By H. K. Wilson
Steve Jobs once said: “Everyone here has the sense that right now is one of those moments when we are influencing the future.”
The decisions we are making today in response to the unforeseen obstacles of 2020 are redefining the way brands will market themselves and businesspeople will connect for years to come. Technology is playing an important role in influencing the future, and the following companies are helping to evolve the industry.
Blueprint Studios Founder Launches Cloud-Based Virtual Event Platform
Blueprint Studios founder Mircea Manea (pictured left) founded Illumeet, a cloud-based virtual event platform, earlier this year to meet the needs of the quickly evolving online events industry. The platform is a comprehensive web-based ecosystem that enables brands to deliver content, connect with consumers and create memorable virtual experiences. Through its immersive interactive event platform solutions, Illumeet is packed with features that mimic in-person events through engaging content, interactive applications and live networking opportunities. Illumeet’s platforms transform event experiences by creating novel digital environments fit with engaging media and content while allowing attendees to come together and have meaningful interactions online.
Illumeet offers a wide range of proprietary applications and out-of-the-box tools that integrate seamlessly within the platform while also standing on their own. These include:
- A high-definition global audio and video meeting and webinar application.
- A brandable digital photo booth solution for socially distanced events where guests can use their own devices to snap photos from anywhere in the world.
- A content publishing application that boosts editorial content by creating animated documents for magazines, catalogs, brochures, and presentations.
- Robust data analytics and reporting that offers illuminating insights into attendee activity and usage.
Illumeet is also dedicated to providing industry leaders with creative control over the attendee journey in ways currently impossible through other virtual event solutions. Illumeet allows for global connectivity that is cost-effective and safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We understand the importance of a truly unique and immersive experience for companies and their attendees alike,” says Manea. “Illumeet brings human and social elements to virtual events through interactive and collective experiences and engaging networking opportunities. We have recognized that accepting the status quo for online events is not an option and we want to empower our clients with the tools to meet their business needs.”
For more info, visit https://www.illumeet.com/.
Creative Visual Solutions Develops ClearEntry Kiosk
Creative Visual Solutions’ new ClearEntry kiosk provides an unattended gating solution for safe and efficient entry into buildings, businesses and events. The customizable kiosk features a digital interface housed in virus-resistant film, with an infrared temperature and facial recognition scanner. This automated contact tracing system securely stores data and provides an exportable audit log for reporting purposes.
The ClearEntry kiosk can be custom branded and can be enhanced with mask dispenser and hand sanitizer units. The kiosks are surprisingly affordable, and Creative Visual Solutions offers financing and rental options.
For safe and trackable entry into your next event, visit: https://www.visual-solutions.ca/clearentrykiosk.
Explori Data Reveals Exhibitor and Visitor Sentiment Toward Virtual Events
We’ve all adapted as the pandemic has limited in-person events in 2020. But everyone is asking the same question: Are virtual events here to stay? Data collection is essential to discerning the answer.
Since March 2020, the customer experience experts at Explori—an event feedback platform that provides customer/attendee event experience insights for thousands of clients from exhibition organizers to venues—have been gathering attendee and exhibitor experience metrics for virtual events. Its recently released benchmarks include Overall Satisfaction and Net Promoter Score. These benchmarks have been compared to the more than 3 million customer experience data points the event feedback company already holds on the in-person event experience.
Explori’s benchmarks reveal that attendee sentiment for virtual events is positive. Overall Satisfaction amongst attendees is higher for virtual events and webinars. The current Net Promoter Score for in-person trade shows currently sits at +11 compared to +10 for virtual events and +46 for webinars.
In contrast, Explori’s benchmarks show that exhibitor sentiment for virtual events is not so positive. The Net Promoter Score for in-person trade shows is -17, for virtual events this figure has dropped to -48. Exhibitors also indicate that they are struggling to prove the return on investment for their participation in virtual events.
According to Explori Managing Director Sophie Holt (pictured left), “The research tells us that attendees believe virtual events are as good as in-person events for delivering content. However for both attendees and exhibitors, there is an overwhelming preference for face-to-face events when it comes to networking, overall experience and doing business. This is particularly pronounced for exhibitors whose main objective for participating is to generate new leads.This isn’t to say that virtual events cannot work for exhibitors. We’ve found that those who have been offered a dedicated sponsorship experience tend to view virtual events more favorably.”
The full suite of Explori benchmarks, including Overall Satisfaction, Likelihood of Return, Net Promoter Score & Value for Time, are available by industry to clients only. To find out more about how to benchmark visitor and exhibitor experience for your virtual events, click here: https://www.explori.com.
Upcoming stories in this series will feature companies and individuals who have pivoted or created new products to survive these difficult and challenging times. Please email us at newsdesk@exhibitcitynews.com for inclusion in future stories in this series.
