Feature
while longer yet , buyers , sellers and those seeking engagement will need a portal . I ask Conway what key questions an organiser should ask themselves when deciding how to approach a hybrid element of their show ? “ The most obvious question is : what benefits can hybrid tech provide ?” says Conway . “ That tech should focus on two key areas : audience expansion and connecting attendees with the right products and brands . And you can ask yourself : why is that important ? “ On audience expansion , we are likely to see capacity restrictions in the early stages , so digital engagement is going to be integral to the success of any show . “ We ’ ll see a reduction in the costly exercise of sending hordes of people to events , the
“ Attendees and exhibitors will increasingly demand reassurance that their participation will prove worthwhile . Tools that can harness personalised data to help them better prepare , engage and measure their results will be vital for our collective success .”
technology is going to provide that platform for employee expansion , and thirdly , no longer will events constrained by venue tenancy . “ Hybrid gives legs to the 365-day ‘ omnichannel ’ approach to event participation .” And on connecting buyers with sellers ? “ These days , exhibitors have smaller budgets and greater expectations . And that goes for visitors as well . “ Our challenge is to instill confidence and to deliver meaningful , lasting experiences ; we have to make it worthwhile if people are to invest their time and money . GES is uniquely placed to deliver those experiences in both the physical and the digital space . “ We have developed our own hybrid features ; attention has been paid to the visitors ’ ability to seamlessly choose how and when they engage with events ; to ensure that participation is hassle-free . It ’ s safe to say - hybrid is here to stay . “ Yet , attendees and exhibitors will increasingly demand reassurance that their participation will prove worthwhile . Tools that can harness personalised data to help them better prepare , engage and measure their results will be vital for our collective success .”
Keep it simple
Conway makes it clear that any event experience must be kept simple , or the risk is that visitors will simply not engage . “ Let us not rely on having to download apps or install software , it has to be simple , right ? In the future , attendees are going to expect more engaging , personal , and relevant experiences , and their attention will only be maintained if they feel the event or brand is delivering value .” Conway also says organisers should decide which part of their hybrid event is considered the primary element : the live , or the online . “ That is going to help guide the experience for content delivery . Our focus has been on the safe return of live events , and what the future holds . But whichever element is your lead , it must be high quality . “ At GES , we were clear that we weren ’ t going to create a
18 — March