ns
IN BRIEF
What: Increased
visitor engagement
Who: ibtm arabia
and Poken by GES
Where: Abu Dhabi’s
Jumeirah at Etihad
Towers
When: 7–9 February
2017
ways to track attendee engagement.
“We were also looking for an organised
and automated way to collect real-time
data of the appointments onsite,” he adds.
“Poken’s check-in facility really helped
us monitor and follow the pre-scheduled
appointment schedule of all the attendees
at any given point of time.”
In terms of preparing visitors to use
the technology, Pillai says that almost no
advance information was necessary.
“The device is deliberately designed to
be simple to use, therefore we didn’t do
any special prep upfront,” he explains.
“Attendees collected their devices when
they arrived and we explained how they
were used and what the benefi ts were.
This was backed up with onsite signage
and a Poken helpdesk to provide customer
service throughout the event.
“The incentive to use the device was
Winter 2017/18 in association with GES
simple. For exhibitors, the device offered a
tangible way to record that appointments
had taken place and an effective way for
us to follow up no shows and drive better
buyer behaviour.
“The Poken tap device is an engaging
tool with a fun factor so attendees were
motivated by that as well as it being
something new.”
Data driven
The use of Poken not only provided
visitors with a new experience during the
show, it also provided organisers with a
whole new raft of data and insights on
exhibitor and hosted buyer behaviour.
During the event 8,641 digital exchanges
were made using Poken. 5,715 digital
business cards or attendee profi les were
exchanged through the Poken devices.
“We now have a better understanding
of both exhibitor and buyer behaviour,”
says Pillai. “Including the time taken to
complete an appointment and the number
of unique interactions between people.
“These shows are designed not just to
help you do business, but also to improve
the way you connect, interact and do
business with people. We are always
looking to provide a better customer
experience, which ensures a ‘return on
experience’ along with the return on
investment and time.”
Tracking visitor interaction and
engagement has long been a desire of
organisers, especially those who work in
B2B events. Knowing exactly how visitors
move around a show, interact with each
other and network enables organisers to
create smarter and better trade events for
their customers.
engage
9