Los Angeles-based technology manufacturing industry trade event producer and magazine publisher Canon Communications has unveiled plans to produce a new virtual tradeshow associated with its IVD Technology magazine.

Targeting the in vitro diagnostic original equipment manufacturers market, the Virtual Conference and Tradeshow is scheduled for September 28. Canon opted to produce a virtual conference over a face-to-face event after its internal research showed that more than 70 percent of the magazine’s audience was interesting in attending a virtual event.

IVD Technology does not produce any traditional brick-and-mortar-type events.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to connect with our audience that we know has great affinity for the brand and its content, and is a geographically dispersed group,” Canon’s Medical Device Media vice president Stephen Corrick tells EXPO. Based on previous related Webinars, Corrick says Canon expects between 500 and 1,000 people to register for the virtual conference.

The platform for IVD Technology’s Virtual Conference and Tradeshow was built on technology provided by virtual event vendor Momentum Events. So far, Canon has signed on two sponsors for the event and hopes to bring on at least “a couple more,” Corrick says.

Canon, like many other tradeshow producers, saw revenue from its events decrease last year—by roughly 5 percent to $45.2 million, compared to 2008. Earlier this year, Canon announced plans to launch three DesignMed events in 2010 to be co-located with its Medical Design & Manufacturing shows in the U.S.