MTO Summit 2008

Nov. 5-6 in Chicago, MeetingTechOnline will hold its first “face-to-face conference designed to help tradeshow organizers learn about the technology they need to enhance their events.”

“What are the tools you need in place to successfully run a tradeshow?” asked Stephen Nold, publisher of MeetingTechOnline. “That’s the question we’ll be answering.”

The event, to be held at the Intercontinental Chicago O’Hare Hotel, will have a full session schedule, focusing on social media and exhibitions.

“I’ve heard a lot of show managers say, ‘What is Web 2.0, and what does it mean to us?’” Nold said. “There are a lot of these show managers who are like deer in the headlights. They’re worried because they’re not sure of what to be doing right now.”

The MTO Summit will offer two days of workshops and sessions all focused on innovations impacting tradeshow technology for show organizers, conference planners and corporate marketing executives.

More here.

Looking forward to hearing more about this: it’s a tough time for a lot of new shows, and so this could be a perfect case study for MTO to show how social media can impact attendance and exhibitor experience.

New Media Expo ‘08: the buzz

Quite a bit of post-event buzz about the New Media Expo: not suprising, considering the audience. Smart, savvy bloggers and podcasters…

First, Tim Bourquin, the show’s owner, writes 5 Reasons Why I’m Thinking About Quitting The Tradeshow Business .

Reading it, I felt bad for him, as it is clear he wants all parties to business interactions to have a good experience and mutual benefit. He shows integrity and a strong sense of ethics.

In brief, his 5 reasons are: 1. High speed Internet costs, 2. Drayage, 3) The Pay to Play Mentality, 4) Room Blocks & Attrition, 5) Lack of Control Over The Customer Experience.

Most of these have a common thread: greed-centric nickel-and-diming by vendors. Even #2 has a bit of that, with speakers seeing his or her input as a coinage commodity to be traded.

In some ways, it’s “dehumanizing” the face-to-face… Further proof that social media can be of use to any conference, expo, or tradeshow.  It’s as if the conference centers have no fear that this information can be made public…  the things that Tim had to contend with happen because the conference gougers can get away with it. Just another revolution waiting to happen.

Paul Colligan has described the good and the bad (
New Media Expo 2008 Deconstructed Part 2) of the New Media Expo. Highlights:

My business will be better as a result of this event. I have more tools and connections than ever as a result of NME08. I’m more sure than ever that this industry is right for me - no matter what we call it. I count many of you not just as business partners - but friends.

On the other hand:

Several speakers didn’t show up or canceled at the very last minute. It amazes me how anyone in a space still fighting for legitimacy didn’t (even attempt to) “make up for that” with the level of class Tim invited them to the show. Craziness happens, but … you can do better.

Several speakers gave the same exact speech as the year (or years before). If our message is we’re growing in some exciting ways - the least you can do is offer a new story. Yes, such a tiny percentage have heard the story so far that “it’s new to most of you” but for those old timers who did show up - we’d love some new content. Being at the front of a revolution is worth a new slide deck now and then.

Michael Geoghegan shared his top eleven lessons:New Media Expo: Top Ten Take Aways. Read more