I believe we all have heard the phrase Web 2.0 and sometimes now you will hear people refer to 4.0 basically skipping directly from 2.0 to 3.0.
Now what version of the tradeshows and events are we working within? I'm sure that will vary per group, as some are still using some basic principals that they have been using for the last 10 years or longer. Just with some new colorization or tweaks.
Now don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with sticking to the fundamentals, of our business but I do believe you need to have some adaptability in improving the product for our customers.
Example Revenue, is some basics, exhibit booth sales, directory ads, flags, banners, etc. Well in the 4.0 version where are those Revenue opportunities. Can you measure the success of a banner, flag or window treatment? Can the purchaser of the product make that determination?
There are all kinds of revenue opportunities that we are leaving the table that will become part of the 4.0 version. Many of these vehicles will be in hybrid formats. Promotional pieces in print and in digital.
Access to the attendees in different forms that have not been done on-site for your events or pre and post event time.
Customized Exhibitor Promotional Packages from the point of sale. How many people are looking at that? Social media, is anybody making money on this tool yet? There is money to be made. Hotel revenue programs of where the attendee is staying. I'm not talking about just drop of show dailies, but a targeted promotion to the groups that are staying at various hotels?
The connection of the supply chain and more value added networking programs. Meet-ups, Unconferences, Industry Sector Tailgates, HQ places within the city you are using for specific groups.
Educational programs, but on a 4.0 version, use of smart phones, text messaging. New ways to communicate during the off event time. If your an association as well you have many opporunities to engage in the new 4.0 world of tradeshows and events.
Are we accessing all of the power tools from our vendors, should our vendors be working with show management and the planners to create better tools, are they ready for the 4.0 or are they playing catch-up and shoestringing it all together so that no one really gets that one product they need.
4.0 is global, yet local, vertical yet horizontal. 4.0 is new way of doing things and can be alot of fun for your staff to push the envelope and change the rules of engagement facilitation for the industry. 4.0 is tactical, data driven, targeted and mass produced as well.
The attendee doesn't just buy and search and resource at your event. The exhibitor does not rely on your event for sales, brand promotion and marketing. They both are out their everyday selling, searching and buying. While they are doing that in the 4.0 version are you there to facilitate the connections or just a bystander sitting on the sidelines as connections continue to happen.
The 4.0 version should put you in the middle of the opportunities to engage. You will need to invest in technology, invest in personnel and invest in the building blocks for this model which will continue to evolve and will require some new ways of thinking.
The f2f model is not over nor is it irrelevent it has changed and 4.0 knowledge will be good to have to allow you to put out the best vehicles for your customers.
Hybrid is key to 4.0. Networking, facilitating, data, technology and understanding the new rules of engagement are essential to the 4.0 model.
Thanks for reading and I look forward to your comments
Friday, September 10, 2010
Data
We live in an ever growing electronic age. Technology and the need to capture vital data is becoming more important in this b2b world.
There are several data capturing points in the cycle. If you have a printed magazine, or digital newsletter/magazine you have the opportunity to have them join in or subscribe.
Tradeshows collect data via the registration process. You can also capture data on your website, and also by holding virtual events and webinars.
You can capture data by placing widgets in the forward or share functions of your website or email programs. New registration programs such as Social Clix also give exhibitors and attendeed the opportunity to collect data by searching their database to determine who from their database is already registered for the event. You can collect data in social media platforms. New smart phone apps, allow you to make contact with an individual and immediatley upload.
Now we all may run into people of different view points on data collection. Some will say who will want to answer these additional questions? Some will say well what are you going to do with it, when you get it and what value will it have.
Next you run into the problem that most people have in collecting the data the software, and the people power to manage this database. We invest in many things for tradeshows but how many of us are investing in the resources of data collection.
Ok we know how many people said they are CEO and that are coming to the event or managers etc. We know how many people come from a particular country, state, or province.
Do we track what they did when they came to the event? Do we follow the attendee around the show seeing where they swiped their badge. What was the CEO looking for, what was the manager looking for at the event? Are we collecting the history of these searches and allowing for a place for the attendee to save their searches. Do we create a pop-up of when they go to the save search with recommendation for other products from different companies that they may have missed at the show?
Do we collect the data of the conference participants the people that attend the educational programs. What is their background, what did they attend. Again a historical to make of what they attended will help you hi-light items that will be of future interest to them. Conference attendees what if you compared the education they chose to the products they searched for on the exhibit floor or online to check for the correlation.
Do you track what shows and locations they attend. Does the company send at least someone to your event everytime it is held? If not do you know why not?
Do you track which hotels your attendees stay in and determine some history to guide where they will want to stay in the future? Do you track which social media platform they belong to?
Credit card companies can track your purchases and send you coupons of items that you would like to be aware of. Do you have the ability to feed the attendee new product information or new versions from the exhibitors based upon their search from the previous event? Do you know when the attendee registers, do you have history of the registration?
How fresh is your data and how accurate is it? Data Mining and understanding data is a very powerful tool in this business and we need to know how to harness it and make it deliverable for our exhibitors as they become more data driven in their needs to determine whether to exhibit or not in your event.
Data collected can also aid you in the determination of whether your event products is still relevent or competitive and in sync with the current marketplace. It will allow you to stay ahead of the curve.
There are hundreds of areas that collecting the correct data will be important to your event. Try to step outside the box and think ahead of what you may need down the line. If you can do this you will have a better understanding of how data will help strengthen the events industry.
What is that phrase there is no bad or dumb question well in the world of data I believe that is true.
Find the correct people to assist in the data collection, the software you need and a good staff to ask the write questions and collect the history to be used from an attendee and exhibitors. You need great data on both it will assist you in closing the exhibit sale and also generating attendance.
Thanks for reading and I look forward to more conversation on data
There are several data capturing points in the cycle. If you have a printed magazine, or digital newsletter/magazine you have the opportunity to have them join in or subscribe.
Tradeshows collect data via the registration process. You can also capture data on your website, and also by holding virtual events and webinars.
You can capture data by placing widgets in the forward or share functions of your website or email programs. New registration programs such as Social Clix also give exhibitors and attendeed the opportunity to collect data by searching their database to determine who from their database is already registered for the event. You can collect data in social media platforms. New smart phone apps, allow you to make contact with an individual and immediatley upload.
Now we all may run into people of different view points on data collection. Some will say who will want to answer these additional questions? Some will say well what are you going to do with it, when you get it and what value will it have.
Next you run into the problem that most people have in collecting the data the software, and the people power to manage this database. We invest in many things for tradeshows but how many of us are investing in the resources of data collection.
Ok we know how many people said they are CEO and that are coming to the event or managers etc. We know how many people come from a particular country, state, or province.
Do we track what they did when they came to the event? Do we follow the attendee around the show seeing where they swiped their badge. What was the CEO looking for, what was the manager looking for at the event? Are we collecting the history of these searches and allowing for a place for the attendee to save their searches. Do we create a pop-up of when they go to the save search with recommendation for other products from different companies that they may have missed at the show?
Do we collect the data of the conference participants the people that attend the educational programs. What is their background, what did they attend. Again a historical to make of what they attended will help you hi-light items that will be of future interest to them. Conference attendees what if you compared the education they chose to the products they searched for on the exhibit floor or online to check for the correlation.
Do you track what shows and locations they attend. Does the company send at least someone to your event everytime it is held? If not do you know why not?
Do you track which hotels your attendees stay in and determine some history to guide where they will want to stay in the future? Do you track which social media platform they belong to?
Credit card companies can track your purchases and send you coupons of items that you would like to be aware of. Do you have the ability to feed the attendee new product information or new versions from the exhibitors based upon their search from the previous event? Do you know when the attendee registers, do you have history of the registration?
How fresh is your data and how accurate is it? Data Mining and understanding data is a very powerful tool in this business and we need to know how to harness it and make it deliverable for our exhibitors as they become more data driven in their needs to determine whether to exhibit or not in your event.
Data collected can also aid you in the determination of whether your event products is still relevent or competitive and in sync with the current marketplace. It will allow you to stay ahead of the curve.
There are hundreds of areas that collecting the correct data will be important to your event. Try to step outside the box and think ahead of what you may need down the line. If you can do this you will have a better understanding of how data will help strengthen the events industry.
What is that phrase there is no bad or dumb question well in the world of data I believe that is true.
Find the correct people to assist in the data collection, the software you need and a good staff to ask the write questions and collect the history to be used from an attendee and exhibitors. You need great data on both it will assist you in closing the exhibit sale and also generating attendance.
Thanks for reading and I look forward to more conversation on data
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