How can the hybrid factor generate greater profitability for event managers?
With a clear need to disrupt the events industry through digital transformation – which includes exploring the global reach of hybrid events – the concept of distributed audiences (virtual and in-person) is emerging as a viable and cost-effective way to bring people together in a world during and post pandemic. In this sense, the choice of technology, platform, and channels that will serve a hybrid audience is essential to meeting the goals and capacity requirements of each event.
What does this mean? If the profitability of the events industry depends on a significant adaptation to the way content is delivered and consumed, then this transformation must involve the adoption of an omni-channel infrastructure – capable of simultaneously serving virtual and in-person audiences. In this sense, it’s important to realize that serving different audiences implies developing content appropriate to the medium where the event will be consumed. And, also, that successful event management involves adapting and delivering content in an integrated and coherent way with each channel, in the clear awareness that each audience will have its own demands and a completely different behavior according to the medium where they’ll experience the event.
If we think about it, the existence of audiences that differ in the way they prefer to consume the content of an event has always been a reality – with or without limitations imposed by pandemic. Thus, successful event management involves thinking first about digitization, and soon afterwards about how we can serve distributed audiences through tailored strategies and production plans.
Read also: 7 Tips to Create a Successful In-Person Event in The Future
The adaptation process of Exponor Exhibitions with beamian
Like other industry players, the Exponor brand connected to the trade show business – Exponor Exhibitions – is going through an adaptation in order to continue its mission of bringing people together, towards security and a higher profitability of the business.
Since 2018, beamian and Exponor have celebrated a successful collaboration that operates in the technological space of events, now assuming a highly competitive partnership in the face of the new “normality” of the sector. The largest event venue in northern Portugal is currently, and in a precursory way, taking advantage of the 2.0 functionalities of the beamian event management platform.
With the clear goal of prioritizing safe interactions between people, these are the beamian solutions that Exponor Exhibitions will use for the successful management of their future events:
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Electronic check-in
The beamian electronic check-in solution will help to efficiently and securely manage the arrival of attendees to on-site events. The goal is to take advantage of a strong digital component to reduce crowding at the venue entrance and simplify the event experience, right from the start.
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Capacity management
From the registration process – where attendees’ data will be associated with QR Codes as a form of digital identification – it will be possible to control entries and exits of the venue, conference rooms, specific sessions and VIP areas, with access to numbers in real time.
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ID technology
In order to prioritize safe and effective interactions between professionals, QR Code scanning is a requirement valued by Exponor Exhibitions – that put an end to the exchange of business cards and brochures on paper, giving priority to the digitization of processes and interactions.
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Virtual product showcasing
As the in-person editions of the fairs will be of limited duration and capacity – Exponor Exhibitions will focus on keeping available the product catalog of each exhibitor in a public interface, accessible by anyone on the virtual event platform. In this way, Exponor events will also become an online reference point for suppliers of the most diverse areas.
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Interactive networking tools
Besides the adoption of new lead capture tactics, which strongly rely on technological solutions to guarantee safe in-person interactions, creating an online network is now easier. Exponor Exhibitions will offer all participants the opportunity to connect via chat or video, and meetings between professionals will be able to take place outside the context of the face-to-face editions.
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Public website
Exponor Exhibitions will also allow any professional to have virtual access to its fairs, as a complement to the in-person editions. This tool will even work in a pre-event mode, which means that interested parties will be able to previously see what each event has to offer. All this without the need for prior registration, so that data sharing is not an initial requirement.
The testimony of Exponor Exhibitions
”Exponor Exhibitions aims to become more and more an entity that delivers business experiences as an ecosystem. With this ambitious goal in mind, we created, together with beamian, a new business model that will contribute to engage communities, guide the public through unknown territories and meet customers where they are.
Pandemic has accelerated the digital transformation process of Exponor Exhibitions, as well as its trade shows, where online and hybrid take on a complementary role to play with in-person events.
The new features are immense and include the creation of a marketplace, the complete migration to contactless events and qualification and conversion tools for successful events.
Our purpose remains the same - Bringing people together. We believe in human connection and that no resource will completely replace in-person gatherings. However, we're sure that digital will enhance more interactions and better opportunities.
Carla MaiaMarketing Director at Exponor
