As the first conference devoted solely to business-oriented online communities, VirComm will also attract editors and publishers, ad agencies, ISPs, hosting services, and other Internet infrastructure companies. VirComm will feature a prestigious roster of Internet professionals who will focus on the urgency behind building a virtual community, why it makes good sense, and how to get there. Keynoted by Net Gain author John Hagel, and with presenters from such firms as Proxicom, The Palace, iVillage, Meredith Corporation, and Forbes, VirComm will explore the many technology options, differing business models, and difficult issues, such as demographic capture that make online communities a complex management challenge. Conference attendees will find community operating models, case studies of successful communities, a guide to key community features, steps to creating a realistic business plan, marketing strategies, and tips to grow existing communities. Speaker names and sponsors will be posted on the site as they are announced.
Registration is also available on the Web.
A companion Online Inc. event, the DVD Professional conference, will be held in the Omni on overlapping days, February, 2-3. For over 20 years the Online Inc. family of products has been written and edited for professionals, educators, developers and publishers who use and manage electronic information resources.