Online Migration

Online Migration
By Jessica Heasley	May 04, 2007

This article was excerpted from the May 4, 2007 posting of “Online Migration” by Jessica Heasley.

Love it or hate it, there’s no stopping the trend: B-to-B events are moving from the convention center to the computer screen.

Despite their high-tech persona, the appeal of virtual trade shows and meetings is grounded in traditional metrics that are decidedly old school: cost-effectiveness, reach and access to new audiences. What’s not to like?

Some event marketers fear the virtual realm may cannibalize their livelihoods, others have even ditched live events all together. Most say online events are helping bridge the gap between the end of one show and the beginning of the next one. How three brands are making it work: …

Cruise West: The Online Purist Cruise West, a small adventure cruise line, made its first foray into online events in 2001 mostly because it was struggling to survive—let alone compete with deeper-pocketed competitors—after 9-11 and the dot-com bust. The company let go of its field sales staff, disbanded its annual seminars and consumer events, and tried an out-of-the-box solution called GoToWebinar, which is marketed by Citrix Online. (A similar offering is available through WebEx.) The result, you ask? The company hasn’t done a live event since.

“Our travel agents are such big fans that they’re referring their clients to come to our webinars,” says Leigh Strinksy, Cruise West’s manager-online programs.

The company now trains its travel agents online and hosts weekly consumer seminars, at up to 45 webinars per month; attendance ranges from six to 50. Strinksy says the company doesn’t miss the face-to-face interaction because the convenience and reach is so much greater—the company just trained agents in Australia for the first time.

And to keep VIP agencies happy, those that used to get face-to-face visits now get private online sessions. “We see other companies in the industry offering this,” says Strinksy. “They’re recognizing that it’s a great way to reach a wider audience.” www.ganconference.com