A Fork in the Road in the Face-to-Face Meetings Industry

More than a decade ago, the Internet made its appearance in the meetings and exhibitions industry and it intrigued as much as it frightened event planners and suppliers. The main question back then was whether the Internet would replace face-to-face meetings. It didn’t.

Over the last several years, as social media went mainstream, the same doubts and excitement surfaced. More than one article was written in 2008 about the death of tradeshows at the hands of Facebook, YouTube and virtual meeting platforms. And although most experts agreed that social networking platforms and virtual events wouldn’t replace live events, there was still some trepidation about how new media would affect face-to-face meetings.

In 2009 the industry was flooded with ideas, platforms and discussion about social networking. More than that, the philosophy of social networking–sharing, collaboration and interactive engagement–started to permeate other processes, apps and tools fomenting an evolutionary way of working. In 2010, we came to a fork in the road and turned the corner embracing the potential of social media and innovating with the new rules. In 2011, the industry has embraced social, virtual, and mobile in a very big way and the discussions around these new innovations is titillating.

This blog is a place for ideas, perspectives and evidence that social media and other innovative technologies can and will flourish alongside face-to-face meetings. And, as we explore the world of Web 2.0 and emerging technology, we’ll always be looking for the next big thing to enhance the connection and collaboration at the core of every meeting, conference, and exhibition so that as the next fork in the road approaches, we’ll see it coming.