UBM, the leading global provider of business media and marketing
services, is relaunching COMDEX as a virtual event which will take place
November 16-17, 2010.
At its peak COMDEX was the world’s most famous tradeshow, attracting
more than 200,000 visitors and 2,300 IT industry exhibitors from around
the world to Las Vegas before the show closed its doors in 2003. UBM
acquired the COMDEX brand as part of its acquisition of MediaLive
International Inc in 2006.
The virtual COMDEX event is being launched by UBM’s Everything
Channel business, a leader in technology sales channel media and
services. Everything Channel is going back to the original 1979 concept
of an event designed exclusively for the technology sales channel
called "Computer Dealer Exhibition". Everything Channel’s virtual
COMDEX will include:
— Grand Hall of Masters will showcase the event’s keynote speakers
— The Conference Hall will offer technical, product, channel and business conference tracks
— The Exhibit Hall will feature booths and pavilions from technology vendors
— Hospitality Suites for private meetings, briefings and cocktail parties
— The Media Room will host registered journalists and industry analysts
— CRN Test Center will offer live reviews and demos of leading-edge technology solutions
For more information on and to register for Everything Channel’s
COMDEX event, go here: www.COMDEXvirtual.com.
Virtual events are specially created online digital environments in
which participants interact with online content or with other online
participants as they would at live, face to face events. In 2009 UBM
ran a total of 38 virtual events of different types, including careers
fairs, technical seminars, tradeshows, conferences and sales meetings.
Everything Channel’s virtual COMDEX event will be built by UBM
Studios, UBM’s creative and strategic marketing business which
specialises in building next-generation virtual media business solutions
which connect global audiences through a robust virtual event
environment with an intuitive user interface and appealing visuals.
Separately, UBM Studios has signed a strategic alliance agreement
with InXpo, the largest virtual event technology provider, to deliver
next generation virtual business solutions using the InXpo Virtual
Events Platform. As its first global media licensee, UBM Studios will
use the InXpo platform to support the delivery of UBM virtual events at
scale and on a worldwide basis.
David Levin, CEO of UBM said:
"The original COMDEX died because it stopped serving its core
customers. We are giving COMDEX a future by going back to its past.
Our virtual COMDEX is focused on serving the IT channel, Value Added
Resellers, ISVs and all those people and businesses who make up the IT
distribution system. Virtual COMDEX works right alongside and
complements the other products and services we provide for the Channel
and for the wider technology industry."
"We are a leader in the virtual event market – we ran 38 virtual
events in 2009. Through our UBM Studios business this year we’ll run
many more virtual tradeshows, recruitment events and in-house training
sessions for industries as diverse as construction, shipping and
healthcare."
"We run virtual events in tandem with live, in person events like
tradeshows: we think we have a great opportunity to take advantage of
the complementarity between online and offline events. Virtual events
are emerging as a great, cost effective way of bringing customers
together to engage and interact with branded business content and as
well as a means of building professional business community interaction.
These capabilities are key to delivering the measurable ROI that our
customers are looking for."
