Have you gone to a conference by staying in your home or business office?
That is exactly what is happening in the world of small business CEOs. What's a virtual conference? It has the look, feel and benefits of a local, in-person conference or trade show. You can visit virtual booths to collect materials, meet sponsors, ask questions and even pick up some virtual swag.
For example, in SCORE's next virtual conference, you can attend our educational sessions, exchange ideas with other business owners in the networking lounge and download conference materials in your virtual briefcase.
Until a couple of years ago, I never seriously considered attending or launching a virtual conference. It seemed to me I would miss out on the main benefits I found in face-to-face conferences — networking, meeting new people and enjoying the exhibit hall browsing experience. But after attending and later presenting, my perception started to change, and SCORE now is using this option for small business folks across the country.
In the past, hosting major conferences was a luxury typically affordable to only large corporations and businesses with deep pockets. Today, organizations and businesses of all sizes are empowered by the web and the reduction in production costs to host their own conferences.
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Virtual conferences are not only an amazing marketing tool, but also a great networking and learning experience for audiences attending them. They actually are fun and engaging, and are environmentally friendly.
Virtual conferences are here to stay for many reasons and will be a major transformation for small business leaders.
Easy and cost effective:The main cost associated with a virtual conference is that of producing the content for the conference and delivering such content in an engaging and interactive way.
Anywhere, anytime:People can attend virtual events from anywhere in the world, and if they can't make the live event, they usually can benefit from the recorded content later. All you need to attend is a connected device and decent internet connection.
Networking made easy:Attendees of a physical conference often need to scour exhibition rooms and corridors searching for nametags and tracking down industry leaders. With a virtual conference, these physical barriers are stripped away. Attendees have immediate access to fellow attendees, as well as speakers and exhibitors, with just a few clicks of the mouse.
Environmentally friendly: A virtual conference does not involve travel. Additionally, all collateral (brochures, data-sheets, and give-aways) are virtual, hence avoiding all printed material in conferences that often gets trashed.
As businesses look for new ways to engage audiences and push branded content, virtual conferences undoubtedly will become more popular and will help transform the way we do business in our increasingly global village for years to come.
I suggest you try it out. I invite you to experience a virtual conference that SCORE and Verisign have partnered to offer. It is called "Power Up Your Small Biz: Technology Trends Virtual Conference."
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This half-day conference is scheduled for 11 a.m. Oct. 27. Registrants will:
• Participate in eight informative webinars on leveraging technology (half-day of content)
• Learn best practices from experts at AT&T, ComplyRight, DreamHost, Kabbage, Versign and more.
• Visit virtual booths to collect materials, swag and chat with sponsors and professionals.
• Network with other attendees.
• Get exclusive access to recordings and materials from the event.
• Learn the secrets needed to grow your business.
As a small business mentor, I highly recommend you experience this virtual conference and team up to build your business. Go to score.org and below the picture on the website, look for the article on this virtual conference and register for it by clicking "register now." It is free.
