Blogworld 2009 has a series of blog posts about its upcoming event in 15-17 October in Las Vegas. The one posted yesterday was very appealing for us who are advocates of face-to-face marketing. The author is a renowned blogger, Chris Garrett who is in the business of blogging and new media. You can find him here:http://www.chrisg.com/.
I want to comment on some of the points in his blog post. His vantage point is one of an attendee who is taking the time, money and effort to attend a conference and trade show. This is a person who almost always is communicating in the world of cyberspace and to see how he embraces conferences is heartwarming.
With all the buzz and hype around social media, you might wonder why someone would go to a physical rather than virtual conference. What are the advantages of a conference over staying at home?
As someone who is an advocate of all things digital, and also someone who has been involved in his own fair share of webinars, teleconferences and online summits, it might seem strange that I am coming to you singing the praises of meeting in “meatspace”.
Chris then shares his five reasons for attending conferences. I have edited them (shortened them) but you can read the full blog post here: http://www.blogworldexpo.com/blog/.
His first point is about being an “authority” and how that can be built:
Speaking at conferences and meeting people in the flesh is a great way to build this authority without attempting to convince people that you are an expert. By being seen and networking at these gatherings you build a personal brand, especially if you give a talk.
His second point which I want to quote in its entirety speaks about the “human connection”:
Human connection – Meeting in person builds and deepens relationships much faster than online. Many people say the good stuff at conferences happens in the halls, and this is true very often. Connections I made in the early 2000’s are still surprisingly paying off today. At the time I thought I had done myself a disservice and that I had wasted an opportunity not being more forward, being as I am a complete introvert. In fact I must have made a small impression as opportunities came out of that nobody would have predicted. It’s not just me either, one of the fellow shy friends I already kind of knew but really enjoyed talking to in a quiet corner is now super successful in the SEO space. Don’t get me wrong, online offers cool things – after all I have still yet to meet in person my friend and Problogger book co-author but putting faces and voices to names makes you and the people you meet much more memorable and you feel a much stronger bond.
The third point is regarding “knowledge and ideas”
When you immerse yourself in learning your mind seems to open up and absorb much more. Your ideas are sparked in a way that I just haven’t found from books and the web. Each person you talk to is a potential mine of new facts, thoughts and ideas
Point number four is about the “experience” of being with colleagues who are not often seen in the daily routine. And finally his last item is about “escape” that the conference allows him to get away from the daily grind.
Attendees Make the World Go Around
The Show Organizer and the Exhibitor have a vested interest in having attendees come to the trade show and event. Here are some recommendations for each group:
Show organizers can create a buzz about the conference program by engaging past attendees who are attending this year’s conference – have them write what the previous event did for them. What impact did it have on their business? Use these testimonials for email marketing, blog posts, etc.
Communicate with your blogger community so they know who is speaking and a few details about what will be presented at the conference. Give them material that they can blog about on a regular basis. Have them help you build the excitement for the event.
If for some reason an attendee can not make it to the event, is there a way to provide them with some educational content from this year’s program? This action might solidify them for future conferences as a paying attendee.
Exhibitors have a responsibility of drawing an audience to the conference and trade show. To that regard, if an exhibitor has an executive on the program, this information should be communicated to THEIR audience with an invitation to come and hear what will be presented.
If one of their personnel is not speaking, but a colleague might be or a technology that compliments theirs is being presented, they should use this as a focal point and invite customers and prospects. Or they can provide reasons why they should visit their booth – make the attendee destination bound.
So what are you as an exhibitor or event marketer doing?
