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Twitter at Trade Shows and Conferences
By Joyce McKee | September 3, 2008
Just this week, I signed up for my Twitter account (www.twitter.com). So it shows you that I have been slow to embrace this new, powerful communication tool. I am in a research mode for an upcoming session on Generation X and Y for some trade show organizers. And I know that Twitter is something which should be considered by these show organizers. They need to know what it is and how to use it for their conferences.
Last week, I went to my well-known and trusted source - LinkedIn - and posed a question about the use of Twitter at a show. Tim Patterson from Interpretive Exhibits was kind enough to direct me to an article in Fortune Magazine - http://money.cnn.com/2008/03/11/technology/fost_conference.fortune/index.htm
The article has valid points which state that if a conference speaker is not relevant enough, a audience can make them quite uncomfortable. As a speaker, I need to pay attention to meeting and exceeding the demands of an audience. Also, I should explore other marketing facets of Twitter.
As I am still in my research mode, I would like to find out from you the uses you have seen of Twitter on the show floor and other examples of it used in the conference setting. So please tell me your story and comment on this blog.
Topics: Trade Show Talk |
September 4th, 2008 at 7:12 am
Seems like our entire industry is buzzing about Twitter :).
September 4th, 2008 at 9:42 am
Hi Joyce - Another one you might want to think about for trade shows is Twittervision. You’re able to see where the other Twitterers are when they Twitter. Being able to see the location of other Twitterers before and after the event adds some interest and information unavailable in Twitter alone. There’s also potential for seeing your proximity to others you’re Twittering with at an event. As far as I know, though, the ability to upload an event-specific map is still in the future. http://twittervision.com/
On Twittering making speakers uncomfortable: I’ve had a few folks twitter in sessions I’ve facilitated. It was irritating until I realized that the very same people would have otherwise been disturbing others with whispering (or even talking on their phones). I came to feel grateful that Twitter keeps them silent.