At Web 2.0 Expo, even the wheelchairs are sponsored

By Rafe Needleman – April 23, 2008 9:54 AM PDT

Get well soon, Sam.

(Credit: Rafe Needleman / CNET)

Sam Lawrence, the CMO of Jive Software, broke his foot a week ago. He wasn't looking forward to the hassle of wheeling around Web 2.0 Expo in a wheelchair, but found a way to take advantage of the situation: He turned his buggy into a mobile billboard. A metal placard mounted on the backrest advertises his own company, and he also got two other sponsors to pay for placement, offsetting the cost of the hardware.

Now that's a solid Web 2.0 business model.