MAP Digital - How Technology Is Changing The Special Events Industry

AGENDA NEW YORK
March 2001

Last week I attended a meeting in Washington, DC hosted by the Alliance Service Network, a marketing and sales organization that represents service providers to the meeting, convention and exhibition industry. The program consisted of tabletop exhibits and a series of educational programs offered by alliance members. It was a good program and I had an opportunity to speak to a handful of technology vendors.

“Attendees continue to obtain information and maintain relationships developed during the show. It's a great and convenient way to communicate and generate excitement for upcoming functions.”

A digital event is composed of a selection of key Internet solutions that expand the reach of an event. Mary Ann Pierce, president of Events Digital [now president of MAP Digital, Inc.], a primary provider of digital events, suggests that companies "should augment the benefits derived from trade shows by using the Internet and technology that is currently available as tools to make life easier and increase the distribution of information to a targeted audience."

Events Digital offers an array of services dedicated to facilitating an event's management, marketing and connection to remote audiences via the Internet for corporate meetings, special events and trade shows. Among these services are complete equipment rental packages, development and maintenance of Internet kiosks, live and on demand Webcasts, and creation of event-specific Web sites. Onsite Internet access turns a static event into a live function. It also enables a company to demonstrate its Web site at a meeting or exhibition booth and provides for interactive sessions, such as a live chat, with remote audiences with instant feedback.

Pierce strongly recommends, "View a trade show as an opportunity to increase the reach of a company's message through incorporating the Internet and making information available 24/7/365. Set up an event-specific site to be utilized for online registration, booking reservations, viewing the speaker and event schedule. If started early enough, attendees can be involved with key speaker selection, the general direction of the event, and ensuring that hot topics are being covered."

Internet kiosks provide virtual maps, a schedule of events, and a review of information covered, while potentially eliminating the bulky materials that exhaust attendees by the end of the day.

"Another option to consider in lieu of a show journal, is a satellite Web site for each vendor that links with the vendor's corporate site. The trade show Web site details who is in the booth, and what services or products are being offered. Following the show, wrap-up information can be uploaded onto the site and use the site to update information and provide fresh details of a company's progress and upcoming projects," says Pierce. All of these methods enhance visibility and awareness of individual companies, enabling the memory of the show to stay in people's minds after the event is over, when decisions are ready to be made. Attendees can continue to obtain information and maintain relationships that were developed during the show. It's a great and convenient way to communicate en masse and generate excitement for the upcoming function.

To reduce costs, sponsors can underwrite the fees involved with kiosks and even the Web site. Numerous variables affect the cost of utilizing these services, so for more information, please contact Mary Ann Pierce at [MAP Digital, Inc.]