Web 2.0 and its social networking applications have lit a fire that is blazing through society, connecting consumers and altering the landscape on many levels.
Perhaps the best example of its success can be found in the realm of online dating. How many friends do you know who’ve met that special someone—or at least a reasonable facsimile of that special someone—online?
Another case in point comes from leisure travel websites that allow users to post reviews of hotels and resorts. If the product is shoddy, consumers will let each other know and the property will suffer. It’s online democracy at its best, with a few kooks, nutcases and malware thrown in for good measure.
This month’s issue features a couple of stories detailing the Web 2.0 phenomenon and its application to the meetings industry: “The Great Society 2.0” and ”Virtually There.”
Meeting planners are connecting and sharing opinions like never before, and any supplier who is complacent in the shadow of this revolution will rapidly be traded in for a newer model.
