Virtual tradeshow
Encyclopedia
A virtual tradeshow is a type of virtual event
run in an online environment, that goes live and stays live online for a limited period of time. It can be considered the online equivalent of a traditional tradeshow
or exhibition, but exhibitors and visitors connect with one another via the Internet
, regardless of geographic location, to exchange valuable information
.
and Randy Selman of Visual Data Corporation now known as Onstream Media in April 1993 in a presentation to investors at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York city. The company was videotaping trade show exhibitors booths and then attaching the videos to HTML floor maps. Although Conventionview met with some early success the company closed it down returning to the market with a multimedia virtual tradeshow platform called MarketPlace365 in November 2010.
; visitors view these virtual trade show displays
in the exhibition hall. Users - both exhibitors and visitors - within the environment often create avatars
as a visual representation of themselves.
Like their physical counterparts, virtual tradeshows may have other components such as a web conference, a web seminar ('webinar'), or other educational presentations. The virtual trade fair
thus provides live interaction between users on several levels (one-to-one, one-to-few, one-to-many and many-to-many) and simultaneously. Detailed tracking mechanisms allow organisers to determine the flow of traffic
in the virtual tradeshow. Although virtual tradeshows are usually conducted in specialised web environments, some have been organised and conducted in tightly controlled text based environments.
Virtual tradeshows can be used for international tradeshows, business match-makers, procurement
fairs, or product launches. The experience also translates well for other applications such as virtual job fairs, virtual benefits fairs, online employee networks, distributor fairs, and venture capital
fairs.
Providers of virtual event platforms have seen immense growth in the demand for their products partly attributable to the 2009-2010 recession
driving cost-cutting approaches to business. According to a Champion Exposition Services study, one in four people planned to use a digital event platform in the association market. The study also found that 70% of "respondents are actively producing, considering or interested in pursuing virtual events." However, many were not looking to replace physical events, but add on virtual components.
, and then enter a virtual exhibit hall to visit virtual booths. The virtual booths often reflect the imagery of a real-world tradeshow booth with desks and displays (this similarity helps users relate to them more easily). A virtual booth typically has several icons
which can trigger different responses upon the click of the mouse. For example, visitors might initiate instant communication with the exhibitor via an instant message, email
or a voice-call. Icons might also deliver multimedia
such as videos and audio messages or other slide-show presentations.
While some events are online-only, virtual tradeshows could also be run in conjunction with real-world or in-person tradeshows, creating 'hybrid event
s'.
Virtual tradeshows typically cost much less than traditional trade shows. Since virtual trade shows can be conducted from a person's desk, the cost of travel, lodging
and physical construction of a trade show display is eliminated (exhibitors will usually, of course, be charged for the privilege of having an online stand at the virtual tradeshow).
Virtual event
A Virtual Event is a gathering of people sharing a common virtual environment on the web, rather than meeting in a physical location. Virtual events are highly interactive, looking and feeling a lot like their physical counterparts....
run in an online environment, that goes live and stays live online for a limited period of time. It can be considered the online equivalent of a traditional tradeshow
Trade fair
A trade fair is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products, service, study activities of rivals and examine recent market trends and opportunities...
or exhibition, but exhibitors and visitors connect with one another via the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
, regardless of geographic location, to exchange valuable information
Information exchange
Information exchange is an informal term that can either refer to bidirectional information transmission/information transfer in telecommunications and computer science or communication seen from a system-theoretic or information-theoretic point of view....
.
Origins
The "virtual tradeshow" was first publicly described and presented as "ConventionView" by Alan SapersteinAlan Saperstein
Alan Saperstein is an American Internet entrepreneur working specifically in the video and digital media field. He is recognized for his accomplishments in the streaming media field as the first person to broadcast video on the Internet in a commercial application with a product called Hotelview...
and Randy Selman of Visual Data Corporation now known as Onstream Media in April 1993 in a presentation to investors at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York city. The company was videotaping trade show exhibitors booths and then attaching the videos to HTML floor maps. Although Conventionview met with some early success the company closed it down returning to the market with a multimedia virtual tradeshow platform called MarketPlace365 in November 2010.
Overview
The structure of a typical virtual tradeshow often includes a virtual exhibition hall which users enter with specific permissions and capabilities. Exhibitors can build virtual stands or booths to exhibit information related to their products or services, just as they would at a trade fair in a convention centerConvention center
A convention center is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typically offer sufficient floor area to accommodate several thousand attendees...
; visitors view these virtual trade show displays
Trade show displays
A trade show display normally describes a graphic display device designed to be used at a trade fair or trade show. These displays typically consist of some type of wall surface which can be a graphic image or a velcro compatible fabric surface on which a wide variety of graphic images printed on...
in the exhibition hall. Users - both exhibitors and visitors - within the environment often create avatars
Avatar (computing)
In computing, an avatar is the graphical representation of the user or the user's alter ego or character. It may take either a three-dimensional form, as in games or virtual worlds, or a two-dimensional form as an icon in Internet forums and other online communities. It can also refer to a text...
as a visual representation of themselves.
Like their physical counterparts, virtual tradeshows may have other components such as a web conference, a web seminar ('webinar'), or other educational presentations. The virtual trade fair
Trade fair
A trade fair is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products, service, study activities of rivals and examine recent market trends and opportunities...
thus provides live interaction between users on several levels (one-to-one, one-to-few, one-to-many and many-to-many) and simultaneously. Detailed tracking mechanisms allow organisers to determine the flow of traffic
Internet traffic
-Historical Internet Traffic Growth:Because of the distributed nature of the Internet, there is no single point of measurement for total Internet traffic...
in the virtual tradeshow. Although virtual tradeshows are usually conducted in specialised web environments, some have been organised and conducted in tightly controlled text based environments.
Virtual tradeshows can be used for international tradeshows, business match-makers, procurement
Procurement
Procurement is the acquisition of goods or services. It is favourable that the goods/services are appropriate and that they are procured at the best possible cost to meet the needs of the purchaser in terms of quality and quantity, time, and location...
fairs, or product launches. The experience also translates well for other applications such as virtual job fairs, virtual benefits fairs, online employee networks, distributor fairs, and venture capital
Venture capital
Venture capital is financial capital provided to early-stage, high-potential, high risk, growth startup companies. The venture capital fund makes money by owning equity in the companies it invests in, which usually have a novel technology or business model in high technology industries, such as...
fairs.
Providers of virtual event platforms have seen immense growth in the demand for their products partly attributable to the 2009-2010 recession
Recession
In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction, a general slowdown in economic activity. During recessions, many macroeconomic indicators vary in a similar way...
driving cost-cutting approaches to business. According to a Champion Exposition Services study, one in four people planned to use a digital event platform in the association market. The study also found that 70% of "respondents are actively producing, considering or interested in pursuing virtual events." However, many were not looking to replace physical events, but add on virtual components.
Visitor facilities
Visitors to a virtual tradeshow usually fill out an online registration form to create an online badgeName tag
A name tag is a badge or sticker worn on the outermost clothing as a means of displaying the wearer's name for others to view.Name tags may be temporary or permanent. Temporary ones typically can be written upon so that the wearer's name may be handwritten or printed...
, and then enter a virtual exhibit hall to visit virtual booths. The virtual booths often reflect the imagery of a real-world tradeshow booth with desks and displays (this similarity helps users relate to them more easily). A virtual booth typically has several icons
Icon (computing)
A computer icon is a pictogram displayed on a computer screen and used to navigate a computer system or mobile device. The icon itself is a small picture or symbol serving as a quick, intuitive representation of a software tool, function or a data file accessible on the system. It functions as an...
which can trigger different responses upon the click of the mouse. For example, visitors might initiate instant communication with the exhibitor via an instant message, email
Email
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
or a voice-call. Icons might also deliver multimedia
Multimedia
Multimedia is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms. The term can be used as a noun or as an adjective describing a medium as having multiple content forms. The term is used in contrast to media which use only rudimentary computer display such as text-only, or...
such as videos and audio messages or other slide-show presentations.
Exhibitor facilities
Virtual exhibitors use online tools to upload relevant and tailored content to appeal to the audiences. Virtual exhibits may be made to look like an exhibitor's real-world booth in any in-person trade fair where they may be exhibiting.While some events are online-only, virtual tradeshows could also be run in conjunction with real-world or in-person tradeshows, creating 'hybrid event
Hybrid event
A hybrid event is a tradeshow, conference, unconference, seminar, workshop or other meeting that combines a "live" in-person event with a "virtual" online component....
s'.
Virtual tradeshows typically cost much less than traditional trade shows. Since virtual trade shows can be conducted from a person's desk, the cost of travel, lodging
Lodging
Lodging is a type of residential accommodation. People who travel and stay away from home for more than a day need lodging for sleep, rest, safety, shelter from cold temperatures or rain, storage of luggage and access to common household functions.Lodgings may be self catering in which case no...
and physical construction of a trade show display is eliminated (exhibitors will usually, of course, be charged for the privilege of having an online stand at the virtual tradeshow).
List of major virtual trade fairs and shows
List reviewed on January 16, 2009 - in alphabetic order.| Title | Description | Dates | Visitors | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| auto.webXpo 2010 | Expo & Webinars Serving Automotive Aftermarket | June 23–25, 2010 | Estimated 20,000 registered attendees in 2010 | |
| Salon Mode de Emploi | Environmental Virtual Trade show | September, 2009 | Estimated 200,000 registered to attend in sept 2009 | |
| CardioCareLive | Cardiovascular disease Cardiovascular disease Heart disease or cardiovascular disease are the class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels . While the term technically refers to any disease that affects the cardiovascular system , it is usually used to refer to those related to atherosclerosis... |
March 3–4, 2009 | Estimated 20,000 registered to attend in 2007 | |
| CollegeWeekLive CollegeWeekLive CollegeWeekLive is a free, online college fair featuring over 260 colleges and universities worldwide. Modernizing the college admissions process, these events make for a convenient and cost-effective way for students, parents, counselors and colleges to interact by utilizing the internet... |
Colleges and universities | November 12–13, 2008; March 25–26, 2009 |
Estimated 40,000 registered to attend in March 2008 | |
| EComXpo EComXpo eComXpo is a free online virtual tradeshow for search, affiliate and internet marketers.Visitors have the ability to engage other visitors of the conference directly and communicate with each other and exchange contact information with exhibitors and other visitors... |
Ecommerce | January 28–29, 2009 | Estimated 8,000 attendees | |
| Expodurable | Expodurable - Sustainable Development Tradeshow | Always Open | Estimated 15.000 exhibitors September 10, 2009. | |
| Virtual Energy Forum | Energy conservation Energy conservation Energy conservation refers to efforts made to reduce energy consumption. Energy conservation can be achieved through increased efficient energy use, in conjunction with decreased energy consumption and/or reduced consumption from conventional energy sources... |
December 10–11, 2008 | Estimated 20,000 on June 10–11, 2008 | |
| Virtual Expo Environment | Water and renewable energy trade show | Always Open | Estimated 150 per day | |
| Rural Tourism and Nature Virtual Trade Show | Natural and Rural Tourism | Always Open | Estimated 300 per day | |
| ITShowcase Online | Tradeshow for suppliers for the construction, manufacturing, distribution and service sectors | Always Open | Estimated 400 per day | |
| Hargould | An exhibition of sustainable building materials, ECO products & suppliers | Always Open | Estimated 200 per day | |
| ECMOD 360 | ECMOD is a virtual tradeshow/exhibition for B2B & B2C marketers | Always Open | Estimated 500 per day | |
| Eprofeel | Eprofeel is a virtual tradeshow/exhibition for B2B and B2C suppliers | Always Open | Estimated 20,000 per day | |
| BusinessGlobal | BusinessGlobal.com is a company specializing in interactive virtual trade shows and online events. | Always Open | ||
| iDateVirtual | An exhibition for the internet dating and matchmaking industry | Runs every 3-4 months for a single day | Estimated 300 per day |
External links
- "Virtual Tradeshow Survey" over 800 trade show industry professionals responded to this survey created by TSNN and published December 2010.
- "Virtual event companies gaining traction with new tech and soaring fuel costs", By Jay Rizoli, Published in Mass High Tech, August 8, 2008.
- "Registration open for 'virtual college fair'", By Greg Toppo, Published in USA Today, November 13, 2007.
- "Cyberspace Trade Shows Bring Action to the Desktop", By Heather Clancy, Published in The New York Times, September 12, 2007.
- "Customer Relationship Management in Electronic Markets", By Gopalkrishnan R. Iyer, David Bejou, Co-published simultaneously as Journal of Relationship Marketing, Volume 2, Numbers 3/4 2003. Published 2004, Haworth Press, p. ISBN 0789019450
- "International Marketing" By Philip R. Cateora, John L. Graham, Published 2002, McGraw-Hill, p. 395 (ISBN 0072398841)