You might say it started with event-magic in 2004, the year Facebook was founded. On a cool, damp July night in Boston, a tall, handsome, (secretly) cigarette-puffing University of Chicago professor-turned-politician, skilled in the ancient art of oratory, delivered his first nationally covered speech.

An estimated 15,000 media representatives were there, looking for a good story, when Barack Obama, then a candidate for the U.S. senate, spoke to about 5,000 delegates at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. And 9.1 million viewers watched on TV.

Fast-forward less than five years and the boyish face of Facebook founder Chris Hughes was cover art for the April issue of Fast Company Magazine with the cut line “The Kid Who Made Obama President.” The “boy wonder” according writer Ellen McGirt, had “changed politics and marketing forever.”

Media—whether old, new, or yet to be invented—are instruments of power. Power is fundamentally rooted in three forces: production, destruction and belief. Productive power creates; destructive power coerces; persuasive power influences our view of the world. And these forces interact. Productive capacity can create destructive weapons. Coercive power can seize the means of production. Beliefs guide production and destruction. The dynamics of such interactions are the stuff of political economy. And media are right in the thick of it.

Belief, a key factor in political economy, is the real business of the media. With information and exhortation, media influence belief, and so direct the use of time and resources—for better or for worse. Media can help motivate altruism or suicide bombings; set styles; sell products or politicians. So as we start the new year, it would behoove those of us who make our living creating and distributing information and entertainment to be more cognizant of political economics.

Economics alone will not determine the future shape of our media businesses. We have plenty to learn from the story of how our President rose so quickly to the highest office in our nation (hint: the Fast Company story is not the last word). And still more to learn from the unfolding drama of his presidency. In 2010, too narrow a focus on economics and the strictly commercial uses of information might cause us to miss opportunities—social and political as well as economic!

We at the Conference Department wish all a peaceful, productive and EVENTFUL 2010.

Labels: Barack Obama, Chris Hughes, new media, Political Economics of Information, social media

The panic in traditional media today is painfully evident. The watchword of the day is “digital.” Old marketing and media assumptions are being tossed out. It’s not just a cyclical situation. It’s a secular change in the sense of a long-term, large scale phenomenon as big as the advent of radio or TV or even movable type. So why am I sure that events aren’t going the way of print media?

People are social animals. We like social interaction, which is one reason digital social media is red hot. The media world has been transformed by the internet and the pace of this transformation will accelerate. Human nature, however, has not changed. That is why face-to-face events, the original social media, developed over thousands of years of human experience, will remain one of the best communication tools for business.

Events are naturally engaging. You’ve heard laughter spread across a room almost instantly at a conference. Live in-person events uniquely ease exploration, create opportunities for exchange, and allow instant adjustment of your message. You can respond to the wince, the look of wonder, the wink, or the smile. You can see if your audience is paying attention or checking their email. Live events foster a level of audience concentration and focus that other media cannot duplicate.

Events are compelling. Can you recall a recent experience you’ve had, as part of a crowd? Do you remember how you felt? Chances are that your memories are visceral. People react to what they see, hear, smell, and feel. They can move around, join in and ask questions. Participation motivates and mobilizes people by powerfully stimulating the social senses.

Events build trust. Think of a person you’ve recently met, face-to-face and another you met by email or phone. Who did you get to know better, quicker? Trust is fundamental to effective communication. Trust is essential to building loyalty for your organization and brand. Trust motivates positive action. People believe what they experience first-hand. The rich experiential environment of events can be the key to building trust. People are highly receptive in an appropriate event setting.

Events make money. Even in this very tough environment profitable events are being staged every day. Well conceived and executed events deliver high returns on investment. Events effectively build relationships and convey information that leads to action. From sales meetings to major public events, these investments can pay-off consistently. Events can be a profitable media business and they are a proven cost-effective tool for communication.

Events are effective. Participants in conferences regularly credit a conference for inspiration or information. Sponsors and exhibitors come back year after year because they got their money’s worth the year before. I have had sponsors tell me that a single conversation with the right person can lead to business of a scale and profit level sufficient to justify their commitment. In our currently difficult economic climate and with the explosion of communication options, events are still a powerful tool to inform and influence high-value groups. Whether your target is employees, customers, prospects, or broader audiences, events are an essential part of your communication mix.

Meetings, conferences and other events are a vital part of any internal or external communication plan, but effectively executing a cost-effective communication initiative takes practice, focus, and expertise. In today’s demanding economic climate you need to be extra careful that your event initiatives deliver.

Face-to-face interaction will never become obsolete. Media forms will come and go, including specific forms of events, but face-to-face will continue to be a powerful media. Your use of in-person events must be deliberate and integrated with your total communication effort to get maximum value from them. But you can be completely confident that there will always be a place for Face2Face!

Labels: event management, event marketing, face to face media, face2face media, social media