual events are certainly worth considering."

What is it? A media file distributed over the Internet using streaming media technology. As a broadcast may either be live or recorded, similarly, a webcast may either be distributed live or recorded.

Who uses it? Angelo Varrone, CEO of Exponation, Digital Signage Expo

Why? Varrone: "We wanted to bring the show to life so that those who hadn't attended or exhibited could see, firsthand, what we were about. We also wanted to deliver a strong positive sales message, the kind that satisfied attendees and exhibitors can deliver with high credibility. We hoped that our investment in the video production would help increase attendance, conference ticket sales and exhibit space sales."

What impact has it had? Varrone: "Digital Signage Expo has been on an amazing growth track since we launched it in 2004. We believe there are many factors that play into that growth, but of all the tools we have used, this one has had the greatest impact. We don't know of any better way to communicate the excitement and energy that's on our showfloor than to physically capture it on tape."

Does it add value? Varrone: "Without question. We provide prospective attendees and exhibitors with live evidence of what we're selling. They appreciate that and respond accordingly. In addition, we have a brand-building tool that is used throughout the year. In addition to posting a video link on our Web site, we mail DVDs to potential attendees and exhibitors, some in mass mailings and some by individual request."

Would you encourage others to have video of their show online? Varrone: "Yes. It's so much more valuable than printed words or pictures, especially when endorsements are included. There is just no better way to bring a show to life for a person that hasn't experienced it. Posting it on your Web site provides potential attendees and exhibitors with an easy way to get the information they need. That helps them make the decision you want them to make — quicker."

Source for "What is it?": Wikipedia