 | A consultant speaking about the impact of technology and innovation on Meetings industry, Mr. Nold offers insight into challenges facing associations and show producers. He serves as a technology columnist with Tradeshow Week with his featured blog Event Tech. Recently he launched MeetingTechOnline, a website designed for meeting professionals to obtain information and education on the latest tools. |
Filed under: eMERGE Conference Stephen Nold @ 5:11 pm on 16/12/07
In addition to the comments from Lee Haggan with EMC, who became a new relationship at IAEE, I was pleasantly surprised at the feedback from attendees of the eMERGE conference. When many of the respected leaders of our industry offering their sincere praise, you know that the content, presentations and networking was a success. I can’t express enough appreciation for the commitment of David Lutz, Shawn Pierce and Chris Brown along with the support and guidance from Tony Calanca and Jeff Quade. The results of this event were directly based on their expertise.
Filed under: eMERGE Conference Stephen Nold @ 8:29 am on 11/12/07
What a great day of interactive discussions. From all the feedback, it seems that eMERGE was a huge success. Thanks to all who participated. I have loaded the slides with the expectation to have them available shortly from the eMERGE blog front page. They are also available on www.stephennold.com.
Filed under: eMERGE Conference Stephen Nold @ 2:17 pm on 08/12/07
Back in June, I wrote a weblog post “The Trust Problem of Matchmaking Tools” for Tradeshow Week discussing the challenges for social networking tools to earn creditability in the meetings industry.
These tools accelerate the sales process by enhancing lead generation opportunities…connect buyers with sellers…and make introductions prior to an event so both parties can learn more about each other. Our industry is always interested in generating better qualified leads which in turn provide more closed deals.
The point of this post was to define a trust problem as technology often failed to fulfill the promise to enhance exhibitor’s results. Mark Sylvester with introNetworks, one of the leading vendors in our industry replied with some excellent observations. First he noted the wide variance of participation rates.
Mark Sylvester: I have seen opt-in rates vary from 10% to 98% across a wide swath of shows. Our experience is that you will get wildly different participation based on the type of show. Seminars, Conferences, Large Meetings will enjoy high opt-in - while Tradeshows tend to have lower opt-in.
He proceeded to give his explanation for these results. I felt they were repeating. I made some minor edits with his permission to make them easier to read.
Mark Sylvester: People attend seminars, conferences and meetings for two main reasons.
1) To Network and Learn. Networking is a key component of these events. These events are looking to us to help accelerate the networking as it is a primary value proposition being given to ‘potential’ attendees.
2) People attend tradeshows either to Buy or to Sell. Networking is a by-product of that process, but NOT the principle reason to attend. Ironically, I have had conversations with tradeshow producers that ask, “Why would we want to help attendees meet one another?”
Their job is to provide a qualified audience of buyers for the exhibitors that are paying a lot of money to be in front of those customers, right? So, if you are only looking at opt-in to social networks / event communities that are produced for tradeshows, I could see where you have those types of numbers
On the other hand, at seminars, conferences, corporate meetings, etc. we see a completely different point of view on the side of the delegate or attendee. They are VERY anxious to see who is going, reaching out well in advance to set up meetings, investigate the other attendees and start to become ‘vested’ in the topics, themes and tracks of the upcoming event. These sites, when crafted well, can serve to build alignment with the conference well in advance - and provide a rich communication vehicle for event organizers. I must also point out that successful online community participation is not the responsibility of the platform.
Mr. Sylvester very eloquently presented a strong case for the success of these tools based on audience preferences and show management commitments. Interestingly, I have observed several show producers decide to move forward with social networking solutions rather than wait. Many new events have happened since June, most of all the widely popular growth of MySpace and YouTube has validated the social networking business model, at least in the consumer world. B-to-B markets are still diverse in tool selections, but google is paying close attention to these communities also.
Continued acceptance of social networking solutions in the meetings industry is overcoming the initial stigma. Will 2008 bring increased growth of these tools?
Filed under: eMERGE Conference Stephen Nold @ 1:52 pm on 05/12/07
Web 2.0 is loosely defined as the result of the interactivity that recent internet technologies provide. Social networking sites and online forums such as MySpace and Facebook are just two examples of these next generation technologies. These technologies are notable because of their potential impact on the future of the Meetings industry. Several companies in the Meetings industry already offer Web 2.0 services, such as ASP Inc. ASP specializes in developing websites for tradeshows and is on the forefront of Web 2.0 technologies for the Meetings industry.
Arran Coole, co-founder of ASP, gives his impression of Web 2.0 as being “really about the next state of the internet. Whereas the first state was all about brochure websites, now it is more about user activity.” Before Web 2.0, tradeshow websites offered basic content, such as information on seminars, exhibitors, social events, etc. Now, tradeshow websites offer everything from social networking to registration management to hotel booking, all as a result of Web 2.0 tools. Clearly, these services are beneficial if they work correctly, but Coole warns that many times show organizers get ahead of themselves. He observes, “They are all trying to run before they can walk.” For Coole, many show organizers are trying to utilize these new tools without concern about the content they are trying to get across. “It is amazing how many tradeshows look absolutely awful online. You would not send a brochure out like that, so why would you put up a website like that? I think people really need to concentrate on the basics first. When they take care of the basics, then they can start to look at some aspects of Web 2.0 and judge whether those aspects are applicable to that particular niche market that they serve.”
BASICS
For Coole, the basics are commercial interests, brand considerations, and technical capabilities. He states, “A good web site needs to have all three aspects looked after to work well.”
Commercial Interests
One problem prevalent throughout the industry, according to Coole, is that after a show is over, management tears down its website. Recently, many tradeshows have started integrating social networking and forums into their web sites, effectively building a community around the show. However, the web site gets torn down when the show is over, taking with it this whole new community. Coole views this problem as a key misuse of Web 2.0 technology, saying, “People are talking about Web 2.0, but unfortunately, once the show is over, they rip down the show website, hide all of the content that was previously up there, and put up a holding page for six months.” If organizers leave the site up they can keep the community active, and at the very least build anticipation for the next year’s show. Coole states, “Immediately, if they are not creating a year round presence, which is a basic step, they have missed out on the opportunity to utilize the benefits of Web 2.0. You have to think about the commercial aspects first. What you need to do is to have a web presence which is up all year round, constantly.”
Brand Considerations
It’s important that a website looks and feels good, aesthetically and functionally. The idea is to build a brand – a name recognition that people associate with a certain level of quality. Coole states, “If you have a show which has a poor brand, and I mean graphically here at a basic level, if it looks a little bit outdated then the show feels a little bit behind the times. If you have a brand which is contemporary and is in the right marketplace for what it is supposed to achieve, and you build on that brand with other little events, then build up to other regional events using that brand, it works really well.” For Coole, branding is imperative. He says, “A really successful branded show can launch other shows around the world. It can really create a community if people understand the brand values and emotions associated with it.”
Technical Capabilities
Finally, for a successful website, a show organizer needs to understand the technological capabilities and constraints inherent to Web 2.0. Many show organizers want to have the newest and flashiest tools available but lack the understanding to properly implement them. For example, a show organizer might decide to put up a forum but fail to maintain it by not doing enough to encourage discussion and debate. A more subtle and important example is the lack of understanding in how search engines work. If a show organizer does not understand how search engines work, then people searching for their tradeshow website will probably not find it. Coole sums up his view, “You need to understand the technology thoroughly. We always say there is a difference between companies that do one thing and then, in addition to their core business, try to do websites as a second thing; they never quite get what the internet is about. From a technical point of view, the internet is not about showing off what technology you have, but about understanding and adapting to the internet as a platform. Understanding the search engine is the most basic thing that you need to do. Further, technology is there to deliver your commercial strategy, and that is why technology should be the slave and not the master. So often we allow technology to be the master, when in fact technology should not get in the way of what we want to achieve strategically.”
BENEFITS
If show organizers are able to implement Web 2.0 tools successfully, then they will have a more efficient and user-friendly website. Some Web 2.0 tools allow exhibitors to upload their own content, allowing exhibitors to market themselves as they see fit. By allowing exhibitors to upload their own content, they are also optimizing the tradeshow website for search engines. Before, tradeshows had to come up with their own search engine key words, which was usually a small, finite list because organizers could not account for everything that their exhibitors represented. Now, when exhibitors upload content they are contributing their own keywords to the site. Further, having a search engine optimized website allows the site to potentially cross over multiple vertical markets, which will only help the show grow in the future.
The path to properly utilizing Web 2.0 tools is to start with the basics before moving on to advanced functionalities. A website needs to be up year-round, feel contemporary, and make good use of the current technologies it employs. Once these fundamentals are covered, more advanced tools can be implemented and the website can continue to grow, enhance and compliment the tradeshow experience.
Filed under: eMERGE Conference Stephen Nold @ 1:59 am on 30/11/07
A new search engine has recently joined the ranks of the established search engines Yahoo! Search and Google. Mahalo.com advertises itself as the world’s first human-powered search engine. Mahalo differentiates itself from other search engines like Google, in that search results are compiled by humans, not machines. Whereas popular sites like Google and Ask.com use algorithmic equations to generate results, Mahalo prides itself on providing result pages containing only links that have been viewed and verified, having met a certain set of criteria such as 1) being live for at least a year, 2) providing relevant material on the topic, and 3) not being ad-intensive. Part of Mahalo’s goal is to eliminate spam and irrelevant web sites from search results and to provide quality links with useful information about popular key words or phrases commonly searched for.
One of the nice aspects about Mahalo is that they have a page dedicated to each search term they have catalogued. This page contains general profile information about the term, as well as links displayed in order from the most informative on down.
Mahalo is still in its infancy, having only been launched in May 2007. One draw back is that they do have a finite list of key word search results. If Mahalo does not have a listing for a word or term, they send the visitor to search results of their competitors - Google and Yahoo. If a user goes to the site not knowing precisely what they are looking for, Mahalo provides a list of general terms on their front page. If you don’t know exactly what you want, you can enjoy learning about new people and places that are alphabetically and/or thematically compiled. If the term or topic has not yet been created, visitors may spend time trying to search for something that does not yet exist. However, Mahalo has an online ‘suggestion box’ for user submitted key terms.
The emergence of Mahalo poses an interesting variation to the efficiencies of search engine automation, and more generally, the internet and Web 2.0 technology. In simple terms, today’s internet search engines are the product of algorithms searching through html for meta tags or caching pages. Results are displayed based on the most relevant websites first. There is no human involvement in the algorithms conducting the search, except for the original creation of the search rules. Nevertheless, these rules have been compromised and many advertisers have figured out ways to game the system, quickly decreasing the relevancy of the search results.
The creators of Mahalo recognized the troubles with the unproductive machine results and have turned the traditional search approach upside down. Instead search results are created from user generated content as a way of organizing information.
Ironically, departure from the methodology adopted by the popular search tools seems to be a regression on the internet evolution. Whereas before we were relying on computers to automate our world, Mahalo outsources manual work to real people. Computers and the internet are treasured for controlled processing, efficiency, research potential, and ability to neatly systematize information. Now, e-advertisers have discovered how to clutter internet navigation paths. Misleading titles, promising messages and sleazy trades litter the search data. Mahalo yields cleansed information that has been filtered by human brains that understand relevancy. Has the internet come full circle, from human creation to automated search engines, back to human organization and filtration?
An interesting note, one of the requirements to be listed as a link in Mahalo’s search engine is that a website must be up and running for at least a year before. Conducting a search on Mahalo.com for ‘Mahalo’ returned a link to the main page of the site, which was launched less than a year ago. Alas, another example of human intervention impacting the rules.
Filed under: eMERGE Conference Stephen Nold @ 10:01 pm on 28/11/07
If you are a blogger, more than likely you already know that Engadget and Boing Boing are 1) the most linked to (Engadget) and 2) the most popular (Boing Boing) weblogs (blogs) according to Technorati’s statistics. Technorati is considered an authority on blogs as it is an Internet search engine exclusively for blogs. As of August 2007, Technorati had indexed over 94 million weblogs. Traffic patterns vary from day to day, so depending on the excitement of the internet public and the sizzle of content from blog to blog, various leaders emerge. Today, the top blogs (as tracked over the last six months) are:
1. Engadget, with 32,032 unique links
2. Gizmodo, the Gadget Guide with 25,061 unique links
3. Techcrunch with 23,889 unique links
4. Boing Boing with 23,621 unique links
5. Breaking News and Opinion on the Huffington Post with 18,689 unique links
Engadget is about consumer electronics, updated many times a day as their bloggers post stories about the latest news, developments and rumors from various sources. Gizmodo, the Gadget Guide, is similar and a constant competitor to Engadget. Techcrunch has a more narrowed focus than the others, highlighting Web 2.0 products and companies. Boing Boing, previously a magazine, covers everything from gadgets to politics. Breaking News and Opinion on the Huffington Post is a politically liberal online weblog.
The popularity of these sites is due in part to the constant flow of information from various sources and bloggers. There is always something new every time you visit these sites. Technorati, essentially a blog of blogs, updates their front page right before your eyes. These sites are made popular, in part, due to the technology that powers them – Web 2.0 tools and techniques.
Such new, powerful capabilities give these sites a dynamic feel and allow for the creation of an ever changing and growing community. The community is spurred along through posts and the following dialogue made possible by comments and message board replies. All of these aspects give visitors an incentive to read, comment, and come back again to read something new.
Of these popular blogging sites, one thing is clear; most of them are technology related. It should be no surprise that the most popular blogs, which utilize the latest software, are themselves technology related. What is surprising, if more subtle, is that most of these sites serve the same market – consumer technology.
Why do the most popular sites utilizing Web 2.0 tools revolve around technology? Maybe the readership more fully appreciates this communications channel.
So what if the Meetings industry adopted this model for our own market? What if interactive and dynamic websites driven by user generated content relevant to our own interests and needs were the rule, rather than the exception? What if show organizers embedded this technology into their tradeshow websites, allowing their community the freedom to post items of interest? .
Would these changes evolve our industry? Yes.
Are these changes evolving our industry today? Yes.
Are you part of the evolution? Sure – you’re here at a blog aren’t you?
Filed under: eMERGE Conference Stephen Nold @ 9:43 pm on 21/11/07
Before the discussion of Web 2.0 capabilities continues, we should take a look at the fundamentals of website creation. Many tradeshow and association websites have a lot of work to do on a basic level before they should even consider implementing these new tools. While Web 2.0 features can greatly enhance a website, they cannot compensate for a poor design.
The basic purpose of a website is to clearly communicate relevant information. Many websites in this industry still struggle to achieve one or even both of these purposes. On one hand, it doesn’t matter how great a website looks and feels if the content is poorly written and lacking information. On the other hand, it doesn’t matter how exciting and informative your content is if the viewer can’t find it. All association and event managers should perform a methodical review of their websites and business objectives before attempting to implement blogs, wikis, or social networking tools. User-generated content certainly won’t hide or compensate for a lack of fundamental content.
During this review, ask the simple questions (which are the most important):
• Does the website explicitly explain who we are, what we do, how we do it, and how to contact us?
• Can each page offer this information in a clear, easy-to-read, uncluttered presentation?
• Will the layout of the website provide an intuitive infrastructure through which the viewer can easily navigate?
• Is the most important/essential information on each page “above the fold” so viewers don’t have to scroll down to find it?
While the questions are simple, constructing your site such that you can answer ‘yes’ to all of the above takes a lot work, thought, and reflection. Treat every potential visitor as a savvy veteran of the internet who will be sensitive to even the subtle elements of your site. Remember, what may seem obvious to management and design teams can be confusing to the average viewer. Spend the time, energy and if possible, monies to gain feedback on your website. Seek advice from industry peers; get input from someone unfamiliar with not only your website but your entire organization or event and make certain that you include your audience in your research.
Clear business objectives and audience research are two key fundamentals of website creation that should be addressed before moving into the sizzle of Web 2.0 features.
Filed under: eMERGE Conference Stephen Nold @ 10:09 am on 14/11/07
We recently launched a website that our team personally designed and constructed from scratch. The greatest achievement is tied to in the fact that we are, for the most part, not well-versed in coding. The team that worked on this project knows almost no HTML, Java, or other popular website scripting language. Given this, how were we able to create a successful site through our programming illiteracy? One of the remarkable contributions of Web 2.0 is the introduction of Content Management Systems (CMS) for website creation and maintenance.
A web CMS is a service available through any internet browser that provides software for easy website creation and upkeep for non-technical users. Through a CMS, users begin by choosing from a prefab list of layout templates and themes or they can customize their own. This theme will provide the overall structure, look, and feel of the website. From there, users can begin to customize menus, add sub-pages and upload content including text, pictures, videos, etc.
All of the content created with a CMS is controlled through a back-end database. This database handles all the technical stuff and lets the user focus solely on the displayed content of the site. A CMS presents the user with an intuitive point-and-click or drag-and-drop style of interface for construction, layout, and editing. Most CMS now include in their software a “WYSIWYG” (What You See Is What You Get) text editor which looks and operates like any standard word processing program. This allows the user to enter text just as one would through a word processor and have it appear on the site exactly as recorded, keeping the formatting intact. It also includes an option to paste text from a word processing program, which copies all of the original formatting. This is a great time saver for those who need to post large amounts of pre-existing content to a website, given that the process is as simple as copying and pasting.
Some examples of CMS tools out there right now are WordPress and Exponent. Also, all of the user-generated content of wikis and blogs are controlled through a form of CMS. While in an earlier post, I had mentioned the possible dawn of do-it-yourself registration systems, these CMS tools have already transformed the internet and can save some serious time and money for web development. The beauty of these tools is how the ownership of web site modifications is placed back into the hands of the content creators. Ultimately, no html knowledge needed. You can see the launch of this simple Speaker website and judge for yourself whether a CMS delivers an acceptable solution.
Has anyone ever used a CMS when constructing a website? If so, how was the experience? If you haven’t used one before, is this kind of software appealing? I welcome your thoughts.
Filed under: Web 2.0 Stephen Nold @ 10:07 am on 09/11/07
Over the last three weeks, I have had the privilege to speak about Web 2.0 technologies to two different audiences. The first presentation was conducted via a webinar, which is actually one of the new Web 2.0 innovations that can greatly impact our industry. The second was in person with the Virginia Chapter of MPI. The cornerstone of each presentation was a basic understanding of Web 2.0 technology and the impact it is having on the meetings industry.
Web 2.0 refers to a perceived second generation of web-based communities and hosted services which aim to facilitate collaboration and sharing between users. The term was first coined by Tim O’Reilly of O’Reilly Media at a Web 2.0 conference in 2004.
Although the term suggests a new version of the World Wide Web, it does not refer to any technical updates, but rather changes in the ways software developers and end-users navigate the web. According to O’Reilly, “Web 2.0 is the business revolution in the computer industry caused by the move to the internet as platform, and an attempt to understand the rules for success on that new platform.”
Web 2.0 can be defined as technologies such as blogs, social bookmarking, wikis, podcasts, RSS feeds, social networking software and online web services such as eBay and Gmail which provide a significant enhancement over websites that only deliver read-only information. Youtube and MySpace are two more recent examples of Web 2.0 that have impacted our environment. Most websites today are still information delivery websites. In the meetings industry, I would estimate that 85% of all association and trade show sites still have the Web 1.0 look and feel. This limited interaction, marketing brochure-type website offers little chance for a community to participate in the creation of content.
Web 2.0 has been described as “genuine interactivity if you like, simply because people can upload as well as download”
Web 2.0 also includes a social element where users generate and distribute content, often with the freedom to share and re-use. The result is a rise in the economic value of the Web as users can do more online.
I recently launched my own version of a content management system, which is one of the new tools of Web 2.0 that enables anyone to generate a fully functional website. Check it out at www.stephennold.com
As for how Web 2.0 will impact our industry, or even examples of these tools, I will leave that open for now and ask for comments from our community - please post your thoughts.
Filed under: eMERGE Conference Stephen Nold @ 2:13 pm on 12/10/07
In preparation for the eMERGE conference, I have contacted speakers, tech panels members and suppliers about some of the key issues that should be covered in
An association executive who has faced these issues in his own organization is Stephen Graham with Society of Petroleum Engineers who serves as Managing Director of Americas for SPE. Mr. Graham will be joining us on the eMERGE Tech Panel luncheon to share his thoughts on technology obstacles.
Recently Mr. Graham had some great observations on the importance of data, “If you’ve read the book Seven Measures of Success: What Remarkable Associations Do That Others Don’t, published by ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership, you know that Measure 3 is Data-Driven Strategies. This book was inspired by Jim Collins’ book Good to Great. It looks at 7 factors that truly set apart the great associations from the good ones. A lot of associations have collected a lot of data, but there are no easy ways to use it effectively. For SPE, we are embarking on a data warehouse solution that may remedy our data challenges.”
We can conduct research and find the best tools. We can negotiate a great price…design and execute an excellent implementation plan for the optimal software. Nevertheless, it is all for nothing if the data loaded into the solution is worthless. Another example of innovation placed into bad business practices yielding failed technology.
How is your organization’s data?
