Meeting Business Schools -- at a Virtual MBA Fair

HONG KONG, March 23 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- In uncertain economic times, going for an MBA is a big step. Finding the right school has become ever more important - yet for busy professionals the search takes precious time. Business schools know about the challenges prospects face when it comes to making an educated decision on where to study and are increasingly adding social media as a means of effective communication.

Already by the end of 2008, 85% of colleges and universities in the United States utilized at least one form of social media, and many schools are running more than one form of online presence, such as blogs and webinars, Facebook, Youtube or Twitter. Schools like Cambridge Judge Business School, Singapore Management University SMU and MIP Politecnico di Milano are now taking their online activities to a new stage by participating at MBAwired (http://www.mbawired.com ), a virtual MBA fair.

Replicating the features of a face-to-face event into the virtual world, MBAwired allows prospects, school representatives, alumni and students to meet at exhibition booths, attend presentations and mingle at a virtual lounge all without leaving their desk.

"Virtual events can greatly contribute to establishing qualified contacts that can be followed up in face-to-face meetings," said organizer Jerome Hainz, Manager eBusiness UBM Asia.

"Our school has staged webinars for some time and we believe a virtual fair can take the user experience a step further," said Conrad Chua, Head of MBA Admissions and Marketing at Judge Business School.

Doris Sohmen-Pao, Programme Director of SMU MBA, believes going virtual could become a trend for MBA shows: "Candidates don't have to travel far to meet us. We are excited to be part of this next generation of MBA fairs."

For other schools, a major point is the international reach. MIP's admission officer Xixi Fan emphasizes: "We are well established on Youtube and Facebook, but MBAwired is more interactive and can help us to cover regions more specifically."

MBAwired APAC will be held on June 3, 2010 with a number of business schools to present their programmes. It is scheduled to take place in East Asia's early evening allowing candidates from APAC to participate after work. Hainz summarizes: "The online visit gets attendees a one-stop access to information and in touch with school representatives, alumni and students. This is critical for a good decision on where to go for an MBA."

For further information, please contact:

Jerome Hainz

Tel: +852-2585-6129

Fax: +852-3749-7495

Email: jerome.hainz@ubm.com