I attended my first virtual trade show today, and it was definitely an interesting experience. I didn’t know exactly what to expect, but I was hopeful and looking forward to having access to useful and interesting information without having to leave the office.

The event kicked off with a keynote address, as trade shows generally do. The address had actually been pre-recorded at a previous event, though, which struck me as odd. Also, the show’s organizers had clearly not thought through how they would incorporate the address (which was shown via video) with the speaker’s visual aids. The camera stayed on the presenter during the entire address, including a text-based video that lasted close to five minutes. The slides were available for download, but many people either had trouble downloading them or did not have the correct software to view them. All in all, the keynote was not handled well, and many of the attendees were very frustrated.

Luckily (though also sadly, as many people made it clear in the comments area that they were not happy with the keynote and would not return for any additional sessions), the keynote was the low point of the event. The remaining sessions of the day were handled very much like traditional web seminars, with audio of the presenters coupled with associated slides. Though the presentations were pre-recorded, the Q&A sessions were live so the presenters could answer questions in real-time. The presentations are also going to be archived for the next several months, so attendees can access the sessions they couldn’t make it to today.

The virtual show also included additional features, such as an exhibit hall, where suppliers could highlight products of interest, offer literature and other information, and even live chat with visitors to their “booth.” A library of presentations and associated information/materials was also available at the virtual show, as was a network lounge, where attendees could live chat with each other.

Overall, it was a pretty beneficial event, especially since it was the first that this particular company had put together. I imagine that they’ll have learned from today’s missteps, and the next virtual trade show they organize will be even better.

Especially in these days of slashed travel budgets, the popularity of virtual trade shows is likely to increase. I’m wondering what experiences you might have had with virtual trade shows? Have you attended any, and, if so, what ups and downs did you encounter?