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In the last two weeks, my chihuahua Mr. Pickles and I have attended DreamForce, TechCrunch Disrupt, and the AIIM Social Business conference, all from the privacy and comfort of my couch. They had the same lasting emotional impact and educational value as an in person events, minus the $15 a day for hotel internet and crowded airports, and I was able to participate in real time thanks to social media polls, and chat.

Of all of these recent events, the AIIM Social Business conference stands out in my mind as one that was done to perfection.

1.       The presentations were engaging, and combined slides, video, and live participation to drive interaction. I felt like I was having a private chat with some of the top minds in the world, and had an opportunity to make my voice heard. I think Billy Cripe stole the show with his incredible session on “Why Go Mobile? Am I Cool Enough?” You owe it to yourself to check it out.

2.       Game theory? That’s +5,000 points for you. AIIM had a unique way of awarding points for chatting with other attendees, saving files, and attending sessions with a prize at the end. While I sadly didn’t win, this added another dimension of fun to the conference.

3.       The barriers to entry were extremely low. Let’s be honest, a traditional event carries a hefty cost in terms of time and money. For less than $99, I received dozens of hours of content, whitepapers, and networking for less than I would have spent on 1 night at an airport hotel.

What about you? Do you like to attend and participate in virtual events? Do you sit around and play World of Warcraft and secretly wish your guild’s conversation would suddenly turn into a discussion on SharePoint governance? Please let me know in the comments.