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Capturing the Web 2.0 Expo

Capturing the Web 2.0 Expo

By: Amber Henrie, Account Executive, Fusion PR

The Web 2.0 Expo was a wonderful experience. I feel the organizers should be commended for the lay-out of the expo as they were smart to serve lunch in the back of the hall so all attendees had to walk through the booths. The expo floor was full of dynamic booths and the show attracted the key players from Apple and Microsoft to Yahoo and Google.

This show was different than CTIA as most of the press did not make appointments and preferred to “stop-by.” Still, the press walked the show floor and didn’t stay in the press room. I spoke to a few reporters who mentioned that the organizers wouldn’t let press attend unless they showed prior coverage of Web 2.0, which I found interesting as there was a large international press contingent.

I heard that the educational sessions were very informative especially for the many startups that attended, but time did not permit me to attend any sessions.

Overall, the Web 2.0 Expo was a beneficial experience for all in attendance. For upcoming attendees of the expo this fall or in 2009, I felt that the best plays were for storage, database and Web tools companies, as well as social networking sites. While the show had a few mobile exhibits, they were not prominent and they highlighted open platform capabilities for Web developers.

2 Comments
  • Bob Geller

    April 30, 2008 at 2:08 pm Reply

    Thanks for the wrap on the Web 2.0 Expo, Amber. This year we have had more clients attend than in previous years, and it continues to be an important show.

  • Lisa Langsdorf

    April 30, 2008 at 2:14 pm Reply

    It’s interesting to see the Web 2.0 Summit branch off into the Expo. The Expo doesn’t seem to attract the invitation-only heavy hitters that attend the Summit each year. The issue with the Summit is that the ability for a smaller company to participate is very limited, especially if you’re not on the invitee list. I remember working with the Web 2.0 Summit two years ago (we were on the invite list) to get a few colleagues to attend and John Battelle said he had literally hundreds (if not more) of folks that wanted to attend but that he couldn’t accommodate. So, I guess it’s natural that he’d want to leverage that interest somehow, thus the Expo. Hopefully the Expo can retain some of the benefits of the Summit i.e. cutting edge topics, innovators and the opportunity to network with the best Web companies are start ups in the industry, especially those looking for VC funding.

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