had before Covid-19 , it was mostly badge scanning or business card exchange at face-to-face meetings . This this how exhibitors could create a list of leads that they bring from the event , which is the main KPI for them . If you compare it with what we have now , where these leads can be generated from different sources , including people who have used your product , profile views , sessions , if they are speaking at sessions . We provide this list of interactions , messages , meetings , everything that happened during the event .

“ What we noticed is the number of leads that exhibitors can get now is 300 % bigger than we had pre-Covid . So this is this is where technology can definitely play a great role .”

Irreplaceable value of live Pinchuk says that as exhibition budgets typically fall under marketing budgets , businesses are comparing the value of leads from exhibitions with other digital sources .

“ What is irreplaceable is the value that face-to-face brings , Pinchuk says : “ But it has to be enhanced with technology .”

She says 365 communities are a great example of technology adding value . “ The peak of engagement activity is during the event . Before the event they can communicate on the event platform , but after the event , there is a rapid drop of engagement and then months of silence .

“ A very good example is Vinexposium . They gathered more than 3,000 wine producers and tens of thousands of buyers from all over the world . “ What they have there is a marketplace with lots of products , where buyers can pre-build interest . Vinexposium organises a different physical events in different countries so they see if there is an audience for face-to-face gatherings . And they can warm up this audience with speed networking or an exhibition or conference .

“ The other thing that can also enhance this face-to-face and pre-built interest is request for proposals , which we launched recently . Buyers can gather proposals from exhibitors , and preselect who they would like to meet at face-to-face events . It ’ s just one more dimension .”

Tech disruption For a tech entrepreneur , Pinchuk is realistic about the state of the virtual events world .

“ The reality we are in at the moment shows that the projections that some online event technologies like Hopin had were a bit exaggerated . This purely online bubble is bursting now .

“ I think that absence does make the heart grow fonder . We missed in-person interactions , we wanted to come back , but the numbers are not the same as 2019 . And I think

“ What we ’ re seeing now is like tectonic shifts that are happening , where we are building new industry standards ”

that we should expect that there will be some reduction . But face-to-face events will definitely stay because they provide the credibility .”

Pinchuk points to a study by McKinsey which asked B2B buyers and sellers about their confidence in remote interactions – 91 % said remote interactions were just as effective .

But the bigger question is how much they are prepared to spend online . The research found 35 % willing to spend $ 500,000 or more on remote deals – up from 21 % in March 2020 . With that in mind , exhibition organisers need to keep an eye on tech advances – the metaverse , augmented reality , smart glasses , Pinchuk says .

While prices for headsets and other equipment are currently high , as it becomes more adopted in our personal lives – the prices will go down . Exhibitions will need to keep up to stay in the game .