As the organiser of the Specialist Media Show I am well aware of the practical headaches of live events - venue costs, choosing a date, stand and feature build and break down, not to mention the carpet!  There’s also the task of persuading visitors to take a day out and travel for hours and convincing exhibitors that the extra costs of staff time and travel are justified.  So the idea of virtual events is highly appealing - no venue cost, no shell scheme, no carpet or catering - and it should be easier to persuade visitors to attend for a few hours from their computer screen, and for smaller exhibitors to try out the environment.

But can a virtual show replace the thrill and spectacle of a live event?  I think it’s unlikely in consumer events, where people want to touch and feel the product, but could be more interesting in b2b shows, where the products are intangible and exhibitors focus on lead generation.  Some UK organisers are testing the water, but the US as usual is more advanced.  Yesterday I attended Publishing Business Virtual Expo to road test the environment.  Here’s my admittedly subjective view based on the main reasons visitors and exhibitors attend trade shows, with a star rating based on the quality of the experience vs live: (more…)