"Traditional trade shows are a convention-center-sized hassle--and they cost a lot to boot. Add up booth rental and presentation time-slot fees, advertising, promotional doodads and travel expenses (never mind the lost time away from the office), and a company's tab can rocket up to $100,000 per show. Throw in a recession and little wonder that overall trade show revenue ($12 billion at last count in the U.S.) is expected to contract nearly 7% this year.
Hence the rise of virtual trade shows, designed to look and function like the real thing but that play out in real time in cyberspace. Entry fee: just $3,000 to $8,000. Better yet, you don't need to be a computer wizard to participate. Here are nine steps for getting the most out of them."