Cisco's Collaboration for Events Program for Going Virtual and Hybrid

Faced with ever-increasing business demands and corporate cost-cutting initiatives, savvy event managers are finding innovative ways to connect with new audiences, extend their brand, and ameliorate their return on investment (ROI). Although numerous events take place face to face in a physical location, event managers are progressively integrating Collaboration solutions that let them to virtualize their events to broaden and augment participation. The Cisco® Collaboration for Events experience, which includes technologies such as telepresence, web conferencing, high-definition video webcasting, and social video sharing portals, offers event marketers new ways to transform the way they conduct events.

Cisco's Experience with Next-Generation Events, a whitepaper, sketches the future of events and explains how Cisco build up the "Collaboration for Events" offering based on their use of connected technologies to augment their own events. The InXpo and 6Connex virtual events and business platform is a prime component and a leading provider to the great results cited in Cisco's Next-Generation Events solution. Cisco's largest and most complex events, which include Cisco Global Sales Experience, Cisco Live (user conference) and the Cisco Virtual Partner Summit, are all hosted on the INXPO platform.

George P. Johnson and INXPO helped Cisco to accomplish the following results in the Cisco Global Sales Experience (GSX) in 2009:

• 86% cost savings: (from $65 million to $9 million)
• $19 million in productivity and time savings (reduced employee travel)
• 46% increase in breakout sessions (from 37 to 54)
• 34,000 tons of carbon emissions eliminated

INXPO is dynamically working with Cisco and George P. Johnson on Cisco GSX 2010, which promises to be another innovative experience.

"We share Cisco's vision of next generation of events and are excited to be part of Cisco's Collaboration for Events offering. INXPO continues to innovate with Cisco to advance event experiences," said Chris Meyer, Executive Vice President, Sales & Marketing, INXPO. "The flexibility and integration capabilities our platform provides have enabled many Cisco technologies, including WebEx, to create a seamless event experience to the end user," said Meyer.