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across the organisation , helping to navigate the complexity . For example , introducing digital channels is far more than launching digital events . A well-defined North Star might set the agenda of serving customers more broadly and improving specific areas of performance such as sales and marketing processes .
2 . Putting customer needs at the heart For too long the focus of event organisers has been the exhibitor . As we move into Exhibitions 3.0 this must be on the attendee , not just those who turn up , but the entire universe of relevant professionals .
• Just as successful media brands have extended reach with digital , organisers can use tech and databased approaches to extend reach across multiple channels . The opportunity is for organisers to facilitate connection and relationships far beyond the show floor .
• Similar tools also extend depth . By developing behaviour-based profiles of customers , exhibition brands can better understand attendee needs and provide more value to exhibitors by delivering leads enriched with data .
• Tools such as personas can help to define structured segmentations . These give a deeper understanding , strengthening the historic core business while presenting new revenue and service opportunities .
3 . Ways of working To achieve Exhibitions 3.0 , organisers need to adapt current ways of working across culture and organisation ; data ; and talent .
a . Culture and organisation
• Organisers should embrace ‘ test and learn ’ and agile approaches to accelerate the development , design and implementation of products and solutions . Part of this is celebrating failures and sharing lessons learned .
• A shift to 3.0 is bigger than a digital hire or establishing a digital
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department . Careful thought is required to assess the extent to which new skills sit centrally within the organisation . A new structure may better serve segmented customers through a range of channels with targeted content and offerings .
b . Data
• Organisers will require a holistic and robust data strategy . This encapsulates the purposes of that data , as well as what data to collect and how to collect it .
• Data warehousing , analytics and visualisation will then turn raw data into meaningful and actionable insight .
c . Talent
• As with any transformation , there will be a mandate for new skills . This talent can come from within or from outside the industry . AMR has already set out the new role of the event director in How to structure the events organiser of the future and the journey towards more rounded and expensive talent . We are now seeing these trends play out .
4 . Measures of success There are new measures of success beyond financial . They measure both customer activity and success , as well as the progress of the brand towards its strategic goals .
a . Customer KPIs measure the value provided by increased quality and quantity of engagement , across :
• Base engagement with products such as newsletters
• High traffic moments such as webinars , meet ups or regional events , and
• Peak engagements such as in person exhibitions .
b . Brand KPIs combine :
• Select digital and other engagement metrics , such as brand perception .
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“ For too long , the focus of event organisers has been the exhibitor . As we move into Exhibitions 3.0 this must be on the attendee ” |
• Sentiment metrics such as NPS We see four avenues for incremental revenue generation through Exhibitions 3.0 : i . Uplift in core business : With deeper customer understanding and better targeted engagement across channels , attendees obtain a better return on time and exhibitors improve return on investment . This supports pricing in the core business and can lead to new pricing opportunities such as LaaS – Leads as a Service . ii . Content : Targeting audiences with content , data and information can provide additional lead generation and sponsorship opportunities . In some cases , ROI is clearer and more defined than elsewhere . iii . Exhibitor services : Organisers can offer additional services for exhibitors to enhance visibility or to generate leads at events . With careful delivery that is linked to the value offered , these can be bundled . In one case we have witnessed a 10 % revenue uplift . iv . User services : Organisers already monetise educational content . In a few cases , ultimately some brands can move to membership revenue models based on the value generated by the overall offering .
Overall , we see that success can only be achieved by setting a new direction that is genuinely customer centric . It is powered by data and new ways of working , and success is measured in new ways .
Organisers can keep up with customer expectations by delivering valuable outcomes to both attendees and exhibitors , within the core business and also in the broader community . The investment in this transformation can be structured to bring improved returns to customers , and in turn to organisers .
To download the Exhibitions 3.0 White Paper : amrinternational . com / exhibitions3.0
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