The New Face of Conventions

I have been given the opportunity to predict the future.

I have been asked to come up with a "Virtual Booth" that will replace the ever diminishing attendance at conventions. But that means that it needs to fulfill whatever needs were being met by walking the convention floor. And to do that, I must figure out what those needs are, and how to fulfill them in a virtual world... if such a thing is possible.

If I can figure this out it will be awesome, and start the wave of the next online presentation of information and product demonstrations.

That certainly sounds cool and important.

But who started online video? Who developed the first GUI on a website? Who developed the hated pop-ups and banner ads?

We don't know. They are not major parts of history, and so I have no delusions of grandeur or thoughts of fame or fortune. No, I would merely be a seer who predicts the coming rain and then punctures the clouds with a spear from the gods.

So... yes. My mind is slowly turning, considering the desires of mortal man, the forces of electrons striking phosphors, and how we're going to code, capture, and then relay information from a non-existent world to someone staring a glowing sheet of plastic and give them the answers for which they are looking.

A small task.

An impossible task.

I hope to be able to announce proudly that I just had an apostrophe.

No, seriously, "lighting just struck my brain".

Here's hoping.

~Luke Holzmann
Your Media Production Mentor