Virtual Events Propagating Education and Innovation

We truly live in an age of wonders. It is an age when technology and social transformation are combining to produce a wave of learning and innovation on a previously unimagined scale.

Robert Rosenbloom, the President and CEO of PlatformQ, is riding the crest of that wave at the helm of a digital media company that produces virtual events connecting literally thousands of the world’s greatest young minds and established experts from around the country and even the globe.

Right now, PlatformQ is primarily focused on producing large-scale, digital, interactive learning events - such as virtual medical conferences and one-stop college fairs - for medical associations and universities. But their services are potentially of interest to many regional, national or global groups that can benefit from having the features of on-line virtual worlds at their disposal.

“We are not just replicating physical events. We are offering the capabilities of streaming video and 3-D technologies in a way that engages thought leaders and experts with an interactive audience,” says Rosenbloom.

In fact, his company’s virtual events offer a number of features to facilitate the fun of digital synchronous, interactive learning:

• Both live and on-demand streaming media presentations;
• Real time interactive question and answer sessions with recognized experts;
• Web-based panel discussions and webinars;
• Virtual booths and resource centers super-stocked with electronic information;
• Networking tools for video chats, instant messaging, and multi-modal communication; and
• 3-D environments that foster easy but stimulating virtual navigation.

Participants can also post and share massive amounts of electronic information, including PowerPoint presentations, medical studies, scholarly articles, videos, lists, databases and other useful electronic files. “Plus, if you miss the event, you can view it on-demand and download important information, resources, brochures, documents and materials," Rosenbloom adds.

But the best part may be the cost to users - it is all FREE! Participants can save not only the costs of travel, lodging and meals, but the expense of conference registration fees that otherwise go to pay for hotels, caterers and event planners.

“There is no cost to the users because the on-line presentation expenses are underwritten by sponsors, such as Intel, HP, Microsoft, GE Healthcare, IBM and pharmaceutical companies like Abbot, Sanofi Aventis, Roche and Siemens,” Rosenbloom explains.

He asserts that “we provide a solution for the rising cost of physical conferences that is particularly useful in an economy where travel budgets and expenses are being cut to the bone.” Rosenbloom adds that “we set up expert presentations, handle the production work, and drive the marketing programs for our various events, which makes it easy for participants to engage.”

Currently, more than 300,000 participants per year are engaging in virtual events produced by PlatformQ, and that number is rising quickly. “We now have more than 35 employees and we expect to have more than 50 by year end,” says Rosenbloom, noting that PlatformQ started with just a handful of employees in 2007. In 2010, the company saw revenues increase more than 100%, and is projecting similar growth for 2011.

Last year, PlatformQ produced more than 25 major virtual events, featuring more than 750 live video-based sessions, and they produced more than 150 virtual campus events for their CollegeWeekLive property as well.

Rosenbloom points to his company’s production of CardioCareLive in conjunction with Johns Hopkins University as an example of innovative, collaborative work in continuing medical education. The program features interactive, educational programming that showcases the latest developments in the study of atrial fibrillation, acute coronary syndrome, mitral valve issues and other relevant cardiac concerns. The virtual nature of the event also facilitates the participation of busy primary care physicians, endocrinologists, and other specialists outside of the cardiology field who find the information helpful to their practices, but might not otherwise attend.

“Through CardioCareLive, healthcare practitioners are able to learn about the latest clinical developments for treating patients with cardiovascular disease from the leading cardio experts in the field, and via streaming video, directly pose questions to them based on real-life experience. It is clear that people are much more unafraid of asking questions on-line, and the result is a more frank dialogue and a greater exchange of ideas,” Rosenbloom says.

He adds that PlatformQ works with the licensing authorities on testing and certifications, so participants can take on-line tests after the sessions to get necessary continuing medical education credits. That kind of capability is another reason PlatformQ also hosts conferences for oncology, infectious disease care, life sciences and clinical diagnostics.

Similarly, in the field of higher education, there is nothing quite like CollegeWeekLive, which is a live, virtual college fair attended by colleges across the country and students from around the globe. At this event, students and their families can get help from admissions representatives, financial aid experts, college faculty and even representatives from the Department of Education’s FASFA division, who answer questions about their government’s various financial aid programs.

“We also have experts on screen helping students to find the right college or prepare for the SAT,” says Rosenbloom, noting that Dr. Gary Gruber and Ted Fiske, authors of Gruber’s Complete SAT Guide and the Fiske Guide to Colleges, have appeared at the virtual event.

The results are stunning. “More than 250,000 students registered for our on-line programs last year, including the virtual open houses for colleges,” says Rosenbloom, adding that PlatformQ’s virtual events have reached students not only in rural and urban America, but in Africa, Asia, India, South America and Europe. Students from over 140 different countries participated in PlatformQ’s CollegeWeekLive program in 2010.

Rosenbloom turns to Andy Merken of Burns & Levinson for necessary counseling in corporate law and he values the assistance that other members of the firm provide regarding employment law issues as well. “We needed a corporate structure that fit our unique situation, and we needed corporate lawyers who could think outside of the box,” says Rosenbloom. “Andy and his team can do that, and they understand the needs of an early-stage, growing company that is creating a new market opportunity,” he adds. “We truly enjoy working with Andy. He is incredibly responsive and creative, which is important to us.”