Important Events About the Future of Events
Just as there are many songs about singers and many books about writers, there are many conferences about producing events. I recently came across an event that actually understands the current digital evolution in event media: VirtualEdge 2009 has assembled an impressive program of event producers and technology leaders in a program that emphasizes business imperatives over technological flash.
I spoke with the event producer. Michael Doyle is a B2B veteran with experience in both print and event media. VirtualEdge 2009 reflects the coming transformation in event media. Especially impressive is a slate of speakers that includes Nielsen, Ziff Davis, and United Business Media. These are companies that are on the front lines of B2B event media evolution. The concurrent technology showcase has a unique format, with individual meeting rooms with interactive demonstrations. They’re developing the audience for this event as a community, through the website VirtualEdge.org, and you receive a Virtual Event Handbook when you join the community. The event is May 28-29 in Santa Clara.
In a similar vein: Government scientific and technological research efforts often incubate and spawn important commercial innovations. This week, National Defense University is hosting the Consortium for Virtual Worlds Conference. The consortium seeks to “improve government collaboration through the use of virtual worlds to enrich collaborative online experiences.” While it may be too late to attend the event, the online agenda serves as a catalog of virtual environment technology in the service of distance learning, personal interaction, and information sharing.