TSNN (Trade Show News Network) – the ultimate event resource – launched a new innovative Facebook tool called TSNN eventFriend™ to help event professionals attract more attendees and increase show awareness online. TSNN eventFriend can also help attendees and exhibiting staff promote their involvement in the show and organize meetings in advance of the show.

Trade show professionals can now take advantage of the massive social media phenomenon, Facebook, through the TSNN (www.tsnn.com) in order to add incremental attendees and generate free advertising for their event. The TSNN eventFriend™ is now available for the entire event industry to leverage this enormous viral marketing opportunity at www.tsnneventfriend.com.

“We developed a new and free Facebook widget for trade show and event professionals, and the percolating interest is absolutely amazing,” says RD Whitney, CEO of TSNN’s parent Caroo Media (a division of Tarsus Group plc). “There is a massive contagious effect to what we are doing, and very simply, trade show producers who utilize this tool will have a new competitive advantage over those who don’t. Over 20 major trade show organizers have already agreed to utilize TSNN eventFriend™.”

“TSNN eventFriend™ is a cutting-edge opportunity to promote yourself in the trade show industry. More and more social media opportunities are critical to promote business these days. Making the leap into social networking and social media are imperative for business, and eventFriend™ permits that in a big way,” says Christopher Spencer, Vice-President of Immersa Marketing, e-Commerce author and subject matter expert.

Rick Calvert, CEO and co-founder of BlogWorld and New Media Expo, agrees, “I think that TSNN’s new integration with Facebook is a terrific step in the right direction connecting web 2.0 tools with face-to-face event marketing. It is just the latest example of why TSNN is a leader in our industry. Some show managers might wonder why this is important to their business, and the simple answer is, this is what future attendees are using to decide which events to attend”.

Millions of professionals from around the globe have been using Facebook to stay linked to friends and colleagues. While there has been a lot of hype, conscious adoption in the professional markets has been limited until now.

“This is a no-brainer,” asserts Stephen Nold, President of Advon Technologies and recognized meeting technology thought leader. “What’s not to like? Here’s a tool to cause a viral marketing infection about your trade show. The more it gets picked up, the more visibility for your show, the higher your show gets ranked in Facebook. This application is a win-win all around – for trade show producers, the attendees, the venue city and the show’s exhibitors.”

“This is the employee/business intersection social media sites have been waiting for,” states David Larkin, CEO of New York-based Loft Group. “We have been talking to major players in the trade show industry, and this has the potential to catch on like wild fire. Of particular interest, the various events that send this widget out to attendees will be ranked as a top show in Facebook. The more attendees use it, the higher the rank, the more visible the show.”

With a $15 billion valuation, traffic numbers that have grown 12-fold since 2006 and a rapid international adoption rate, Facebook is becoming a forum where more and more business professionals are connecting with colleagues. One of the ultimate points of connection affinity (untapped until now) is around business events and trade shows.

“80% of our attendees are apparel retailers who own their own businesses,” says Julie Ichiba, Executive Show Director of the Off Price Specialist Show. “We encourage them to take advantage of the free social media sites like Facebook to promote their stores. eventFriend™ will be a great resource for us to show them how to realize the opportunities of online networking and promotion.”

“Trade shows are face-to-face networking as Facebook is to virtual connections. We are just the conduit that completes the circle,” comments Whitney. “We encourage every trade show producer to invite their event attendees and exhibitors to maximize their time by making the networking connections and meeting appointments prior to the event. There’s nothing to lose, and massive incremental, free viral marketing to be gained. TSNN eventFriend™ will make you the office hero if you tell management that you’ve increased traffic without spending extra marketing money.”
www.tsnn.com

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