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 Emerge Blog 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 web site 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."

Back to the 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 are 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 web site 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.