Triiibes - Beginnings of a Legacy

A year ago, I became a part of Seth Godin's Triiibes, an online gathering of fans of Seth. The initiation that was required to be part of the group, the way it governs itself and the way ideas are exchanged for the greater good make Triiibes among the the greatest of permanent online venues that I have ever experienced in 10 years of doing online events in my own line of work.

As part of Triiibes I have had the privilege of seeing Seth Godin's presentation in person during a preview of the book launch of Tribes - we need you to lead us.Triiibes helped me give finishing touches to my first attempt at an ebook that has since been very well received. Communicating with triiibals constantly gives me new perspectives and input from accomplished and generous individuals - on matters of work and life.

Besides his insightful books and his blog, I believe that with Triiibes, Seth may have created one of his greatest, lasting, living and growing legacy. Thank you again Seth! Congrats to Triiibes on the first of many purposeful years!

Bookmarks that make Benjamin Button Blush

When an itradefair attendee writes back "Really a cool site! I bookmarked it, but will I always be able to access it - or will the site (tradeshow) shut down at some point?" it makes us blush with pride. It is always nice to be 'favorited', added as a 'friend' or simply to hear things like "I enjoyed today's event immensely. Although we scrambled with a few problems, after the server was re-started, I experienced no problems. I really liked the new skins. They looked up-to-date and more sophisticated than the old ones, and having a broader variety of skins added to the diversity of the event. It was fun to open a booth and see a new skin."

We just completed yet another highly successful itradefair for a closed corporate event yesterday. I want to list 3 lessons learned. We have been doing itradefairs for 10 years now; yet there is always something new to learn because we are basically dealing with humans, computers, the Internet, distance and time-zone differences - all variables, most of them dynamic as well.

1. Embrace the variables. When we have to deal with as many dynamic elements in a live itradefair against a ticking clock what makes for a great itradefair is how well we manage all of the variables simultaneously and deliver a wholesome experience for everyone involved. That could mean devising quick workarounds, shutting down non-essential elements to isolate and neutralize possible issues, trouble-shooting for every single attendee no matter what their system limitations are, responding swiftly and satisfactorily to questions so that they do not escalate into something so huge that they sideline the entire event, all the while shielding the programmers so that they can do their thing without feeling the heat and the pressure, staying in a calm state of mind. Once we accept the fact that there are so many uncontrollable factors in delivering a live itradefair, it becomes easier to decide how to manage the genie and focus on delivering on the goals of the event.



2. Convenience, Convenience, Conveneience. Here is a question that came our way for yesterday's online trade fair. "Please answer a question for me – I am unable to be online tomorrow from 1-4 – Is it necessary for someone to man the booth during those hours. Will the trade show be available for attendees until the end of the month? Is manning the booth online necessary at all or preferred?". Short answer: If online attendees like a virtual exhibitor's offerings, they will find a way to get a hold of the exhibitor. An itradefair must give them a choice of tools to reach out and make the connection, without tying them down to their desk. One of the reasons people keep coming back to do itradefairs is because it is so convenient. Do not let your passion for technology overshadow your passion for the convenience of your customers. Find a balance. (borrowed from Steve Ballmer's recent speech). I have started using a modified version of the word 'convenient' in my signature line, a deliberate mis-spelling that combines the words 'convene' and 'convenient'. I call an itradefair simply conveneient.



3. Manage Expectations, but Beat Expectations. Virtual trade shows are not meant to replace tactile experiences. They can't. They are not the greatest thing since sliced peanut-butter. Focus on the quality of the audience, quality of interaction and quality of outcomes. Build in elements of wow for the audiences right in the middle of the event -- we soft-launched new graphics or skins in yesterday's itradefair and pleasantly surprised the audiences who clicked away not knowing how fascinating and captivating an itradefair can be. At the same time, they knew that it was not about the online experience, rather it was meant to be an efficient way to pre-screen participating businesses with niether party expecting the proverbial 10 million dollar contract to emerge right away at the virtual event. The itradefairs merely aim at creating pathways to that 10 million dollar contract, giving tools to cut through layers in business decision-making. That is all it is - an efficient reseach and interaction tool - and efficient process-improvement too - just a little fun-filled though. Do not forget to tuck in a few pleasant surprises even as you manage expectations.

As we at iTradeFair.com prepare for the next decade, we will chart new waters. Every itradefair is so invigorating, it almost seems like we are doing a Benjamin Button with each passing year. Thanks are due for the past 10 years to our team of brilliant programmers and designers (and their supportive families) over the years, to our customers including several repeat-customers who have mentored and moulded our thinking and products, our forward-thinking prospects who direct our future vision, thank you to our formidable competitors who have helped make virtual events real by making them a part of business lexicon, and last but not the least to our investors and advisors without whose faith in us, we would not have made it this far.