Internet World

First of all, sorry it’s taken so long to get a post show post up. As is always the way, we’ve been dealing with the usual (and some unusual) post show activities.

What a week it was at Earls Court for Internet World! We thought it would be tough to beat the award winning 2007 show however I have to say that was one of the best shows I’ve been involved since I started organising events 9 years ago. There were periods when I thought it might take me half an hour just to walk the length of the show, there were so many attendees. The crowds outside the seminar theatres proved we hit the nail on then head with our educational program and for those who didn’t get the chance to see all the sessions they wanted to, we will be updating the seminar pages on the website with the slides and audio from many of the sessions over the coming weeks.

In addition to this, I am excited to announce the launch of the Internet World Video Player. We filmed all the keynotes and few other sessions at the show so if you join part of the Internet World community (which is free), you will get access to keynotes from the likes of Travis Katz, International Managing Director of Myspace.com, Ashley Friedlein, CEO of E-consultancy and Peter Mercier, Head of Mobile from the BBC. Please keep an eye on the website and The Buzz newsletter for further details.

2009 is already looks set to be another superb event in our new home at the illustrious Grand Hall, Olympia. As you will have seen if you attended the show this year, we were at capacity in Earls Court 2 and the move to Olympia will give us the chance to build bigger seminar theatres, locate them in their natural homes in the various zones around the show and will greatly enhance the attendee and exhibitor experience. Also, with the weight and resources of our new owners CMPi behind it, you can expect Internet World to come back next year with an even better marketing campaign, greater content and even a bit of a facelift… We’ve got a few exciting features lined up for next year including plans for a showcase area of some the most exciting and cutting edge technologies and solutions around.

What was great to see at the show is that online is undeniably the driving force when it comes to many marketing strategies. Whilst the show has always been the natural home for online, digital, new media and ecommerce professionals is was great to see the continued increase in the top marketing decision makers (Marketing Directors/Heads of Marketing/CMO’s) at the show. I remember a few years ago when it was a real struggle to get these people to engage in online. Increasingly these days they are the first through the doors of Internet World and the last to leave. This year there was one Marketing Director (who shall remain nameless) from one of the world’s biggest brands who told me he only intended to pop in briefly on Tuesday and ended up staying all day and returning on Wednesday and Thursday.

On a different note the cricket season has started and as I write, England have started their reply to New Zealand’s first innings total of 277 in the Lords test. I hope Strauss and Cook do better than my personal performances so far this season: 2 matches - 2 innings - 9 balls - 0 runs. As D:Ream pointed out in 1994 and the Labour party reminded us in 1997: “Things can only get better”

And finally you’ll be pleased to hear that I have also managed to book my first holiday the year: a week in Corsica at the start of June. Can’t wait!