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.