Salvatore Genovese

This year's TS2 Conference & Expo in Chicago features one of the most comprehensive and integrated social media marketing and communication programs in the trade show industry to date. In addition to pre-show marketing using Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, blogging, industry group "buzz-building," and mobile marketing, the show will feature a wide range of on-site connection techniques and enhancements, including:

• MingleSticks will be given to all attendees. These devices enable people to "beam" their contact information to each other, and then upload it to their personal databases like Outlook, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
• ChirpE, a mobile browser, will serve as a personal GPS system for all attendees and exhibitors, so they can easily find exhibitors and conference sessions from their cell phones.
• Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, blogs, and other social media are an integral component of the event's marketing plan.
• Text-to-screen and text-to-vote technologies provided by Mozes, Inc. will be used during the event.
• Digital signage is a mainstay of the show's on-site merchandising.

"Face-to-face marketing will never be replaced by social media," said Shauna Peters , TS2 Marketing Manager, herself a digital native (a professional who grew up with PCs). "In fact, social media enhances live events. It has allowed us to do much more broad-reach, efficient, and effective marketing this year. And our participants will enjoy greater convenience. They can select how they want to receive updates and easily join in the conversations about the event."

Technologies like MingleSticks will enable attendees, exhibitors, and media to easily connect with prospects and colleagues and add them to their social and business networks as contacts. "I've worked in the event industry for almost 30 years, and tracking and managing leads and keeping in touch with them post-event has always been a challenge," says Nancy A. Shenker , CEO of theONswitch. Shenker is consulting to NTP on its premier Executive Summit, as well as its social media strategy. "The technology has finally advanced to the stage where people can easily connect in more meaningful ways than ever before," she asserts. theONswitch will even be hosting a Tweet-up at TS2, to attract others who are interested in integrating social media into the face-to-face marketing industry. "Ironically, social media doesn't pose a threat to our industry. It's actually humanizing, revenue-generating, cost-efficient, and environmentally sound!"