Recently, I've been speaking to groups about the online trend called Web 2.0. Not familiar with this technology buzzword? Web 2.0 is a catchphrase for a host (thousands … maybe tens of thousands) of Web sites that are interactive in nature. To me, the best way to grasp Web 2.0 is to think of it as the receiver taking control of the communication process.

If you're unclear about all Web 2.0 entails, search Web 2.0 on Wikipedia (http://wikipedia.org) for a great overview. Social networking sites are clearly at the forefront of this grouping. But by no means are they the beginning and the end of the conversation.

Have you heard some Web 2.0 terms? Sure you have. Let's try a few on for size. Blogging? That's a Web 2.0 technology. RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a critical 2.0 approach. Ever log on to Wikipedia? Yep … Web 2.0. Listen to a Podcast? It fits the description as well.

If Web 2.0 is so integral to the use of the Web, then it would make perfect sense for our industry to use this model to enhance communications within meetings. Naturally it has, especially in the social networking context, which allows meeting attendees to better network and communicate.

Consider the citywide annual conference, where thousands of people with whom you could network will congregate … if only you had the time and the ability to locate those you need to get to know. Enter two Web-based services that can extend and enhance the networking of any event. Both introNetworks (http://intronetworks.com) and Leverage Software (http://leveragesoftware.com) allow the planner to create a meeting-specific online community for their event. By establishing this service months prior to an event, you create the opportunity for the attendees to log in to create and customize their own profiles, and look for individuals with common needs and interests. (See "Associations Get Social," on page 70 of the April issue to see how attendees benefited from using this tool at PCMA's 51st Annual Meeting.)

Imagine going to that citywide event, already having established dozens of connections, and then instead of using your networking time to search for those who might help you, you are actually able to connect with folks who share your common goals. And the online community can continue to provide benefits for participants long after the meeting is over.

On a more traditional meeting level, the conference message board has always been the "kitchen" of the event. A bit old school, perhaps? A poster board. A piece of paper. A pushpin. Effective, yes. High tech, no.

Interactive, high-tech message centers (often driven through RFID [Radio Frequency Identification] nametags) are way cool, but can be out of some planners' price range. However, Jot Messaging (http://jotmessaging.com) is changing that. This simple and inexpensive software can transform any computer into an attendee-messaging center. It is a self-serve approach to meeting messaging, which masks users' e-mail addresses for privacy.

What about those RSS/blogs/podcasting tools? Not the domain of our industry, you say? I beg to differ. The suppliers of the 21st century better understand and use these tools, or they will be left behind. Some are already "getting" it, such as MeetMinneapolis (www.minneapolis.org), which offers podcast and RSS links at the top of its home page.

We haven't even scratched the surface of Web 2.0, but at least now you can toss this buzzword around with authority … and maybe even help put it to work in your own organization.

° James Spellos, CMP, (jspellos@meeting-u.com) is founder and president of Meeting U., which provides customized training solutions for the meeting professional. A certified Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS), he has 15-plus years of computer training, software training, meeting planning education, and technology consulting experience. Working Smarter is sponsored by PSAV Presentation Services. Visit its Web site at www.psav.com.