In the 1990’s, especially in the early part of that decade, it wasn’t uncommon to find pundits who argued that information technology and its offshot “The Information Superhighway” (as Internet and various online services were collectively and vaguely referred to back then) would benefit small and far-flung communities at the expense of cities. It didn’t quite work out that way, in part, I guess, because many cities have a critical mass of skilled and highly-educated workers who can take advantage of tehnologies that in theory are distributed.

It is fitting that the city of Chicago, America’s third largest, is hosting no less than two major e-commerce events this month at the McCormick Place West convention center on the shore of Lake Michigan.

On June 9-12 the Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition 2008 brings thousands of e-retail professionals, including more than one hundred speakers and scores of exhibitors, to the venue.

The following week, on June 19-21, eBay Live will bring together thousands of members of the online auction site’s community of buyers and sellers, as well as a wide range of companies looking to sell their goods and services, from giants USPS and UPS to start ups like eVendor.