Here’s a lesson for us all. When trying to ensure that only qualified buyers attend your event, be careful not to set the bar so high that legitimate buyers are kept out.

It’s almost impossible to avoid those bottlenecks at registration during the opening hours of your event. In fact, anytime there’s a must-attend event or session at your show, dealing with long lines is one of those things that just comes along with the territory.

Instead of simply just driving home the value of your own event, why not show your constituents that you see the big picture? The BioMass Conference and Expo does just that, leveraging the Registration section on its Web site to highlight not only the benefits of attending the conference, but also of business travel in general.

Comdex Comes Back—Virtually
COMDEX will make a comeback later this year as a virtual event. UBM, which acquired the brand as part of its acquisition of MediaLive Intl. in 2006, will relaunch COMDEX as a virtual event to be held Nov. 16-17, managed by its Everything Channel business.

What it is: Following in the footsteps of Facebook and Twitter, Foursquare is the latest craze among the social media savvy. Foursquare members use the site to alert others in their social networks (including Twitter and Facebook) where they are at any given moment by either logging on to the Web site (www.foursquare.com) or using a smartphone application to “check in.” The people that check in to a given spot or location the most often become the “mayor” of that location.

DO YOU COME WITH THE CAR?
Ever wondered what’s going through the minds of the glitzy models hired to work the auto show circuit for car companies year after year? Check out one anonymous gal’s blog, Do You Come With the Car?, at doyoucomewiththecar.blogspot.com.

Here are some legal situations that may be entangled with technology and your show, as well as precautions to take to avoid technology-related litigation.

At press time, the industry is abuzz with news that Chicago’s Metropolitan Pier & Exposition Authority was proposing legislation to the Illinois State Assembly that would essentially turn union workers at McCormick Place into public employees and prohibit labor strikes.

When’s the last time you took a hard look at the rental furniture you’re using for parties and gala events? The right choice can make — or break — an off-site event. The Buzz checked in with rental furniture specialists to get the skinny on the latest trends. One tip: get modern.

What it is: Trendwatching.com profiles the latest, greatest trends and business ideas, relying on a network of hundreds of “spotters” in more than 120 countries. Readers can get a free roundup of those trends sent to them in a monthly “briefing” e-mail. One recent briefing included tidbits on anti-energy drinks, “urge alert” advertising and branded pop-up shops.

Whether they’re used as a marketing vehicle leading up to the show, a way to extend your brand year-round or simply a place for your community to connect with one another, most organizers understand the value that social networks can bring to their events. But creating a network that serves as an industry destination and truly engages your audience is much easier said than done. Defining what you want your social network to accomplish is just the first step in launching your initiative, which we’ll examine here in the first of a three-part series.

Sure, you refresh your show or reposition a couple of elements every year. But how often do attendees or exhibitors notice and, more importantly, is it driving attendance or exhibit sales?