I recently participated in the PCMA sponsored webinar entitled “Engaging Attendees Today: How to Combine Virtual with Face-to-Face.” Moderator Michael McCurry and speakers Jeff Hurt and Christina Costner profiled EventCamp NYC 2010, which was a BarCamp-style gathering for event professionals to share best practices and learn new strategies to create a successful event held on February 6 at the Roger Smith Hotel.
Mike, Jeff, and Christina had many great points and the following were the ones I felt strongest about, therefore I tweeted them:
- Consider the “Long Tail” in using #hybrid #events to extend attendance and reach says @JeffHurt at #EC10w.
- Meeting face-to-face was the best thing they could have done says @mizcity at #EC10w!!
- Local audience and remote audience are more friendly terms for the 2 audiences according to @JeffHurt. #EC10w
Since I was at EventCamp, I added my own thoughts to the conversation happening on Twitter:
- It’s all about audience engagement…whether virtual or face-to-face. #EC10w
- Social media was used to connect the remote and face-to-face attendees of #EC10. #ec10w
- Back channel at #EC10 is how @klrichardson and I met…now sharing lots of great info with each other! #ec10w
- It is amazing how well #EC10 was streamed to virtual audience based on all of the technical difficulties/challenges at the venue. #EC10w
- Break the 4th wall & talk directly to remote audience…both with speakers & a host for the remote audience. http://www.bit.ly/cTurs3 #EC10w
While at EventCamp, I was asked to do journalistic style interviews with the speakers to keep the virtual audience company during the breaks. This success of this “virtual audience engagement” was mentioned during the webinar and the following tweets ensued (thanks everyone
):
- Mizcity: Hey! @mikemcallen is speaking about @emiliebarta who was our professional speaker and interviewer! Emilie was so gr8, highly recommend!
- rayhansen: RT @tracibrowne: RT @klrichardson: @EmilieBarta provided “moments of intimacy” for remote audience #ec10w
- VelChain: Breaking the 4th wall and engaging virtual audience is key. Done well at Event camp by @emiliebarta! #ec10w
- ericlukazewski: Emilie Barta was a fantastic virtual host @EmilieBarta #ec10w
During the Q&A portion of the webinar, a question was asked about the types of industries that would find success with hybrid events and what made EventCamp so successful:
- #Hybrid #events work for any industry that wants to engage with their audience no matter where they are located IMO. #Ec10w
- IMO #EC10 was successful because it brought together generous tweeps with a common goal of finding out how to make #hybrid work! #EC10w
And a funny thing happened at the conclusion of the webinar:
- OMG…I just said “thank you” and “bye” to the computer after #EC10w!! Hee, hee, hee… ;o)
- Jeffhurt: @EmilieBarta Your computer and phone line thanks you! #ec10w
- I much prefer speaking to someone in person rather that talking to my computer! #EC10w
- camelendes: VERY FUNNY! RT @EmilieBarta: OMG…I just said “thank you” and “bye” to the computer after #EC10w!! Hee, hee, hee… ;o)
Are you one of the 162 people who attended this webinar? What information did you learn about hybrid events and engaging the virtual and the face-to-face audience? And if you did not attend, what questions do you have about hybrid events?
Now that you have decided that a Professional Trade Show Presenter will do a better job of drawing positive attention and potential customers to your booth than Mark from Marketing and Sally from Sales, how do you go about finding one? After all, many people call themselves Trade Show Presenters, but how do you know if they are reputable and good at what they do? It is not as hard as you think, as long as you are willing to take some time to research. After all, this individual is the first impression of your company, so you want to ensure that you make a perfect match!
I spent an exhilarating weekend in NYC attending
Many of us in the trade show industry do not have a “title” that was introduced during Career Day in grade school. When we meet someone who says they are a Doctor, Lawyer, Plumber, Office Manager, Florist, Chef, or Bus Driver (for example), we have an understanding of what that person does on a daily basis. But most people give me a blank stare when I tell them I am a Professional Trade Show Presenter and then ask me “what’s that?” Or they say something along the lines of “oh, so you’re a Speaker.”

When walking around the trade show floor, I am constantly amazed at how many exhibitors I see who do nothing to encourage attendees to enter their booth. Having a booth presentation is a strong way to make a statement, and encourage attendees to stop, look, and listen.
So you have purchased your booth space, had your exhibit house design and build your exhibit, contracted all of your services, booked your airline flights and hotel rooms, hired your
A Professional Trade Show Presenter is an individual who is hired to give scripted or unscripted presentations or product demonstrations in an exhibitor’s booth at a trade show. The Presenter is the exhibitor’s “Company Spokesperson,” a representative of the company, and oftentimes the first impression of the company. An exhibitor has made a wise selection when the Presenter accurately portrays the “image” of the company, and is mistaken for a company employee.
