Engaged data is where the heart is
David Woodbridge , MD of Newbridge Events , looks at the challenges involved in maintaining engaged audiences and avoiding ‘ engagement drift ’
n October 2020 I shared some thoughts on the pros and cons of Artificial Intelligence ( AI ) vs Real Intelligence ( RI ) for matchmaking . As a follow up , I want to talk about one of the key challenges in the current climate where we are relying on digital events in the absence of live or even hybrid shows – and that is keeping audiences engaged with and responsive to the brands , the shows , and the ecosystems they support .
For live shows , buyer and seller engagement as part of an event cycle is tried and tested . In truth , we have all taken audience engagement with our events for granted and , until last March , there were few compelling reasons outside of a show launch for devoting a disproportionate amount of effort to reinventing the wheel .
When you take a similar expectation of engagement into a digital or hybrid environment now , the reality turns out to be very different . In our recent experience working across the UK , Europe and the Middle East , the challenge very quickly becomes how to engage ( and re-engage ) with buyers and sellers when all around their worlds are rapidly changing due to the ongoing Covid crisis . If you then add predictable show propositions ,
11 %
2019 live event registration data
17 %
Opens % multiple virtual meeting mediums , fierce competition for people ’ s online attention , real fatigue with the virtual world and the lack of live face-to-face interaction to this mix , then you have all the ingredients for engagement drift .
One of the unfortunate economic side-effects of Covid for many industries , is that they , too , have had to redistribute their people and refocus their businesses . They have furloughed their staff and made redundancies , teams have been merged and condensed , and people have changed jobs , often taking on multiple new roles . Frequently this means that registration data can no longer be considered as current and engaged , and as most shows in 2020 did not take place , the normal and dependable methods for building and revalidating data have been weakened .
Over the last few months , we have been lucky enough to collaborate on several shows and we have seen this trend appear across small live events and large virtual events . We also found that data from previous years , including pre-registrations for live shows in 2020 which did not happen , were already cold and unengaged . The implications are self-evident .
It is not all gloom and doom . On the
Typical Campaign Results ( illustration based on Live and Virtual VIP meetings programmes )
0.5 % 1 %
2020 live event ( postponed ) pre-reg data
51 %
17 %
2020 live event registration data
Conversions %
67 %
22 %
2020 virtual expo registration data
Above : David Woodbridge , MD of Newbridge Events
plus side we have seen shows where the proposition is clear , the offering delivers value and the audience has a compelling reason or need to attend , and then engagement is strong – however the challenge is that audience engagement can come late , sometimes only two weeks out !
Campaigns we have conducted to engaged data for our specialist VIP meetings programmes have hit open rates approaching 70 %; those to unengaged data by contrast have rarely achieved 20 %. The onward effect on conversions is entirely predictable .
So , the tremendous opportunity which arises is to re-connect with audiences starting with bellwether buyers and sellers . In my opinion the time is right for a 365 solution which nurtures these individuals , provides for their specific wants and needs , and which fosters networks and connections – in short one which aims to retain their engagement and builds loyalty on a year-round basis .
We are starting collaborations on a handful of such programmes where our role involves understanding key buyers ’ and sellers ’ evolving challenges and requirements , and then providing a programme of year-round engagement based on what they need , when they need it – not just when events happen .
The world is now a very different place and events still matter , so rebuilding confidence must be the focus as we start 2021 . I believe that year-round programmes which provide layered and cohesive engagement for buyers and sellers on their own terms , which create and maintain loyalty , and which keep audiences engaged with and responsive to the brands , the shows , and the ecosystems they support are the way forward .
40 Issue 1 2021 www . exhibitionworld . co . uk