I’m right now at UBM’s Everything Channel Virtual Show on Data Security http://is.gd/aNv8U, while sitting at my desk. It’s very impressive with an exhibit hall, networking lounge and well done presentations. I wish I could spend more time with it, but I have a client onsite that’s going to cut my participation down.
However, in addition to learning about data security, this serves as marketing research for an upcoming newsletter article as well as other applications. Further, as these take off, we will be able to attend many more shows much more cost-effectively.
The key is to require attendees to complete profiles to enter. If real trade shows did that, they would be much more powerful networking opportunities. But online, people are used to completing a form before signing in, so it’s much more seamless.
One thing, though, as wired technology spreads, people pay less attention to being present where they are. More and more, it seems customary to be doing email on a laptop in a meeting. I can’t blame folks–I too find it a struggle to keep up with my inbox. But now, as I attend this show, a client meeting, keep up on email, IM and social media, it will be a challenge to pay full attention to anyone for the next hour or so.
You wonder how much business can really get done if we virtually devolve into a room full of teenagers texting away to others not present–while on ipods! Still, the community-building potential of UBM’s interface is tremendous. I even liked picking the avatar!
