Virtual tradeshow

A virtual tradeshow (sometimes called a virtual tradefair) 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.

Origins

The "virtual tradeshow" was first publicly described and presented as "ConventionView" by Alan Saperstein 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 center; 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.

Visitor facilities

Visitors to a virtual tradeshow usually fill out an online registration form to create an online badge, 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.

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 events'.

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).

List of major virtual trade fairs and shows

List reviewed on January 11, 2011 - in chronological order.

Title	Description	Dates	Visitors
FCVW Conference 2011	Poster Session for Federal Consortium for Virtual World Conference	May 12-13, 2011
auto.webXpo 2010	Expo & Webinars Serving Automotive Aftermarket	June 23–25, 2010	Estimated 20,000 registered attendees in 2010
CloudSlam 2010	Virtual Conference & Trade Show for Cloud Computing	March 23-25, 2010
Virtual Edge Summit 2010	Conference & Trade Show for Virtual Events	February 22-23, 2010
Salon Mode de Emploi	Environmental Virtual Trade show	September, 2009	Estimated 200,000 registered to attend in sept 2009
CardioCareLive	Cardiovascular disease	March 3–4, 2009	Estimated 20,000 registered to attend in 2007
CollegeWeekLive	Colleges and universities	November 12–13, 2008; March 25–26, 2009	Estimated 40,000 registered to attend in March 2008
EComXpo	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	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)