Webinar deck for teaching exhibition and trade show organizers how to use content to help foster and grow their virtual communities. This was done for AFIDA, the International Association of Exhibitions in Latin America.

1. By Stephanie Selesnick
President, International Trade Information, Inc.
stephanie@intltradeinfo.com
www.internationaltradeinformation.com

2.  2nd Generation Trade Show Organizer
 Produced and Managed over 40 Expos in
Mexico (from 1994-2003)
 Now President of ITI, Inc., international
consultants in the exhibition industry
 Blogger for Expo Magazine & Exhibition
World
 Community Engagement Ringleader for SISO
(Society of Independent Show Organizers)

3.  Virtual Communities
 What are they? Why do we care?
 Community Engagement
 Different types, places to engage
 The Role of Content in Community
Engagement
 Different types of content

4.  Creating Content/Using Influencers
 Putting it all Together
 Re-purposing content to use for Multiple
Channel Distribution
 Questions and Answers

5. Definition (via Wikipedia):
 A virtual community is a social network of
individuals who interact through specific social
media, crossing geographical and political
boundaries in order to pursue mutual interests
or goals.
 The most popular ways virtual community
operate under social networking services
consisting of various online communities.

6.  Virtual communities resemble real life
communities in that they both provide
support, information, friendship and
acceptance between strangers, friends and
colleagues.

7.  24/7 is the new normal.
 If you aren’t keeping
your exhibitors, visitors
and prospects engaged
on a regular basis,
someone else will.

8.  Helps Show Management stay current with
the industry
 Provides Show Management leadership role
within the industry
 Helps with Live Programming (Education!)
 Virtual drives Live Engagement & Attendance
 i.e.: Tweet ups, Virgo Media
 Brings in new people
 Can help drive sales
 Does not have to be expensive

9. This is known as Community Engagement!
 Where does your audience hang out?
The New Rule of Engagement:
 You have to go where your audience is. They
will only come to you if you are where they
are – and if you are interesting or provide
something new and valuable – content.

10.  Ask.fm
 grew 5000% in one year. Has over 13 million
unique visitors per month. While mostly skewed
to a younger audience, worth a look-see.
 Scribd – this is a paper-sharing site.
 LinkedIn Groups
 Facebook

11.  Twitter
 Google + (not really)
 Pinterest
 Microsites

12.  Facebook Clips
 Photos
 Podcasts
 Video Blogs
 Videos
 Webinars
 White Papers
 YouTube Channel
 Others?

13.  Tradeshows,
conferences and
events are ripe with
content
 What can we do on site
to capture content as
it’s being created?

14.  RELEVANCE of Subject Matter –
 What is your customers’ pain point and how
can you help solve it?
 HINT: just like our expos and conferences

15.  What is an influencer?
 Do you know who your industry’s top 10
influencers are?
 Do you regularly interact with them?
 Use your key influencers to help spread the
word about your events and help create
content.

16.  Ask for an appointment
 Tell them you think they are an influencer in
the industry in a complimentary way.
 Ask them for Help in promoting your event.
 Then let them speak!!!
 Let them offer ideas.
 Ask them what they want to do.
 Reward them.
 Thank them.
What other ways can you use influencers?

17.  It’s Content!
 Short Form is easy to do
 You can authenticate the voice of the customer
 For example: interview visitors/exhibitors on site
 It may be user generated - your audience submits
content
 It does not have to be expensive
 It can be easily broken down into smaller pieces

18. Length:
 How long should pieces be?
 Should Content be paid?

19. Building a Community & Disseminating
Content
LinkedIn Groups – finding pain points and
providing solutions
 Use the Polling feature to get more information
 Listen, Listen, Listen!
 Continuity

20. Use Social Contests on FB and Twitter –
before and during the event.
Use themes, keynotes, conference topics and
make exclusive sponsored meet up/tweet ups.
Tweet Ups vs. Meet Ups

21.  Microsites: Have a video library with
speakers, sponsors and industry personalities
for before the show.
 Post content from the show to keep engagement
going year round.
 Stay Engaged! We as an industry are horrible
about neglecting social media more than 2
weeks after a show or event.
 24/7 is here to stay.

22.  What are Multiple Channels?
 Online meets and drives the live experience,
and keeps it going throughout the show cycle
 Don’t forget email!

23.  Does not have to be hour-long segments!
 Content should be repurposed for the places
people in your industry congregate and
discussions are happening.
 There is free editing software available online
if you don’t have much of a budget to edit
video down to smaller sized pieces

25.  If you aren’t the leader in your industry
sector, someone else will be!
 24/7 is here to stay
 Community Engagement and Content does
not have to be expensive
 Multiple Channels Require different
communications
 Engage your Community before, during and
post event

26. For more information, please contact:
Stephanie S. Selesnick
stephanie@intltradeinfo.com
www.internationaltradeinformation.com