Different representatives from the Google Apps team hit the road on an information tour to promote use of the tool for small to medium sized businesses. Today the tour hit Kansas City, MO. Tomorrow will be the fourth and final stop in Phoenix, AZ.

The event today was very informal and felt a lot like a booth at a trade show. Google decorated with branded Lava Lamps and bean bags. It was located in a large covered area outside, and Google employees stood by laptop stations demonstrating Google Apps and answering questions. Google also handed out branded canvas bags, Google pins, and coupons for AdWords.

Google invited representatives from Truckmovers.com to share their experiences with using Google Apps. I spoke with Chief Technology Officer, Darryl Shippy, who told me that the company had moved to Google Apps in January of 2007 for their email, and they'd integrated some other Google Apps services after that. They were particularly impressed with Gmail's spam filtering.

It was difficult to gauge attendance, since participants were free to stay as long or as little as they chose, but there were no huge lines or big waits for the free barbecue they served. Part of this may have been because the event was offered in the middle of a work week, and part of it may have been because it wasn't heavily publicized in local media.

At any rate, Google couldn't have picked better weather for the event, and no large crowds meant everyone had the chance to ask questions or see demonstrations. It will be interesting to see if events like these have any impact at all on the Microsoft-centric business place.

• Review of Google Apps
• What's the Difference Between Google Apps and Google Accounts?