Experts Share their Event Digital Toolkit in IAEE Webinar

November 3, 2016

By Elizabeth Johnson

Recent research from Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) uncovered that just seven percent of exhibition organizers and 12 percent of exhibitors rate their digital offerings as effective in enhancing the attendee experience. Given the shared confidence level is so low, the October International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) webinar, “Using Digital to Rock Your Attendees’ Trade Show Experience” is certainly timely.

During the hour-long webinar, Nancy Drapeau, PRC, director of research, CEIR, moderated a panel of experts; David Saef, CTSM, executive vice president, MarketWorks; GES; Bill McGlade, CEM, director of account management, a2zInc; and Aidan Augustin, co-founder, Feathr, who described a toolkit of digital tactics to use before, during and after an event.

Drapeau reviewed results from the study to demonstrate how digital tools are necessary to make logistics easier and add value while preserving the essence of events, face-to-face interaction. She noted that event’s website is its most important digital asset according to attendees, following by search and email.

Augustin offered insights into preshow planning.

“People are spending an absurd amount of time online and that’s where you should find them,” he commented. “Across your digital assets you have your audiences. Invest in that sort of engagement.”

He suggested event organizers use analytics tools such as Google Analytics, Kissmetrics, or Mixpanel to make changes as well as monetize their digital assets. Examples of monetizing digital assets include in-app sponsor placement or sponsored push notifications and social media shout outs.

Augustin also discussed ad retargeting and using email mapping and other digital tools to segment their ad campaigns based on their audience’s activities. He added that event organizers could start a new revenue stream by offering sponsored retargeting, where they place online or social ads to their digital audiences (for example, website visitors) on behalf of the sponsor.

McGlade emphasized the importance of the event website as central to achieving the desired ROI and meaningful engagement.

“A website with strong UI/UX (user interface/user experience) is a must have, not nice to have,” he said.

He described building a site that is interactive and contains galleries with the content that attendees want, such as exhibitor product showcases and clear educational information. McGlade also advised event organizers to engage with registered attendees via e-newsletter approximately twice a month and on social media daily, pushing attendees to the content they are looking for.

He promoted creating a personalized experience for attendees, using gamification to create meaningful engagement and using digital tools to enhance pre-qualified leads.

“To stay relevant, almost every event is going to have to implement a matchmaking platform,” McGlade said. 

Saef explained how digital tools to enhance the onsite experience. He showed a number of new products such as badges that “talk” to each other in order to connect people with common interests and Poken which enable attendees to share information and download literature to their profiles.

“You can create more purposeful interaction using digital tools,” he said. “Event organizers see how people connect and get a holistic view of their touchpoints.”

Event organizers are also starting to use beacons to enable geomessaging and show navigation. (National Retail Federation employed beacon technology at the Retail Big Show last January).

Exhibitors are using RFID to implement creative customer experiences. And finally, augmented reality (think Pokeman Go) is increasing its applications in the live event space.

“Augmented reality is taking the world by storm,” Saef said. “We’ll start seeing more uses.”

Also enhancing the onsite experience is live streaming such as Facebook Live or Periscope.

“Like it or not, our attendees are taking advantage of opportunities to live stream to their networks. Don’t try to control it, it’s raising awareness of your event and it’s a good tool to get networks interested and excited to come to your next event,” Saef explained. 

After the event, the party’s not over. Use digital tools to cross-promote other events, save the date for the next event, or create new revenue streams with post-event sponsorships.

To learn more about this and other IAEE webinars, visit http://www.iaee.com/iaee-webinars/.

Add new comment

Partner Voices
HERE, hosting responsible meetings and caring for our communities are top priorities. Through its 'Focused on What Matters: Embracing Humanity and Protecting the Planet' philosophy, MGM Resorts commits to creating a more sustainable future, while striving to make an impact in the lives of employees, guests, and the communities in which it operates. Water Stewardship Efforts MGM Resorts understands the importance of using water efficiently, especially in the desert destination of Las Vegas. Conserving water has always been part of the mission, but MGM Resorts has expanded its ambition into water stewardship. In 2022, MGM Resorts President and CEO Bill Hornbuckle signed the CEO Water Mandate—a UN Global Compact initiative mobilizing business leaders to advance water stewardship. MGM Resorts International was the first gaming company to take this important step. MGM Resorts replaced 200,000 square feet of real grass with drought-tolerant landscaping in Las Vegas. MGM Resorts pledges to reduce water withdrawal intensity by 33% by 2025 and by 35% by 2030. From 2007-2021, use of more than 5.6 billion gallons of water was avoided because of conservation efforts. Caring for One Another MGM Resorts’ Food Donations Program collects and preserves unserved food from conventions held at MGM Resorts properties, then safely donates to food insecure people in the community. Since the program’s launch in 2016, more than 3.7 million meals toward a 2025 goal of 5 million meals have been donated into the community. Donations include: Unserved perishable prepared foods from events Perishable unprepared food from MGM Resorts’ kitchens Nonperishable food items from minibars and warehouses The collaboration with Southern Nevada’s primary food bank, Three Square, has developed the infrastructure needed to safely collect, transport, and store food from MGM Resorts properties in Las Vegas, reducing food waste while serving the community. Fostering Diversity and Inclusion To MGM Resorts, a diverse and talented workforce is essential to success. By cultivating innovative strategies that consider multiple perspectives and viewpoints, the company creates an inclusive workplace culture that benefits its employees and community. MGM Resorts takes pride in being a welcoming home for veterans, individuals with disabilities, people from diverse backgrounds, LGBTQ+ community members, and more. This commitment to inclusion is reflected in the company's recruitment and hiring practices and its social responsibility initiatives. From the workplace to the community, MGM Resorts' commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion remains unwavering, and its efforts continue to create a more equitable and sustainable world for all. MGM Resorts understands its responsibility to contribute to the social and economic progress of the communities in which it operates. HERE, we embrace humanity.