Virtual Tech Fair Comes to Distribution

You love to network, want to learn about the latest technology in distribution, like to meet interesting people, and visit exhibits. BUT you hate to travel, stay in lonely hotel rooms, battle traffic, pay exorbitant prices for everything, stand in long lines, scurry to food stands and rest rooms and lose valuable time away from the office. Well, say goodbye to the hassles and hello to the Virtual Tech Fair (VTF).

The simplest way to explain a VTF is to visualize a very sophisticated web site that allows visitors to experience a tech fair from their office or home. You can attend meetings, listen to presentations, network with your friends, and do it all online.

From an exhibitor’s standpoint, there is significantly less cost. They do not have to ship a booth, samples, brochures, and spare parts to some faraway convention location with their fingers crossed that nothing becomes damaged or lost. All of these costs have caused many vendors to cut back. If your favorite trade show does not attract sufficient numbers, you will not get to see all of the technology options.

Now consider an online or virtual tech fair. Both exhibitors and attendees can be there through the magic of the internet without leaving town. If you work from home, you don’t even have to get dressed. You can still schedule meetings and conferences. Through the use of electronic conferencing and interactive Voice Over IP (sending and receiving voice over the internet), it is possible to have group meetings and discuss subjects just as if you were in person.

As an attendee, you can pick up literature for later reading. Only everything is in an electronic format. There is no waste and the exhibitors never run out. You can leave your business card behind and schedule an appointment for some future date – hopefully at your home office, and only after determining that it will be worth your time. If you are very impressed by one of the live education presentations, there are archived versions so that you can listen to it again, this time with your staff. Now everyone in the company can benefit from the great programs being presented.
If you are considering a new computer system, or just want to make sure you are keeping up to date, plan on attending the first VTF for Distribution Software. Visit with the software vendors that service your industry. Do your research without every salesperson knocking on your door. Make it efficient and get to see the most important vendors all at the same time.

This is a free, virtual event. The Tech Fair will be live on September 12 and13, 2006. You can experience the best elements of a live Tech Fair over the Internet. There will be product demos, networking, education and you can even enter a drawing for show prizes. The keynote will be given by Adam Fein, Ph.D., an industry leader and a fellow of the Distribution Research and Education Foundation. He will address “Embracing Changing Technology.”

You can register for free at www.virtualtechfair.com. Then participate. Not only will you learn about technology and your business, you will experience the virtual environment.

So, check out the distribution industry tech fair, plan to do your research in advance, and find out how much more effective you can be when the experts are available to you without leaving town.

About Steve Epner

Steve Epner has been directing traffic on the information super highway since 1966. A highly regarded industry expert, Epner is widely published and has provided comment for national business publications including the Wall Street Journal. His experience in business, technology and strategic planning makes him a nationally renowned technical speaker. Epner can be reached at sepner@bswllc.comor 314.983.1214.

About Brown Smith Wallace Consulting Group

St. Louis based Brown Smith Wallace Consulting Group, founded in 1976, is an independent, full-service technology consulting firm. For more information visit www.software4distributors.com or call 888.279.2792.
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