Michelle Bruno will moderate a panel of stellar trade show and corporate event organizers on Thursday, October 25, 2012 to drill down into the subject of event-related technology purchasing. Don’t worry if you can’t watch tomorrow, the presentation will be archived on the TSNN.com website. The Webinar will feature Andrea Bahr from the Society of Petroleum Engineers (producers of the ginormous Offshore Technology Conferences around the world), Scott Lum of Microsoft Corporation (enough said) and April Wilson from Hanley Wood Exhibitions (a for-profit organizer of several mega shows including World of Concrete and Surfaces). Panelists will address seven questions and then the audience will have an opportunity to ask questions of their own.  Here are the questions and an explanation of what Michelle will be looking for from their responses:

1. How do you find out about event-specific technology? i.e. what digital publications, print magazines, blogs, thought leaders, social platforms, trade shows, conferences do you read, consult, attend, etc.
2. What factors drive your purchasing decisions? i.e. What constraints do you have or criteria do you use to make technology/vendor/platform selections?
3. What internal procedures do you follow to select and purchase technology? i.e. do you use formal RFPs?, when you find something, who do you show it to, who has to approve it, what’s the purchasing path?
4. What types of technologies are on your radar now? i.e. are you focused on virtual, social, mobile, tablets, database, CRM, what and why?
5. What reservations do you typically have for any technology purchase? i.e. what are your concerns: integration with existing platforms, whether vendors can support your purchases (in the case of start-ups or new leading/bleeding edge tech), cost, how the technology fits an overall strategy, etc?
6. What do you love or hate about technology vendors? i.e. do you get calls at home (hope not), do you get newbies that don’t understanding your needs selling sophisticated tech that they don’t really understand, are there folks selling you vaporware, do you have any examples of a great interaction, etc?
7. What is the best way for vendors to sell to you or your organization? i.e. How do companies with really great ideas and solutions penetrate the “firewalls” of large organizations in a way that allows them to appear professional and respectful?

You can still sign up for the live presentation here:

https://www.eiseverywhere.com/ereg/newreg.php?eventid=49993&

After that, visit TSNN.com/webinars for the archive.