New media technologies - communication, collaboration, presentation, content delivery and distribution platforms - provide powerful ways to dramatically extend the reach, duration and interaction possibilities of both online and offline events.

Photo credit: Ingrid Peek

Up until now, we have tended to be constrained by time and space when putting on an event. So, events have been hosted at a particular location with a finite set of speakers and participants meeting synchronously.

However, as a result of the convergence of usable new media technologies, a new class of powerful, inclusive, popular and engaging event is rapidly emerging: the X-event.

An X-event offers the following exciting possibilities:

• Physical live events can be projected into virtual space by using web conferencing and live presentation technologies.


• Much larger audiences can access the event because recordings can be made available for interested parties to digest at their leisure.


• Greater opportunity for interaction is provided through the use of RSS newsfeeds, wikis, blogs and discussion forums. These communication channels can generate discussion and interest before and long after an event takes place.


• Numerous revenue generation streams can be realised via paid access, sponsorship, subscriptions and premium content creation.

Some of the new media technology that is creating this brave new X-Event landscape is:

• Web conferencing and live streaming services


• Recording systems


• Rich-media on-demand delivery


• RSS


• Web Aggregators


• Blogs


• Wikis

There are a vast number of imaginative uses to which this technology can be put. Events are going to become a breathtaking buffet of presentation, comment, discussion and interaction.

I, for one, am looking forward to this mouth-watering prospect.

Robin Good reports.