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This is true. Majority of conventions these days are just boring copycats of those from successful organizations like SWSX. Seasoned speakers, the same old PowerPoint presentations, fuzzy illustrations, and half-baked anecdotesnothing has really changed. That is why bloggers set up their own online conventions on their personal spaces to get rid of the monotony. And that is why regular conventions are becoming less and less popular these days, to the extent that only diehard bloggers and Internet writers attend these, so they can have a piece to write for their loyal readers.
Blog Conventions
Blog conventions were originally just homemade videos patterned from traditional conventions and were formulated to lessen the discomforts that real conventions bring to people. During that time, early bloggers literally conducted real-time and taped conventions and conferences on their blogs to reach wider audiences and to cater people who could not make it to the event. This was during the absence of YouTube and other video-sharing sites and when posting videos on blogs was a big thing.
Blog convention pioneers
Small church organizations pioneered this online convention trend. They used blogs and self-hosted websites to accommodate their growing population, which crowded their small gathering places. It was more of a solution to their growing attendance problem (for church groups usual problem is finding a bigger place for expansion) than an innovative trend. And the rest is history; bigger churches (e.g. Hillsong, Lakewood, Saddleback) built their online conventions that eventually lead to online worship. This was where members could attend the main Sunday service without being physically involved in the church. Eventually, the whole World Wide Web joined the video bandwagon, which started the video marketing phenomena.
Blog conventions are hassle-free, cheaper
Compared to organizing real, physical conventions, online conventions are undoubtedly cheaper. Paying a big amount of money to costly convention center rental, ticket prints, audiovisual apparatus, and catering services are never a problem here. Bloggers just need a handy camera, a good piece (or a script), an attention grabbing English accent, and a deep knowledge of his subject.
Online conventions on blogs gradually turned into more toned-down talks. Some became marketing videos and simple tutorials, and some simple advertising and promotion.
Conventions on Blogs killed real Internet marketing conventions today
Some accounts would tell that the reason behind peoples hesitation to attend real seminars and conventions is the ubiquity of homemade videos posted on different blogs on the Web. They say that people would most likely understand the essence of the event if they are sitting peacefully in the comforts of their homes rather than with dealing with traditional convention complaints like pitiable ventilation and audiovisual quality, unaccommodating hosts, poor catering services, and even annoying poseurs and experts roaming around the area making geeky natters.
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