Virtual Events: The State of the Sector

Webcast Abstract

Surveys are designed to answer questions. But in some cases they raise new ones. When the consulting firm Tagoras conducted a survey on virtual conferences, trade shows, and other events in the association sector, the responses reignited familiar debates. What are the real benefits of online events? How many organizations are taking the leap into the cloud and are they glad they did? Who actually attends virtual events? And what's the ultimate value of their experience?

In this live webinar we'll bring together the founders of Tagoras and six meeting leaders experienced in association and government-sponsored virtual events, to explore key issues and offer their views of how the survey data plays out in the trenches.

Participants will learn how organizations design virtual events, how they price and position them, what makes them successful (or not), and what we might predict for the future.

Presenters

	Jeff Cobb Co-founder, Managing Director, Tagoras biography
Jeff speaks frequently on how the global learning economy in which we now live is impacting business, education, and the business of education. His next book, Leading the Learning Revolution, will be published by AMACOM in Fall 2012.
	Celisa Steele Co-founder, Managing Director, Tagoras biography
Celisa co-authored the research reports Association Virtual Events, Association Learning + Technology, and Association Learning Management Systems. A veteran of the e-learning world, Celisa has served on the research committee of the eLearning Guild and as a judge for Brandon Hall's e-learning awards. She currently serves on ASAE's Professional Development Section Council.
	Marie A. Bass, MS, CAE Director of Education, Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) biography
Marie directs HFMA's educational product offerings including live meetings, e-learning programs and virtual conferences. Prior to joining HFMA, Marie served as the Executive Director to a number of healthcare organizations. She is a frequent speaker on virtual events, leadership development, training and organizational growth and has published numerous articles on organizational growth and non-dues revenue.
	Regina Coll, MDE, RN-BC Manager-Technology, Credentialing Knowledge Center, American Nurses Credentialing Center biography
Regina is a technology manager and also coordinates educational events for nurses seeking board certification. Her background is in nursing, distance education and elearning management.
	Jack Coursen Educational Program Manager for Professional Development American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) biography
Jack focuses on the design and development of web-based continuing education courses. He co-produced ASHA's first online conference and its first podcast, and has led the transition to a paperless method of course materials distribution.
	Helen Li Program Analyst, Abt Associates (USAID SHOPS Program) biography
Helen is a program analyst for the SHOPS Project led by Abt Associates. In her current role she supports project activities in the Asia and Middle East Region as well as the coordination of conferences, workshops, and meetings.
	Tom Manning Associate Director of eLearning, Learning Forward biography
Tom directs all of Learning Forward's online learning initiatives, including e-learning programs, virtual conferences, and online communities of practice. He also directs the organization's social media efforts, including managing Learning Forward's blog and website content.
	Lance Simon, Moderator VP Client Solutions, iCohere biography
Lance has over 20 years experience selling, implementing, and managing enterprise software products and services. His skills lie in relationship management, consulting, and customizing solutions that delight clients and partners. Lance has focused on serving the association/nonprofit and government marketplaces since 2001. Testimonials From Past Webinar Attendees

This webinar is produced and funded by iCohere, Inc. The Strengthening Health Outcomes through the Private Sector (SHOPS) project is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) under Cooperative Agreement No. GPO-A-00-09-00007. The views expressed in this paper do not represent any official views or positions of USAID, the U.S. Government, SHOPS, or Abt Associates.