Keep live events real?

Just as the web is improving the ability to self-organise it is also pushing down the cost of event management. For a start there is EventBrite, an event registration service which facilitates ticket sales and promotion.

Tools such as eNetworker manage delegates and exhibitors - both prior and post event. Couple this with a free video streaming service such as Ustream and you can also provide live video and real-time chat.

Finally, all good events have some sort of twitter tag: Twitterfall allows you to display and monitor on-line threads as they emerge.

Despite the benefits of digital participation in ‘normally’ controlled environments there is a downside –too often delegates are distracted by their mobile information devices and have less ‘real-world’ interaction with the event and people that they came to witness.

In creating an on-line conversation alongside an event are we distilling the quality of real debate? I am often surprised by the number of people who use laptops during meeting and events – would they revolt if there was no WiFi or mobile access?