a collection of resources for planning, producing, and marketing successful

8/14/2019 A Collection of Resources for Planning, Producing, And Marketing Successful

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for planning, producing, and marketingsuccessful virtual events and meetings


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WelcometotheV rtua Event esourceBook!

Right now the worlds of marketing and meetings are changing, likelyforever. Due to the global economic turmoil, companies are cuttingtravel across the board or in all but customer facing situations that areidentified as critical to close business. The pendulum has swungtotally away from travel causing chaos in the physical event andmeeting market. Out of this chaos of cancelled trade shows,conferences and meetings of all types, has come the need formarketers and meeting planners to rethink their plans and look forinnovative new ways to achieve the goals of these events without thetravel. Though virtual events and virtual meetings have been around

,demand for all virtual marketing and meeting solutions.

If you are reading this now, you probably are well aware of what ishappening in the virtual events space and are one of the manymarketers and event roducers that are tr in to create a strate thatinvolves deploying virtual events in place of or in addition to, yourphysical events. What is important to understand is that this is aseismic shift that cannot be undone. Although the pendulum will swingback, it will not swing back to where things were. This is not like post9-11 or the SARS epidemic where travel came back even strongerthan ever. These difficult economic times will be with us for a long,long time and businesses will continue to look at ways to keep costs

down wherever they can.

The good news is that virtual events and meetings are working.

producers are seeing profitability increase with virtual events versus


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continued

physical events. Why? Attendance is going up because more people .

spent to participate in an event never went to the event producertheregistration fee, if there was one, was a fraction of what the attendeeand the event producer had to spend in travel, lodging, food andbeverage, AV, rental fees, etc. IBM was recently featured in a TV

interview talking about how they have saved $350,000 in just onemeeting by going virtual. Multiply that by the hundreds of thousands ofmeetings companies were doing and you can get a sense of thevastness of the potential ROI.

We dont believe that physical event will ever go away but things havec ange an t ere w e ewer p ys ca meet ngs an more v rtua ;there will be fewer people attending physical events and more attendingthe same event virtually. The technology needed to conduct virtualmeetings is improving rapidly while becoming more affordable andavailable every day. Though we cant replace the handshake in a

,image/avatar of yourself that walks, talks, sees and hears and yesthey are working on the handshake.

This book is a collection of useful resources we found at the time ofproduction. We will constantly update it and add more useful featuresand functionality. If you have feedback or want to contribute, pleaseemail us at [email protected]. Thanks and good luck with yourevents!.

Michael Doyler ua ge


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Visit

www.VirtualEdge.orgor : rec ory, r c es, ews, a en ar, ev ews,

Networking and more.


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Virtual Edge Summit 2009 Program HighlightsThe ABCs of Virtual Events, Meetings & Marketing (What You Need toKnow)Going Beyond Lead Generation (Virtual Events that Drive Sales)

eyno e: e e r ua ge x ys ca rtua vents to etResults)Event & Marketing Professionals; Skills for Virtual Worlds (Learn NewSkills & Techniques)Revenue Development Part I (Selling Sponsorships, Exhibits & More)

Revenue Development Part II (Selling Paid Content, Registration &Services)Social Networking Strategies (Create Strategies that Drive Audience &Community)Measurement, Tracking & ROI (Measuring Your Virtual Events ROI)Defining & Creating Virtual Communities (Community Building Strategies& Tactics)Voice, Video, IM & Chats (What Works and Why in Virtual Environments)

Keynote: The Future of Virtual Eventsafter the recession ends (KeyPart of the Marketing Mix)u ence cqu s on ra eg es ans ec n ques o u ven

Audience)Looking at Virtual Worlds (An In-World Guide to Virtual Worlds for Events)Solution Provider Open House (F-R-E-E day Program to Test & DemoVirtual Event Technology)

& Experience Mapping for Virtual Events)

xCasts & Telepresence (Products, Technology & Tactics for SuccessfulOnline Meetings)Workshop: The 30 Day Plan! (Everything You Need to Know to BuildYour Virtual Event Plan)Workshop: Building a Social Media Marketing Plan for Your Community(Everything You Need to Know to Build Your Social Media Marketing Plan)

Find out more or register at www.virtualedge.org


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Speakers and faculty from such companies as:

Registration Information(Before April 30th)

u on erence aveGroup Rate (3 or more) $295*(Save $900!)Workshops $195Open House $0**(Save $25!)

* .**Open House 5/29 1-5pmwith no access to regular sessions orworkshops.

http://

http://virtualedge2009.eventbee.com

Find out more at www.vritualedge.org


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Definitions

What is a Virtual Event? Everything belowand maybe more

WebcastA Webcast is a transmission of an audio or visual or acombination of audio-visual media file either live or on demandover the internet. Webcasts generally use the streaming mediaec no ogy, w c roa cas s e con en rom a s ng e source

to multiple viewers or listeners simultaneously. Do I need anyextra hardware? A Webcast will require a headset or speakersto listen to the audio script or the version as a part of media filestreamed on internet. It does not require any extra high-endhardware other than your PC speakers.

Slidecast is a set of slides broadcasted on internet with thesynchronization of video and audio effects. Slidecast willfacilitate the multiple viewers to see the deck of slidessimultaneously in a multimedia presentation format, uploadedon a single source.

Virtual Trade Show/Online Trade Showrtua ra e ow s a com nat on o some o t e most

successful elements of a live trade show collected andtranslated into a multimedia file format and broadcasted ortransmitted on the Internet. Virtual trade shows allow the

exhibitors and sponsors to reach their target audience roundthe clock. Some are run over a short time period (1-3 daysusuall and others are o en for months.

Virtual Expo/Online ExpoA Virtual Expo is an online virtual exposition hall accessibleover Internet. It is a multimedia format that gives the real-timeexperience of visiting and moving (in 2 or 3-d) around in thevirtual exposition hall and booths using arrow keys on yourkeyboard. Available to visitors online, round the clock though

ere are usua y spec c mes a e ex ors are presenin their booth and you can chat with them.

Virtual Job Fair/Online Job FairVirtual Job Fair is an online job fair, that gives the potentialemployers and employees access to up-to-date job openingsand company profiles through online booths/stalls that

.one of the most cost effective techniques used to attractemployees--saving time and travel costs.


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Definitions Contd

Podcast

playback capability distributed over Internet. Podcasts are

generally compatible with web feeds, PCs and specific types ofmobile devices. They are downloadable and can be playedback at the users convenience.

Virtual MeetingA live event or meeting that is done using a virtual platformgenerally available from one of the virtual event platformcompanies, custom built or hosted on a virtual world likeSecond Life (SL) perhaps in a virtual conference center.

BannercastBannercast is an on-demand or live video broadcasted in an in-banner ad using streaming technology. Bannercasts generally

between the customer and the advertiser. Bannercast is one ofthe most effective advertising media on internet, which canoften attract the target audience better than a standard bannerads.

Audiocast/TelecastAn Audiocast or Telecast is a tele hone based conferenceconsisting of a presentation that will usually include an audiobased question and answer session.

On-Demand vs LiveOn-Demand services/sessions are the content items availableonline that can be accessed as and when demanded orrequired by the viewer or listener. Live services (or exclusively

broadcaster will transmit the program content or service at afixed interval and once the broadcaster stops live service theviewer or listener cannot access the content.

Live SimulatedPrerecorded activities/sessions that are generally available torun at a s ecific time and date and are not ublicized as beinprerecorded and usually have a live post-presentation Q&Aperiod.

Virtual WorldA virtual world, such as the popular Second Life, is a computer-based simulated environment intended for its users to inhabitand interact via avatars (animated figures). These avatars areusua y ep c e as ex ua , wo- mens ona , or ree-dimensional graphical representations, although other formsare possible.


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TableofContents

Virtual Events Help MarketersVirtual Environments for Business

Virtual Events are Generating Demand with Significant ROIValue 2.0 Eight new rules for creating and capturing value frominnovative technologiesVirtual Events: What Should You Be Doing?

u ng ea or us ness... r ua yCase Studies for Virtual EventsLaunch into Cyberspace: Consider an Online Supplement toYour Tradeshow Product LaunchOn Virtual Event TechnologyVirtual Events: How to Go On the Road OnlineVirtual Conferences' Home AdvantageTips on Using Virtual Events to Generate New Revenue

Economy and Globalization Help Drive Success of Virtual

NAILED IT: DMNews Interviews Eric Myers, Quest SoftwareDesigning an Effective Virtual Tradeshow Experience: AnAttendee PerspectiveThree Problems, One Solution: Virtual Events

even ommon sconcep ons a x ors ave a ouVirtual Trade ShowsThe Real World Marketing Value of Virtual EventsEight Common Misconceptions that Event Organizers Haveabout Virtual Trade Shows


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TableofContentsII

The New Tool for Marketing SuccessSeven Steps to Marketing an Online Event SuccessfullyBtoB Marketers Moving Towards Virtual Events As BudgetsTighten & ROI Scrutiny Heats UpThe Inside Line on Generating Leads and Getting ResultsInternet Initiatives for Not-for-Profit OrganizationsVirtual Meetings Will Erase Face to Face

Virtual Worlds & Metaverse ResourcesProject Wonderland3D Toolkit for Building Virtual Worlds forBusinessFrom the Fire-Pit to the Forbidden City

ca emy o ec no ogy uns rs u - ay r uaConferenceCurrent Reality and Future VisionOpen Virtual Worlds

Virtual Worlds for BusinessBest Practices in Webcasting for PublishingProper Planning,The Value of Webcasting in the Virtual Workplace:A KeyComponent of Enterprise Communications8 Steps to a Successful WebcastWebcasting vs. Web Conferencing: How to Choose Which to

Best Practices in Webinars

Webcasting for Marketing and Lead GenerationOn the Job: Virtual Job Fairs Expand Search OptionsThe Making of a Successful Virtual Job Fair

ps or en ng a r ua o a r po cas


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VirtualEventsHelp

Rising costs and dwindling budgets are making it hard for businessmarketers to attend and run events. So instead of going on the road,many companies are getting on the Web. Direct talked about the prosand cons of hosting online gatherings.

http://directmag.com/disciplines/channelsurfing/0901-virtual-events-help-marketers/


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VirtualEnvironmentsfor

This blogger discusses how virtual interactive sites like Second Lifehelped pave the way for ,and at the same time necessitated, easy-interface virtual event applications like InXpo, ON24 and Unisfair.

http://billives.typepad.com/portals_and_km/2008/02/virtual-environ.html

Submit aVirtual Event RFPto Virtual Edge andwell help you select the right solution.


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VirtualEventsAreGreenfor

Dog and Pony Interview with Malcolm Lotzof Malcolm Lotzof is theCEO of InXpo, a virtual event provider that is drastically expanding thereach of physical events with their 3D interactive customizable events.

a co m po n s ou e nanc a an eco og ca ene s o e r greenbusiness solution.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mClbcc20Adc



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VirtualEventsareGenerating

Reducing the traditional cost of physical marketing events (i.e., venuerental fees and travel expenses), online events are a way tosignificantly increase marketing ROI while creating quality leads.

http://chiefmarketer.com/metrics/roi/0813-virtual-events-demand/


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Value2.0Eightnewrulesforcreatingandcapturingvaluefrominnovativetechnologies

We are at the beginning of an era of true transformational change. The fullpower of the Internet, globalization and innovative new technologies are

coming together, and in doing so, are changing the rules of business, cultureand society. The purpose of this paper is to help executives understand thenew ways in which emerging technologies and principles are enabling value

. .

http://www-935.ibm.com/services/us/gbs/bus/pdf/gbe03016-usen-02-value2.0.pdf


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VirtualEvents:WhatShould

Learn how the way successful companies deliver information to largeaudiences is being revolutionized through virtual events.

http://buzzmarketingfortech.blogspot.com/2007/12/virtual-events-what-should-you-be-doing.html


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BuildingRealWorld...

Delivering similar knowledge-sharing and personal interactions, readhow virtual events now look and feel remarkably like their physicalcounterparts.

http://www.managesmarter.com/msg/content_display/marketing/e3i083fb00d6f46a8883f5a2ca70d3ff91c



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CaseStudiesfor

ON24, Inc. works with over 600 customers on their corporate andmarketing initiatives, such as lead generation, webinars, town hall

meetings, executive communications, and product launches. Theyhave brought together many best practices on how their customersleverage webcasting and rich media for business to business (B2B)

, , .

http://on24.com/abouton24_casestudies.html


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LaunchintoCyberspace:ConsideranOnline

Supplement

to

YourTradeshowProductLaunch

The Internet can be a powerful ally in a product launch initiative beforeattendees actually arrive at the show. While the effectiveness of methodsa opte may vary , t e genera o ect ves o pro uct aunc es are t e sameto generate a buzz and interest about a product that converts into

leads and eventually sales. This article outlines seven steps to create asuccessful online product launch that will supplement a plannedtradeshow product launch

http://www.itradefair.com/technology/expotech0901.doc


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OnVirtualEventTechnology

The rise in popularity of virtual events and environments will enhance

challenges they currently face.

http://www.virtualedge.org/articles/index/view?id=1651552:Article:1850



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VirtualEvents:HowtoGoOn

Rising costs and dwindling budgets are making it more and moredifficult for business marketers to run events. Today, instead of hittingthe road many companies are hitting the Web. Learn how and why.

http://chiefmarketer.com/Channels/online/0708-virtual-events/


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VirtualConferences'Home

Growing interest in virtual conferences is fueling a miniboom forcompanies like Unisfair. Read how companies like Cisco Systems arehosting virtual events to attract participants who wouldn't otherwise beable to attend.

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/may2008/tc2008054_560356.htm


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TipsonUsingVirtualEvents

Generating qualified leads for little overhead cost, highly interactive

experience with physical events, Learn how.

http://www.pubexec.com/article/84000-84999/84507_1.html



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EconomyandGlobalization

Events

This interview addresses factors driving the success of virtual events,best practices, and innovative ways marketers are using virtual eventsto increase lead generation in their campaigns.

http://www.marketingpower.com/ResourceLibrary/Pages/Marketing%20Matters/MarketingMattersNewsletter101308/Economy_and_Globalization_Help_Drive_Success_of_Virtual_

Events.aspx


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NAILEDIT:DMNews Interviews,

Eric Meyers talks about Quest Softwares decision to choose Unisfair.

http://www.dmnews.com/NAILED-IT-DMNews-spends-a-few-minutes-with-Eric-Myers-director-of-Internet-marketing-Quest-Software/article/104797/



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DesigninganEffectiveVirtual

Tradeshow

Experience:

AnAttendeePerspective

This article addresses the areas that a virtual meeting planner or a virtualtradeshow producer needs to pay attention to when designing the virtual

attendee-experience. The content for this article is derived from nearly 5years of hands-on experience in designing and delivering virtualtradeshows in a variety of industries and applications.

http://www.itradefair.com/technology/The_Virtual_Tradeshow_Experience_An_Attendee_Perspective.pdf


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ThreeProblems,One

After choosing to host virtual events, three organizations from diverseindustries learn valuable lessons about reaching their audiences.

http://www.exhibitoronline.com/corpevent/summer08/portfolio.asp



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SevenCommonMisconce tionsthat

Exhibitors

Have

about

VirtualTradeShows

staff and money to building virtual trade shows. Exhibitors in physical

trade shows now have the option to participate in virtual trade shows aswell. This article presents a compilation of common misconceptionsbased on first-hand experience in marketing virtual exhibit spaces toExhibitors.

http://www.itradefair.com/technology/exhibitormisconceptions.pdf


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TheRealWorldMarketing

Virtual events provide the lead generation of physical events withoutthe expense ,and often with less setup work. This article discusses thevalue gained from hosting online conferences and fairs.

http://chiefmarketer.com/cm_report/virtual_events_0226/



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EightCommonMisconce tionsthat

Event

Organizers

HaveaboutVirtualTradeShows

The Internet is a powerful ally for the trade show producers in increasing . ,

Shows has been loosely defined and much maligned, largely due to

many misconceptions that prevail. To help the trade show producersshare in the knowledge gained in this emerging area, iTradeFair.com hascompiled this list of common misconceptions that trade show producersand associations have about virtual trade shows based on first-handexperiences and data.

http://www.itradefair.com/technology/Organizermisconceptions.pdf


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TheNewToolforMarketing

Virtual events and conferences are supplementing the traditional toolsof marketers to generate leads and drive customer traffic. Cisco, IBM,

.

http://www.1to1media.com/View.aspx?DocID=31202



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SevenStepstoMarketin anOnline

Event

Successfully

This article covers seven steps to successfully market an online event,

based on lessons learned from the Southwest Capital Conference inTulsa, Oklahoma which tripled its attendance through adding acompanion online event in October 2000.

http://www.itradefair.com/technology/mktgevents.pdf


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BtoB MarketersMoving

BudgetsTighten

&

ROI

ScrutinyHeatsUp

Learn how hosting virtual events can maximize marketing ROI,es eciall where bud et cuts re uire s endin less on h sicalmarketing events.

http://www.demandgenreport.com/articles.php?codearti=1197



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TheInsideLineon

GettingResults

This article discusses how online events can generate more andhigher quality leads than traditional marketing strategies.

http://iptv2daileyemails.blogspot.com/2008/09/performance-insider-virtually-better.html


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Internet

Notfor

Profit

Organizations

This article guides you through the top 15 questions you should askabout your organization and goals before embarking on any new internetmarketing initiatives.

http://www.itradefair.com/technology/Questions%20designed%20to%20steer%20strategic%20thinking%20vis- -vis%20%20Internet%20initiatives%20for%20Not-for-Profit%20Organizations%20and%20%20Advocacy%20Groups.pdf


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VirtualMeetingsWillErase

This article talks about the many F500 companies that are foregoingtraditional face-to-face events in favor of virtual meeting halls. Learnabout the the pros and cons of this trend.

http://www.businessweek.com/debateroom/archives/2009/01/virtual_meeting.html


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Dos&Dontsof

virtual social situations.

http://www.internetevolution.com/author.asp?section_id=604&doc_id=148900&



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VirtualWorlds&Metaverse

This interview addresses factors driving the success of virtual events,best practices, and innovative ways marketers are using virtual eventsto increase lead generation in their campaigns.

http://www.aee.odu.edu/virtualworldresources.php



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ProjectWonderland oo or u n

VirtualWorlds

for

Business

This presentation is a high-level overview of Project Wonderland. ProjectWonderland is an open source toolkit for creating 3D virtual worlds.Scaling to support up to twenty users, the software supports high fidelityaudio, shared applications, telephone integration, video, and more


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FromtheFirePittothe

Forbidden

City

An outsider's look at the evolution of the IBM Virtual Universe Community(VUC). The VUC has been helping to legitimize the use of virtualenv ronments w t n t roug ts roa range o act v tes, us ng avariety of virtual world platforms. In the paper, the author provides a

historical and future perspective of the community- where they havebeen, and where they are going.

http://www.ibm.com/virtualworlds/dwnlds/Firepit_to_Forbidden_City_Final.pdf


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IBMAcadem ofTechnolo

Runs

First

Multi

Day

Virtual

Conference

Over 150 eo le attended the IBM Academ of Technolo AoTConference on Virtual Worlds, held in entirely in the virtual world of

Second Life -- running behind IBMs firewall. This report provides asummary of this first-of-a-kind event.

http://www.ibm.com/virtualworlds/dwnlds/IBM_Academy_of_Technology_overview_article.pdf


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CurrentRealityandu ure s on

OpenVirtual

Worlds

This white paper examines the current state of 3D virtual worlds andprovides insight into Suns vision for the future of virtual worlds as theyevo ve w t open stan ar s an nterconnecte commun t es. e paperalso provides an overview of Suns value proposition in this domain and

describes the progress that is already being made toward open virtualworlds. The paper also provides a great overview of the various types ofvirtual worlds including popular ones like Second Life and Club Penguin.

https://lg3d-wonderland.dev.java.net/presentations/TrainForSucess-July2008.pdf


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VirtualWorldsfor

The Q2 edition of Virtual Worlds for Business features overviews of allthe major enterprise virtual worlds technologies and 12 case studies.

Find out how companies like yours are using virtual worlds today.

http://events.unisfair.com/env1/ec_140/6697049.pdf


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BestPracticesinWebcastingfor

u s ng

ProperPlanning,

CompellingContentandFlawlessExecution

Webcasts enable informative and stimulating presentations at a fraction

of the cost associated with in-person meetings and presentations. Thisguide outlines best practices in how to effectively plan your event, createcompelling content and attract your target audience.

http://event.on24.com/event/23675/1/documents/playerdoc/white-paper-on24webcastbestpractices.pdf


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TheValueofWebcastinginthe

rtua or p ace:A

Key

Component

of

EnterpriseCommunications

Smart businesses recognize that webcasting is more than a mediumits

a business-changing technology. This whitepaper discusses the value ofwebcasting and offer suggestions for finding best-of-breed applicationservices that deliver the necessary functionality, helping companiesbenefit from usin webcastin in the enter rise.

http://events.streamlogics.net/website-tracking/tracking/index.asp?link=eventid=24540


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8StepstoaSuccessfulWebcastwatchasanonlinewebinar

This fifteen minute online webinar reviews eight steps to a successfulwebcast from determining success metrics to creating the marketingplan.



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Webcastingvs.e on erenc n :

Howto

Choose

Which

to

Use

Whats the difference between webcasting and web conferencing? Underwhat circumstances should each be applied? The purpose of this article

is to define the benefits of each medium, dispel the disinformation andhelp you decide which is right for your organization.

http://events.streamlogics.net/website_staging/pdf/WebcastingvsConferencing_streamlogics.pdf


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BestPracticesfor

Webinars Web seminars are powerful and cost-effective tools

people. But there are several ifs. They must be approached

thoughtfully, carried out intelligently and the leads they produce mustbe properly pursued. This paper provides strategies and a checklist forensuring better results from your Webinar events.

http://www.picturetalk.com/webinar_bestpractices.pdf


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WebcastingforMarketin andLead

Generationwatchasastreamingvideo

This ten minute online video reviews how to generate leads throughwebcasting for career marketers.



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OntheJob:VirtualJobFairs

Don Best discusses the benefits of virtual job fairs. Jobseekers haveaccess to more search options, for example.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/jobcenter/2008-07-24-virtual-job-fair_N.htm



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TheMakingofa

VirtualJob

Fair

This article attempts to address some of the questions that have beencoming up among those interested in virtual job fairs and virtual career

fairs. iTradeFair.com has deployed several successful virtual fairsincluding job fairs since 1999, in academia and Corporate America. Inthis article the writer highlights factors that make these early adopters

.

http://www.itradefair.com/technology/The_making_of_a_successful_virtual_job_fair.pdf


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TipsforAttendingaVirtual

Learn about the basics of attending virtual networking events such as

online job fairs.

http://www.secretsofthejobhunt.com/profiles/blogs/tips-for-attending-a-virtual



53/54

Visit

www.VirtualEdge.orgor : rec ory, r c es, ews, a en ar, ev ews,

Networking and more.


54/54

email us [email protected]

a collection of resources for planning, producing, and marketing successful

Documents