Shifting towards omnichannel business models to elevate a show ’ s value proposition Other traditionally face-to-face driven industries have been affected by emerging digital business models earlier than the exhibition industry . Retail , financial services and real estate are adopting omnichannel business models , creating one consistent customer journey across complementary digital and physical touchpoints .
Omnichannel business models optimise the customer experience across all channels of customer interaction by leveraging synergies between the channels . Placing the customer instead of the product at its heart , the most important step is to understand customer needs and expectations and orient both online and physical offerings towards them .
The new GIPR looks at the lessons from the retail industry , including the disruption that online pure players like Amazon brought to the traditional face-to-face sector , the transformation of traditional purchasing journeys and the move towards multichannel models of
Physical trade show March
After-show networking May traditional retailers . It will also show the shortcomings of multichannel models , the steady increase of e-commerce volumes and the emergence of omnichannel models , adopted by both online pure players who are moving onsite and onsite players who are moving online .
One key lesson from retail is that there is no one-size fits all omnichannel solution , as customer expectations depend on the overall value proposition of the brand : While Walmart ’ s omnichannel offering is centered around a cheap and speedy purchasing journey , Nike ’ s offering emphasises the lifestyle aspect of the brand , with sport-related content online and offline stores that feel like high-end gyms .
We are confident that omnichannel integration is the way forward for organisers who want to elevate their value proposition and respond to risen customer expectations following the Covid-19 outbreak . Our overall omnichannel concept for the exhibition industry , the result of years of research , is introduced in the report . Just as for retailers , omnichannel models must consistently reflect the value proposition of the event : Both the online and offline offerings need
Virtual engagement ( 24 / 7 available online platform ) Physical engagement ( Physical trade show )
Keynote panel July
Virtual event incl . live content August
Virtual launch Networking session November
Physical trade show March N + 1
Industry-specific 24 / 7 online platform with on-demand content , product / company profiles and search engine , matchmaking tool , etc .
For more information on this completely overhauled , must-read edition of the GIPR , contact : jschmetz @ jwc . eu . com
Figure 3 ( below ): Example of an integrated omnichannel offering across an event cycle and its effect on customer engagement
© 2021 jwc gmbh to be aligned to the character of the show ( e . g ., is it a transactional tradeshow or conference-driven show ?), the location of the show , as well as the underlying customer needs dependent on the industry vertical the show serves .
The customer experience needs to be reviewed end-to-end : All interactions , communication and transactions , so-called touchpoints , need to support the overall value proposition and be integrated into one consistent customer journey . The ultimate goal is to keep the customer engaged in a continuous manner , so that they can satisfy their needs whenever and wherever they want .
Figure 3 illustrates such continuous engagement of show participants with the community the respective show serves .
Omnichannel models in no way replace the physical show but use it as a key differentiator from online-only offerings in creating the strongest possible customer engagement . Hybrid and virtual show concepts that we currently see fall short here : Most are trying to transfer the interaction “ as it would be face-to-face ” to the online space . But online spaces have a hard time to create the mental activation in a way tradeshows do , places that trigger emotions and physical activation through our senses . Once physical events return , the added value of virtual or hybrid shows that are mainly inspired by the physical experience will be very limited .
Finally , the GIPR includes handson recommendations on what steps need to be taken when undertaking an omnichannel transformation and what major requirements need to be considered . During the webinars scheduled to take place after the report ’ s release , buyers of the GIPR have the exclusive opportunity to attend presentations of the GIPR and access more insights and actively take part in discussions with jwc experts .
www . exhibitionworld . co . uk Issue 2 2021 21