As a business whose livelihood is founded and grounded in live events since opening its doors in 1993, an industry that contributes $1 trillion annually to the U.S. economy; Rochester-based company, MSM Inc., has had to think outside of the box to adapt in these unprecedented times.
The halt in live events has also meant MSM’s tradeshow and event clients have had to entirely redefine customer outreach and acquisition strategies through 
digital engagement. Yet, in the quick pivot to video conferencing and virtual event platforms, many found the solutions available were missing the mark.
“Our clients work with us to deliver immersive customer journeys that resonate and engage with specific target audiences for tradeshows and events,” says Donna Shultz (pictured right), MSM founder and CEO. “As live events moved virtual, we heard that what was consistently missing was the level of two-way communication, personalization and engagement required to effectively drive growth for their business now and into the future. We knew we could build something better.”
MSM’s new virtual engagement solution LiVi, short for where live meets virtual, launched August 1 and infuses cinematic virtual environments with the real-time interactive engagement and social aspects found in live events. Completely accessible by URL, without any apps to download, LiVi supercharges the functionality of today’s leading video conferencing and engagement tools by layering them within immersive and explorable environments that add context to attendees’ experience with the brand and its content.
As an agency who focuses heavily on the customer experience in live event production, it was important to also capture the joy of real-life moments. “That joy we feel is in large part attributed to being a part of something bigger, of being able to share experiences with others and physically being present,” explains Pete Stam (pictured left), MSM’s digital engagement strategist. For this reason, LiVi enables both personal and shared experiences through integrated avatars and the ability for avatars to directly connect, socialize and react to their virtual world around them.
With live events almost 100 percent off the table until 2021, LiVi also sets brand event managers up for great success in its scalabilty—from virtual exhibits and meeting spaces to large-scale conferences—along with providing information on how their clients are engaging with their brands. “With the move to virtual, we heard a lot about what we are losing, but not about all there is to gain,” says Shultz. “What I’m most excited about is that LiVi allows our clients to really get to know their customers and what makes them tick through incredible data and insights at their fingertips.”
Clients like ServiceNow, who launched a virtual exhibit with LiVi for cyber-security conference Black Hat USA early August, are now able to create digital destinations to continue building their community, educate customers on new products and solutions, and drive sales, even in this time of uncertainty. With LiVi, businesses can stay connected and engaged with what matters most—their customers.
For more info about LiVi, visit www.MeetLiVi.com or contact LiVi@msmxp.com to request a demo.
MSM is a woman-owned, award-winning brand experience agency based in Rochester, NY. With a focus in live and digital exhibit and event experiences, MSM solves face-to-face marketing challenges through one-of-a-kind experiences that tell brand stories, captivate audiences, engage the senses and inspire customer loyalty. MSM is a Top Workplace in its region, was the first agency RFP-certified by the Experiential Designers and Producers Association, is a top industry fabricator with recurring placement on Exhibitor magazine’s Find It Top 40 List and Event Marketer’s Fab 50 List, and opened sister agency The Experience Shop in 2018 to expand its offerings in non-traditional event marketing experiences. For more info, visit www.msmxp.com.
