NoJitter reader "Gas bag" commented on news that Cisco will use its TelePresence technology to conference in Al Gore as a keynote speaker at VoiceCon:
NoJitter reader "Gas bag" commented on news that Cisco will use its TelePresence technology to conference in Al Gore as a keynote speaker at VoiceCon:
What's Cisco's VoiceCon carbon footprint as they ferry in 100+ staffers to work the booth and myriad whisper suites scattered around the hotel?
The point is a good one, and by no means specific to Cisco. Telepresence, is often presented as being inherently green. Yet, many of us still fly hundreds of miles to gather in air conditioned conference centers to attend trade shows to discuss it and other so-called "green technologies." While this is not perhaps an ideal situation in terms of carbon emissions, I don't think there is too much in the way of underlying hypocrisy here.
So far as I can tell the main issues revolve around the maturity of the telepresence technology and how it's applied. Telepresence is meant to simulate and replace conference room meetings with two, four, eight, maybe 12 participants. It can - and is - being deployed to reduce travel expenses of such small gatherings. But telepresence can't replace the highly dynamic social environment of an industry tradeshow. Strangers become acquaintances at coffee breaks between educational sessions. Acquaintances become customers, business partners, colleagues, or friends.
There are, of course, social networking technologies that might be able to act as a substitute. And maybe in a number of years instead of flying to Orlando to meet you and VoiceCon, my Second Life avatar will attend your product demo or case study presentation before they gab over a virtual coffee. But the virtual world experience is going to have to come a long way to replace the business benefits of an industry tradeshow.
Editor's note: For another answer to the issue of Cisco's allocation of resources here at VoiceCon, and the future of trade shows, see my Monday Daily Update (--EK)
